Sunrock Solar

Installation of Solar Panels using a Pole mount System

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:44:16 EST

SunRock Solar has started using pole mounts to install photovoltaic systems for some of our customers. Pole mounts are a valid option when there is a small amount of roof space to install an adequate number of panels, the roof line is east/west, or there is too much shading to justify an installation. The poles consist of a single pole with a crossbar where the solar panels are mounted. There are two different sizes of poles that can hold either ten or fifteen panels each. Because everything is mounted on a single pole, the footprint of each pole is minimal.

We buy the mounting system from a company called True South. The company is located in Ohio and the poles are also manufactured here.

Another feature of these poles is that each pole has a hand crank, at the ground level, that can tilt the panels. In this way, the panels can be adjusted to give an ideal tilt for each month of the year.

To see pictures of the installation of a pole mount system in our gallery, click here.

tags: Pole Mount, Solar Panels, True South, Photovoltaic Array

Great Loans for Solar Installations

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:04:20 EST

There are two loan programs that are available to our customers to help offset the cost of installing solar panels. One is a HIP loan and is available for Hamilton County residents and one is the EcoLink program which is available for Ohio residents.

HIP Loan (Hamilton County’s Property Improvement Program)

This program allows Hamilton County residents to borrow money to repair or remodel their homes or rental property at interest rates 3% below the lowest rate a bank would normally offer

Solar Panels qualify for the program.

-Loans at 3% below market rate, 5 year term - only one outstanding loan at any given time

-Available in participating Hamilton County communities. Milford City does not participate.

-No Income Restrictions or limits (must be able to meet bank's credit requirements)

-Loans are capped at $50,000

-For one-family, or two-family, and commercial properties valued up to $350,000 (based on Hamilton County Auditor's appraisal)

-All Property taxes must be current

-Owner-occupied and investment dwellings qualify for the program

-There is no property value limit on multi-family dwellings (three or more units)

-Most types of permanent repairs or improvements are allowable. The HIP loan is structured as a home equity loan, secured by a second mortgage on the property.

-Most of the banks are unwilling to approve the loan if they cannot obtain a secondary lien on the property. However, you should discuss your options with a participating lender.

Five banks participate in the program-Fifth Third, First Safety, Key Bank, North Side bank, and US Bank. Rates vary from bank to bank. Closing costs vary from bank to bank. It is worth it to shop around.

Traditionally, the lowest interest rates have been given by Key Bank and US Bank. Shelley Cummings(513-533-7716) at Key Bank is very knowledgeable about the program.

To find out more, check out the website at http://www.hamilton-co.org/hc/hc_hip.asp

Contact Information
Jay Springer, "HIP" Coordinator
Hamilton County Department of Planning and Development
138 East Court Street, Room 807
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Phone: 513.946.4459

Fax: 513.946.4475

EcoLink Program

ECO-Link offers a reduced interest rate on qualifying loans to homeowners completing energy-efficient upgrades, installing renewable energy products or weatherizing their homes

Solar panels qualify for this Loan

-ECO-Link is a partnership between the State Treasurer of Ohio and participating state banks. Find a list of the participating banks on the website

-Provides a 3% interest rate reduction for five or seven years on bank loans

-Must be used to complete energy-efficient upgrades in your home.

-Must be an Ohio Resident

-The maximum loan amount is $50,000.

-There is no limit on property value to qualify for the loan

-A homeowner can opt for a seven-year rate reduction if the loan is for more than $25,000.

-The homeowner must use at least 50% of the loan proceeds for the installation of qualifying energy-efficient products; the other 50% of the loan can relate to other home improvement projects.

-There are no fees for the preparation, processing, reporting or monitoring of any ECO-Link application to the Treasury.

Eligible products and projects include, but are not limited to:
washing machines, dishwashers, furnaces, hot water heaters, freezers, refrigerators, heat pumps, air conditioners, windows, doors, roofing, insulation, septic tanks, boilers, programmable thermostats, geothermal units, solar panels and small scale wind turbines.

To find out more visit their website at http://ohiotreasurer.gov/ecolink

Contact the Ohio Treasury, Department of Economic Development via e-mail at ecolink@tos.ohio.gov call (614) 466-6546 or toll free at (800) 228-1102

tags: HIP Loan, Ecolink Loan

The 9th Annual Green Energy Ohio Tour

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:49:49 EST

Mark your calendars for the Green Energy Ohio Tour which is taking place this year on Saturday October 1st and Sunday October 2nd. This year they have changed the name from the Solar Tour to the Green Energy Ohio Tour. The new name more accurately describes the tour which features not only solar but tour sites with wind, energy efficiency, biomass, and other green energy technologies. This is a free statewide event organized by Green Energy Ohio. The 2010 tour was the largest in the nation.

SunRock Solar is well represented this year with 12 of our installations on the tour. The website to build your own tour is up and running although new sites may still be added. It is pretty slick. Just put in the region that you would like to visit and the time, and it will build a custom tour for you including directions and pictures of each of the installations. Click here to build your custom tour.

If you are thinking about adding solar to your life this is a unique opportunity to talk with owners who are living and working with green energy technologies. Come learn how friends and neighbors are combating rising energy costs, slashing utility bills, utilizing incentives and tax credits.

tags: Green Energy Ohio Tour, Solar Tour

The Solar Tour is Coming

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:34:26 EST

Mark your calendars for the 2011 Green Energy Ohio Tour (previously known as the Solar Tour.) This year the statewide event will take place October 1st and 2nd. SunRock Solar will be well represented with 10 houses on the tour. The GEO website with more information will be available early September. You will be able to create your own tour by entering your zip code, and the type of solar installations you are interested in viewing. Be sure to check out some of the exciting SunRock Solar installations.

We will be posting more information here as it becomes available.

tags: Solar Tour, Green Energy Ohio

Factors Effecting Photovoltaic System Performance- Part 1

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 10:04:04 EST

A variety of factors influence the performance of photovoltaic system production. System owners want to get the most for their money when they install solar panels on their home or business. This two-part article will discuss the relevant issues.

Location, location, location

One of the most important factors in system performance is the location of the solar array. Location has three important components: 1) Array azimuth (orientation with respect to true south), 2) Array tilt (orientation with respect to horizontal), and 3) Shading.

Array Orientation
In southwest Ohio we want the solar array to face south. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west and peaks in the sky at solar noon each day. While it is possible to mount modules facing east, west or even north the performance penalty increases the further away from true south the array faces. For rooftop mounting on pitched roofs the best approach is to mount the modules parallel to the roof. This provides the best aesthetics, though it does compromise performance to the extent that the roof does not face true south. For flat roof applications there is opportunity to orient the modules irrespective of building orientation, and a variety of commercial mounting systems make this an easy approach. So how much does array orientation effect system performance? To view the graph comparing system performance vs. array orientation click on the following link.

Figure 1- System Performance vs. Array Orientation

The chart shows that if the array faces south + 30 degrees it will still produce 97-98% of the optimal system output. In Figure 1, 90 degrees represents an east facing array and 270 degrees represents a west facing array. As you can see from the chart these extremes reduce the array performance by almost 20%. So south facing arrays work best but if that does not match your roof line there are other options with predictable outcomes.

Array Tilt
A photovoltaic module works best when the sun strikes it at a 90 degree angle. Most residential and small commercial solar arrays are installed with a fixed tilt (more on tracking arrays later). Since the angle of the sun (as measured from the horizon) changes throughout the year, what is the best angle to mount the modules to maximize system performance? Assuming we have an array which faces true south the following chart provides the answer (for southwest Ohio). To see the graph thaat compares tilt and system performance, click on the following link.

Figure 2 - System Performance vs. Array Tilt Angle

The chart shows that for our area, 30 degrees is the nominal tilt angle for a photovoltaic array. If we mounted the array horizontal to the ground or flat we would still achieve 88% of the optimal production and if we mounted the array vertically facing south we would achieve only 58% of our optimal production. Most pitched roofs range from 18 – 45 degrees and these will achieve 95+% of optimal system output. Again for flat roofs the mounting systems allow us to select the angle of tilt for the modules.

Tracking Arrays
There are mechanical solar tracking systems available that attach to the panels and track the sun throughout the day to maximize the hours of sunlight. In general these systems add mechanical complexity (read installation and maintenance cost) which in general outweigh the performance improvements. Trackers are typically only being implemented for large utility scale projects. SunRock recently installed a pole mounted system which orients the array to face south and has a hand crank that is turned to adjust the array tilt to follow the seasons. This system improves system performance by approximately 5% annually with no expected increase in maintenance costs.

Shading
Photovoltaic modules are very sensitive to shading. SunRock performs a shading analysis for each site during the project evaluation and bid preparation. This allows us to provide an accurate estimate of the system’s expected performance. Shading occurs from surrounding trees, buildings, chimneys, dormers, and other structures, so a careful evaluation of the site needs to be performed prior to estimating production data.

If you have a yard full of trees and a roof full of shade, then your rooftop may not be a good candidate for solar. There are other options though. Solar panels can be installed on ground mounts, top of pole mounts, carport structures, etc. For some possibilities check out our project photos.

There are also new micro-inverter and DC optimizers which can help mitigate shading issues at the site. These are deployed based upon specific shading issues at the site.

Part II of this article will look at other environmental and design issues which effect photovoltaic system performance. Stay tuned.

tags: photovoltaic performance