When deciding to go solar, understanding the regional landscape is essential. At Georgia Solar Pros, we understand the nuances of this market. We take pride in designing systems that are tailored to your local utility policies and personal energy goals.
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The Importance of Monitoring Your Electricity Consumption (and Solar Energy Production) Home – Blog – The Importance of Monitoring Your Electricity Consumption (and Solar Energy Production) The Importance of Monitoring Your Electricity Consumption (and Solar Energy Production) Every month, millions of Americans begrudging pay their electricity bills without even giving it a second glance. Although electricity is a necessary expense, if it is left unmonitored, usage and utility bills can end up being much higher than expected. Having a full understanding of how your home’s electricity is used is the best way to lower your utility expenses. Factors that Influence your Electricity Bill: Amount of Electricity Consumed (Number of People and Habits) Utility Electricity Price Per Watt Surge or Time of Use Billing (TOU) Rates in some areas Net Metering Availability (If you Have Solar Panels Installed) Weather and Seasonality (As it Relates to Usage) Your Home’s Energy Efficiency Benefits of Consumption Monitoring: Insight into Home’s Electricity Usage Easy Identification of Heavy Appliance Usage Lots of Data to Identify Consumption Trends And Above All, Saving Money on Electricity Bills How to Measure Your Electricity Consumption When you were growing up, you were probably told a few times to “remember to turn the lights off.” Whereas this is the most simple and obvious way to limit unnecessary usage, your utility bill can be a bit more complicated. Thankfully today, there are many great technologies available to help you monitor and save on your electricity bill. Analyzing Your Consumption With Your Electric Bill The amount of electricity you use each month can be found on your electric bill. It is measured in kilowatt hours (which is equal to 1000 Wh). The utility company bills your electricity consumption based on a standard cents/kWh rate. In 2020, homes in GA were billed at an average rate of $11.40 per killowatt. To find your billed rate, simply divide your billed amount by your kWH usage. With a smart meter, you can see how much energy each of your appliances are using, and therefore will be able to calculate the amount of money it costs to run the individual parts of your home. Standalone Consumption Monitoring Systems Even if you don’t have solar panels installed, we can provide you with a standalone home electricity consumption monitoring system. Our smart meters make it easy for you to see your daily, weekly and monthly electricity usage data and trends. In addition to breaking bad usage habits, learning about your electricity usage can then influence your decision to replace old appliances, increase your home’s energy efficiency, or install an array of solar panels. Combination Solar Production and Electricity Monitoring Systems Getting to know your consumption is a great way to begin to understand the benefits of a solar energy system. By monitoring your consumption directly against your production, you can quickly see the level of self sufficiency in your home’s electricity. Furthermore, with a solar energy system and battery backup, your level of grid dependence will drop even further. Solar production, paired with consumption monitoring and smart load shifting is the ultimate way to save on electricity bills while lowering your dependence on grid supplied power. Read more about the benefits of battery backed solar power systems. Although solar energy production monitoring has now become an industry standard, few installers also include consumption monitoring as well. Georgia Solar Pros mission is to help our neighbors understand and save money on their own electricity bills. Therefore, we include production and consumption monitoring at no additional cost on all of our solar panel installations. Conclusion In conclusion, there are many easy ways to become more educated about your own electricity consumption. Getting to know your electricity better is easy and can award you with immediate financial benefits. If you are interested in learning more about installing either solar panels or simply an electricity monitoring system on your home, feel free to contact us today.
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Net Metering in Georgia (South & Central): Solar Panels and Utility Policy for 2020 Home – Blog – Net Metering in Georgia (South & Central): Solar Panels and Utility Policy for 2020 Solar is a relatively new industry in Georgia, but it actually ranked as the 9th highest solar powered state back in 2017. This is largely in part due to utility scale solar panel installations from the Facebook data centers in the north to peanut, corn, and cotton farms in the South. Large installations like these helped drastically reduce the cost per watt of electricity for business owners that use enormous amounts of power. On the residential side of things, the decision to go solar comes down a bit more to dollars and cents, with net metering playing a big part. Net metering is an electricity billing system that allows renewable energy owners to sell back their excess power to the grid. The decision to allow net metering comes down to the state and utility level. What are the Net Metering Laws in Georgia for Solar Power? At the state level in Georgia, there is currently no law requiring net metering policy to be adopted by utilities. This is not uncommon, as only roughly 17 states require net metering to be used by electric utilities. With this being said, your decision to go solar in Georgia in 2020 may be largely influenced by your electric utility and the contract you sign with them. Which Georgia Utilities buy back solar energy? Below we will outline the different utilities in our service area in Georgia and their policies to buy back excess electricity produced by solar panels. Currently, the only Electric Mempership Corporation that will not purchase extra solar in any capacity is Three Notch EMC. This information may not be 100% accurate as it is subject to change. Please contact us for completely up to date policy for your utility. Georgia Power In late 2019, Georgia Power made a very exciting announcement. The utility, which currently has only 1,000 solar rooftops feeding into the grid, has offered 5,000 new residential net metering contracts on a first come first serve basis. This will account for 32 MW of new approved solar installations. This is big news for Georgia Power. The utility, which historically has bought back electricity for as little as $0.035 per kilowatt, will now be offering buy back rates for electricity closer to retail price for the next 5,000 customers. Georgia Power is the only utility that currently pays the avoided cost for excess energy on a monthly basis. EMC’s with Net Metering Electric Membership Corporations throughout Georgia offer different net metering programs. The following EMC’s offer between 3.5 cents and 7 cents for excess kilowatt production on an instantaneous basis. Cities offering Net Metering Both the City of Albany and the City of Thomasville offer net metering between 3.5 cents and 7 cents per kilowatt of excess solar energy produced. However, it should also be noted that these municipalities charge a monthly capacity charge per Kw installed. What Type of Solar Energy System Works Best in Georgia? In order to maximize your return on investment with instantaneous net metering, we have found that more you the use of the solar power that you produce, the larger your ROI will be. This is known as self consumption. For customers that will receive between 3.5 and 7 cents back for excess solar energy produced, we have found that installing a solar panel system that covers about 25-50% of your electric usage allows for increased self consumption and increased ROI. Once installed, you can dramatically increase your self consumption by actively prioritizing activities that use a lot of electricity such as doing laundry or running the dishwasher while the sun is shining and your solar panels are producing energy. By installing a battery backed system, you can further maximize your self consumption with load shifting. Are you interested in solar for your home in Southern Georgia? Contact the Georgia Solar Pros today for a free estimate.
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A Solar Panel Cost & Solar Energy System Payback Guide for Georgia and Florida Home – Blog – A Solar Panel Cost & Solar Energy System Payback Guide for Georgia and Florida As a solar company based in Cairo, GA, one of the most common questions we hear from our neighbors in Southern Georgia and Northern Florida is, “How much do solar panels for my home cost?” Once the initial sticker shock is out of the way, most people will usually follow up wondering how long it takes for the system to “pay for itself” against normal utility bills. Unfortunately, the answers to these questions are not that simple. Every installation we have ever done is completely customized to fit the needs of the end user. No two homes have the exact same amount of solar potential and energy habits. In this article, we will outline some of the averages for solar cost & system ROI for grid tie, off grid, and hybrid solar energy systems. Grid Tie Solar Systems Grid tie solar systems are designed to lower the cost of a home or business’s electricity by producing energy onsite and using it or sending it back to the grid. In grid tie solar systems, the utility is essentially used as a backup so that energy can be drawn during hours without sunlight. The Average System Size for Grid Tie Solar In general, we install grid tie solar systems that are between 3kW to 12kW. Depending on the availability of roof (or yard) space & net metering, systems are designed to lower the amount of electricity purchased from the utility grid. The Average Price for A Grid Tie Solar System (Before Incentives) For most grid-tie systems, the average upfront cost is between $12,000 and $28,000. Although this may seem high, this price is the rate before any federal or local incentives are applied. In 2020, there is a 26% federal tax rate (of total system cost) available after the purchase of a solar energy system. ROI for Grid-tie Solar Energy Systems Of course, the real value when installing solar panels is measured in system return on investment. Despite the upfront cost, the moment your solar power system is producing energy and sending it to the grid, you begin to save money on your electricity bills. In the case of net metering, you may also be compensated for the excess energy you produce. The overall ROI is generally measured at the “break-even point” in which the amount of the initial investment equals the would-be cost of electricity without solar. All of the electricity generated after that can essentially be seen as “free,” as the system continues to produce power. Variables that Affect ROI for Solar: Best Case Payback = 4-8 years In the absolute best case scenario, a grid tie solar system can pay for itself in between 4 and 8 years. In general, here are the factors that create the best case scenario: Average Solar Payback = 9-14 years Most of the time, not everything aligns in a homeowners favor. Whereas an outright cash purchase will save you money on anything, sometimes that is not a reality for those looking to save money on their utilities. In other cases, net metering may not be available, or a roof or property only receives limited sunlight. For every individual, the ROI solar purchase may be slightly hindered if: Bad Payback= 17yrs+ In some cases, now might not be the right time to go solar. If you do not live in an area where net metering is available, your property or roof does not receive enough sunlight, or your bad credit will increase finance charges, then a solar system may take more than 15 years to pay back. Solar panels are generally warrantied for 25-30 and continue to produce electricity beyond that, however 17 years may be too long to justify your purchase. Off Grid Solar Systems Solar systems that are completely off grid rely on a battery to store the energy for later use. Batteries can be very expensive, however in an off-grid situation, a battery-backed solar system may be the most cost effective solution for electricity. When compared to a gas generator, solar energy systems do not require any additional fuel costs throughout their lifetime of clean, emission (and noise) free electricity production. The Cost of Small Off Grid Solar Systems Off grid solar can be as cheap as $2,000 to $5,000 for a system that does not directly interface with a home’s electricity. Systems between 300W and 1200W (1.2kW) of solar can be used to run small appliances like sump pumps or lights. Although the warranties will not be as long as larger, premium choices, a small 1kWh – 10kWh AGM or flooded battery bank can provide enough basic functionality to run a small, closed system. Off Grid Systems for Cabins and Homes For a small off grid cabin, a battery backed solar system will generally cost between $10,000 and $20,000. Of course, this is for retreats with small appliances and limited HVAC use. If you are looking to take an ordinary home completely off grid, the price will likely fall between $25,00 and $75,000. The increase in price can be attributed to a larger battery as well as a larger inverter to run larger home appliances. If your home is large, or very energy efficient, the total cost of your off grid solar system may be more than $75,000. Hybrid (Grid tie + Storage) Solar Systems Grid tie solar systems with battery backups are considered “hybrid” systems, because they utilize elements of grid tie and off grid systems. Adding a battery to a grid tie solar system allows users to use stored electricity if grid power goes out. It also can potentially increase the ROI of a system by lessening grid power use with self-consumption and “load shifting.” The Cost of Hybrid Solar Systems To find the cost of a hybrid solar system, the total is simply the
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