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Home Solar Energy Financial Articles:

A Solar Energy Home System Will Increase Your Home's Resale Value!
According to a study by ICF Consulting (funded by HUD and the EPA) energy saving measures such as solar Energy can add $20 of home value for every $1 of yearly energy cost savings!
Click here to download the Flyer. (373 KB)

Payback and other Financial Tests for Solar Energy on Your Home.
Click here to download the article. (282KB)
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Under
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Owning a BP Solar Home Solution®

01     How does a BP Solar Home Solution® generate electricity?
02     How do I use the electricity from my BP Solar Home Solution®?
03     Will a system produce enough energy to handle all my electricity needs?
04     How much electricity will my BP Solar Home Solution® produce?
05     Will I still need a utility provider? Do I need to be connected to the grid?
06     What will a BP Solar Home Solution® look like on my house?
07     How will I know if my BP Solar Home Solution® is working?
08     What happens in utility electrical outages?
09     How safe is a BP Solar Home Solution®?

Operational Performance and Quality

• 10     How durable is a BP Solar Home Solution®?
  11     How long does a BP Solar Home Solution® last?
  12     What happens at night?
  13     What happens on cloudy days?
  14     In what temperatures will a BP Solar Home Solution® operate?
  15     What is the warranty on a BP Solar Home Solution®?

Saving Money with a BP Solar Home Solution®

• 16     What is Net Metering?
  17     Are government incentives available in my area?
  18     Who will help me apply for the available incentives?

Purchasing & Installing a BP Solar Home Solution®

• 19     Will a BP Solar Home Solution® work with my home and roof type?
  20     What size system should I get?
  21     How much does a BP Solar Home Solution® cost?
  22     How do I purchase a BP Solar Home Solution®?
  23     Will I need approval from my homeowners association?
  24     Can I increase the size of my solar system at a later date?
  25     Can I add battery back-up at a later date?
  26     How long will it take to install?

01     How does a BP Solar Home Solution® generate electricity?

A BP Solar Home Solution® generates electricity through the use of photovoltaic (PV) technology which turn the suns light energy directly into electric energy.

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02   How do I use the electricity from my BP Solar Home Solution®?

The electricity generated by a BP Solar Home Solution® works just like the electricity delivered by your local utility. After passing through a component called an inverter, the direct current (DC) electricity generated by photovoltaic panels is converted to alternating current (AC), the type of electricity that you access through the outlets in your home.

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03     Will a system produce enough energy to handle all my electricity needs?

Providing you have enough space, a solar system can be appropriately sized to meet all of your electricity needs, but in most cases it is not necessary for a system to cover all of your needs in order to be cost-effective. For instance, if your utility charges are based on a tiered rate structure, you pay an incrementally higher rate for each kWh that you use; in this case, simply eliminating the most expensive portion of your consumption has a noticeable effect on your monthly utility bill. Your BP Solar Home Solution® representative will assist you in deciding what size system is best for your home.

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04     How much electricity will my BP Solar Home Solution® system produce?

The amount of electricity generated by a BP Solar Home Solution® is dependent upon several factors, primarily system size and your local geographic and environmental conditions. Our Solar Savings Estimator will factor in your local conditions and provide you with an estimate of the amount of electricity that a system will produce for your home. Use the Estimator to get a general idea of how much electricity would be generated by a variety of system sizes or, for a quote, fill out our Online Request Form or call 408-858-3583 to schedule an appointment for a no-obligation, in-home quote.

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05     Will I still need a utility provider? Do I need to be connected to the grid?

Unless you choose a stand-alone system with batteries, you will still need to be connected to the grid through your local utility. While you generate the bulk of your own electricity during the peak hours of daylight and demand, your utility will seamlessly take over and continue to supply your electricity at night and on very cloudy days. For remote, off-grid applications in which utility access is not feasible, stand-alone systems are ideal.

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06     What will a BP Solar Home Solution® look like on my house?

Visit our Photo Gallery to get an idea of what one of our systems will look like on your home.

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07     How will I know if my BP Solar Home Solution® is working?

Since PV is a motionless and noiseless technology, the exclusive BP Solar Home Solutions® In-Home Display will allow you to keep track of how much electricity your system is producing at any given moment and cumulatively over time.

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08     What happens in utility electrical outages?

In any type of utility outage, only those BP Solar Home Solutions® with battery backup will continue to have power. By law, any solar electric system without battery backup must shut down until utility power returns.

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09     How safe is a BP Solar Home Solution®?

Since solar systems are generally mounted in a low or no-traffic area, virtually maintenance free, and have no moving parts, they are very safe. BP Solar Home Solution® components carry all appropriate/recommended electrical certifications, including Underwriters Laboratory (UL listed) and IEC. As with any electrical appliance, you should always use proper care when handling solar system components, but as an owner, you will have no cause to do so - your BP Solar Home Solution® representative will take care of everything for you.

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10     How durable is a BP Solar Home Solution®?

BP Solar Home Solutions® are very durable. Our panels have passed a standard battery of tests and are built to withstand winds of up to 125 miles per hour and 1 inch hail.

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11     How long does a BP Solar Home Solution® last?

BP Solar modules typically last for more than 30 years and your system inverter should last more than 10 years.

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12     What happens at night?

Since PV technology requires sunlight to produce electricity, your system will not produce during the dark hours of the night. Your local utility will continue to supply your electricity at night unless you purchase a system with a battery backup.

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13     What happens on cloudy days?

Since PV technology requires sunlight to produce electricity, the bulk of your electricity production will take place in sunny conditions. Output is directly proportionate to the amount of sunlight available at any given moment, so systems can generate 50 — 70% of their typical output under bright overcast conditions but production will continue to diminish as less light reaches the surface of the modules.

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14     In what temperatures will a BP Solar Home Solution® operate?

BP Solar modules operate in temperatures ranging from -13 to 122 degrees F (-25 to 50 degrees C). Since PV modules are electronic devices that generate electricity directly from light, not heat, solar panels actually work better in cooler temperatures.

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15     What is the warranty on a BP Solar Home Solution® ?

BP Solar modules are warranted for 25 years.

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16     What is Net Metering?

Net metering is a regulation that obliges utilities to allow excess energy generated by PV systems to be sent to the grid, thus spinning the meter backward. This arrangement allows all electricity produced by your BP Solar Home Solution® to be used to offset the remaining portion of your utility bill.

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17     What government incentives are available that will lower the price of my BP Solar Home Solution®

The State of California currently has some of the best incentive plans for solar in the world. For recognized systems, such as the BP Solar Home Solution®, the California Energy Commission will pay almost half of your system costs. A 7.5% Federal tax credit is also available.

To view the costs and incentives of a solar system in your area, use our Solar Savings Estimator

To find the incentives available in your state, simply ask your AAES Solar Dealer / Installer.

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18   Who will help me apply for the available incentives?

Your BP Solar recommended dealer will take care of the application process to secure these rebates for you.

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19     Will a BP Solar Home Solution® work with my home?

To have solar panels installed on your roof, you must own a home that has enough roof space free from obstructions and is not shaded during the key sun hours of the day. A southern orientation is ideal but east and west facing roofs can still capture over 80% of the energy of a true south-facing roof. Both flat roofs and tilted roofs are fine. Ground mounted systems are also available.

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20     What size system should I get?

The size you choose is a trade off between the amount of money you want to invest and the amount of electricity you want to produce. A typical US home uses 5 kWp of electricity or approximately 13,000 kWh per year. You can ask your utility provider or you can look at your old electricity bill to calculate how much electricity your home typically uses. But remember, you do not need to cover all your electricity needs with a solar system to add value to your home. Under the tiered rate structure used by most utilities, the solar electricity generated by the BP Solar Home Solution® - even just a few kWp - can remove you from a higher charge bracket.

The only other condition in deciding proper system size is the amount of suitable space available on your roof. To be suitable, you must have unobstructed, non-shaded roof area, either flat or a sloped, at an orientation other than North. You need roughly 100 square feet of roof space for each kWp that you wish to produce.

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21     How much does a solar system cost?

The total cost for purchasing and installing the solar system is based on the size of system you require, the available incentives and subsidies that are available in your area, and the specific details of the layout of your home. Use our Solar Savings Estimator to calculate the cost of a BP Solar Home Solution®.

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22     How do I purchase a BP Solar Home Solution®?

The BP Solar Home Solution® must be purchased though a BP Solar Certified Dealer. The best way to contact a dealer is to provide us your contact information by Requesting A Quote or call us at 408-858-3583.

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23     Will I need approval from my homeowners association?

The State of California prohibits homeowners associations from restricting solar devices. If you live outside California, you should review your homeowners association bylaws. You can also ask your dealer about state laws that prohibit the restriction of solar devices.

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24     Can I increase the size of my BP Solar Home Solution® at a later date?

Yes, provided you have the available roof space.

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25     Can I add battery back-up at a later date?

Yes, if you start with some battery backup, it is easy to add more. However, if you start without any backup, it will be rather expensive to add batteries due to the high cost of adding a different type of inverter. Systems without battery-backup use a different inverter than those with battery backup.

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26     How long will it take to install?

It will typically take two days for a professional installation.

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