Solar FAQ's
Common Questions And Answers
How does net-metering work with Green Mountain Power?
Basically, if you produce more electrical value than you consume in a month, Green Mountain Power will record that electrical value in a “net-metering bank” as “net-metering credits” to be applied to a future bill. In the summer months, your system will overproduce for your needs, creating excess value. In the winter months, your system will underproduce, and you will start to use your net-metering credits. Net-metering credits last for one year after they are produced, so if they are not used within one year they go away. So when we design a system, we typically do so to provide just enough net-metering credits in the summer to cover your bill in the winter, or will plan phases for your solar array to grow as your demand may change. Please see our article, on the value of your solar production to dive deeper to answer to this question by looking at a couple of actual GMP net metering bills.
Do I need battery backup once the sun goes down?
No. With solar, your house will still be connected to the electrical grid. At any time your solar installation is not producing power for your household, you will draw electricity from the grid. However, if the power goes out, your solar installation will no longer be able to provide power to your home. Without a backup battery system, your solar installation will only work when the electrical grid is operational. This is one reason why battery backup systems are useful. If the power goes out, having a battery allows you to continue to store and use your solar production, and still have electricity. Your battery system will continue to recharge itself when the sun is out. .
How does the ITC Tax Credit apply to me?
The ITC Tax credit is future potential savings on your tax returns. Next year, when you are doing your taxes in the spring, you will file form 5695. If you use an online tax preparation app, or have an accountant, they will do this for you. You will be able to take 30% of the value of the solar installation off your federal tax payments. So, after taxes, if you owe the federal government $5000, with the tax credit you would now owe the government $5000 minus 30% of the installation cost. If you don't have enough tax liability to take the full tax credit, you can carry it over to the following year(s). We show the ITC Tax Credit on each proposal, but please reach out to your accountant to understand better if you would be eligible for using this tax credit.
How can I finance solar?
If you do not want to pay for the installation upfront, we often recommend clients look at the VGreen ITC Loan from VSECU. You can see details about the loan here. Basically, the loan assumes the total cost of the installation after the ITC tax credit. This results in a lower initial payment than a traditional loan. When getting this loan, you would just need to pay VSECU back the amount of the ITC tax credit within the first 15 months of the loan. If you did not do this, the loan would just revert back to a traditional loan at the full installed cost. The VGreen ITC Loan is our most recommended way of getting $0 down solar.
Can I add more solar modules in the future?
Typically yes. Unless there is no more space to install modules, we can design your current system to be expanded when needed. Many clients plan to install electric systems in the future, whether it be an electric hot water heater, a heat pump, a battery system, or an electric car. During the initial proposal, we discuss future electrical plans with clients and decide if we should install a large system now that will already meet future larger electrical needs, or install their solar in two installations.
How will snow affect my solar production and system?
Snow does cause a little bit of solar production loss in New England. But, snow will melt and fall off solar modules without needing to wipe it off. In fact, we do not recommend trying to remove snow from modules in case you accidentally damage the modules. We account for production loss from snow when designing the system, using historical weather data in our production calculations, making sure that even if there is snow the system will still produce enough for your needs.
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