Solar Energy Pioneers

Solar energy has been making leaps and bounds in improved technology and a reduction in overall cost in recent years. I have been making major improvements to my home over the years and in mid-2013 I decided to finally take the plunge and have solar panels installed at my home/home business to help offset ever increasing energy costs. I did a lot of research on solar photovoltaic (pv) systems online and through reading magazines, books and talking with people who were familiar with the technology. I decided to go with Solar Energy Pioneers (SEP) because they were 1) local, 2) had installed multiple systems of varying sizes/capacities in the local area and were well established, 3) were knowledgeable, professional and personable when I spoke all of their personnel and 4) they were patient dealing with all of my questions and concerns through all stages of the project. I have a small business that is operated on the same property as my home so I was able to qualify for two small business grants and a $1,000 green power incentive for installing a pv system that helped to substantially offset the cost of the pv system. After all costs were taken into account, the grants reduced the cost of the pv system by approximately 40%. Without the grants I probably wouldn't have decided to purchase the pv system since the cost would have been more than I wanted to afford at this time. One major factor that motivated me to install the system now instead of waiting until later in 2014 or 2015 was that the premium rate at which TVA is purchasing "green" solar power from pv systems like mine will be reduced soon in early 2014. I believe the premium rate is going to possibly drop from 9 cents per kW hour(kWh) to 7 cents per kW hour. That rate is likely to continue to drop as more people opt to install pv systems and the supply of pv-generated power increases. In 2012 the premium rate was 12 cents per kWh, so I opted in now at a higher premium rate instead of waiting longer in the hopes the solar panels would cost less as they become more mass produced. SEP came out to my property and assessed the potential of the sites I thought might work best for the pv system. After discussing the pros and cons of various locations and the different types of pv systems that could be utilized, it was decided a rooftop, fixed (non-tracking) system on the roof of a newer metal outbuilding adjacent to my house would be the most cost-effective system for my situation. I thought initially that I'd be going with a ground mounted tracking system, but it ends up the fixed rooftop system costs less overall, is easier to maintain (no moving parts) and it's out of the way and is a lot less likely to be damaged by livestock, rocks thrown by mowers or other on-ground hazards. The metal building where my pv system was installed has a south facing roof that is not shaded by trees or other objects, so it ended up being an ideal location. The installation of the rack that holds the panels on the roof of the building was the first big step and it took only a few days. The rack system was a new type, and it apparently was easier to install than its predecessor, looks neater/more streamlined and (I think) is supposed to make it easier to remove panels should they ever need replacing. I'm very pleased with the finished look, it's clean and appears very sturdy. Installation of the two Sunpower inverters and the electrical hardware inside the building below the pv system came next. The underground conduit was run from the building where the pv system was located up to the main house and various switches and meters were installed on the house to safely connect the pv system to the house power/grid. Inspections took place, processing of the electrical interconnection agreement with TVA was accomplished, the power generation meter was installed, the switch was flipped and VOILA! power was being generated and fed into the grid. I've glossed over the installation process to avoid having to write an even lengthier description, but overall the process went smoothly and the delays were understandable considering the complexity of this type of project and several other factors related to other construction projects that had to be taken into account while installing the pv system. At the time of writing this review I have only received two electric bills since the installation of the pv system. My first bill was a credit for $7, which was for the latter half of October, 2013. The second "bill" for the month of November, 2013 was a credit for $69! Despite several rainy and overcast days in November the overall production of the pv system basically paid for all of the electricity my household used and the surplus power was sold back to TVA for a profit. The estimated time for recouping all of the money I've sunk into the pv system is approximately seven years. I am very pleased with the high quality and professional services Solar Energy Pioneers provided throughout the entire planning process, installation and follow up for my pv system. If you are considering solar I'd highly recommend SEP.