The Everything that is Solar Power Blog

The Solar Power Installation Process

2011-12-28T19:52:23-05:00

Once you’ve made the decision to install a Solar Power System, Ardo Energy will assist you through with the entire installation process. The first step for new solar users will be initiating the SREC Registration Program Application. This application will register the system as an official energy producer in the state of New Jersey. Next, you will have to obtain an Interconnection or a Net Metering Permit to monitor all energy produced and stored by your system. Once the system has been registered properly, you must obtain a local building permit, and then setting up a contracted start date for installation can be made with Ardo Energy professionals.

Typically, residential installations require 1 day of labor, while commercial installations can take anywhere from 1-4 weeks time. You, as the property owner, should be home during the day of the installation. While the majority of the work will take place on the roof, access inside the home will be necessary to make a connection with the home’s electrical panel. For a 1 day residential installation, roof work will take place during the first 4 hours of the day (you are not required to be at home) and wiring or inside work will take place during the last 4 hours of the day (you are recommended to be at home). It is also important to note that no power outages occur during the allotted period of time set during the installation process. Ardo professionals will speak with you in person about the details concerning to your individual system requirements.

This completes the actual installation process of the panels onto your property. By the end of the day your solar power system will be generating electricity for your home or property.

Following successful installation, just a couple more things will take care of your whole operation and you can start producing easy, powerful energy. You will have to complete the SREC Registration Program Application and the State Inspections form, a legal requirement for all officially registered systems. After this, Ardo Energy professionals will provide the courtesy of monitoring your system performance and managing your system’s SRECs all as a part of their hassle free and worry free service policy. They will also take care of distributing your SREC payments on a quarterly basis and will be happy to assist with any other questions you may have at any point during the pre- and post-installation process.

Purchase vs Lease Your Solar Power System

2011-12-21T18:19:19-05:00

Once you have decided to go solar power, the next decision to make is choosing whether you will purchase or lease your solar power system. Both options have their benefits and each are presented to you within your own personal solar power system estimate provided by Ardo Energy. Although many homeowners and commercial property owners have found personal benefits in leasing their solar power system, others have found an equivalent trade-off by purchasing. Here is a brief listing of some of the main benefits to either option.

The pros to leasing a solar power system include the low or no up-front cost of the installation; the payments of your monthly electricity bills will be much less than your current payments (in fact, your current electric bill will be replaced by a fixed, lower payment); and now that Ardo Energy has partnered with J.P. Morgan Chase, you will be provided with the best in solar financing. Alternatively, the benefits to buying a solar power system from Ardo Energy include the 30% federal tax credit you will receive for using and owning a solar powered energy system; the freedom that comes with owning and controlling the electricity you produce and the SRECs you produce; the high return on investment- approximately 12% to 22%; the system pays for itself based on the money you save on average within four years; and most importantly, once your system is paid for, your electricity is free for the life of the system and you will receive continuous cash payments for the green energy you produce. Of course, making this decision is dependent on each customer’s individual circumstances, and Ardo Energy is happy to answer any further inquiries you may have about making this next move.

Contact Ardo Energy for a Free Solar Power System Estimate

Tips for Saving Money During the Winter Holidays

2011-12-19T13:03:22-05:00

Yes, the holidays are here and with that comes family, presents, holiday cheer and of course, a long list of bills. Though the holiday season is one of the coziest times of the year to get together with friends and family, it can also be one of the priciest. In between buying gifts and traveling expenses, decorating the house with lights and adorning your home festively can add up to a pretty deep dent in the electric bill. With some tips on efficient and tasteful holiday lighting, we hope you will be able to save money and spend the extra cash on your loved ones!

Lighting is big during the winter season. Whether you are lighting the roof, the Christmas Tree, or any other area of your house, look first at what lights you are using. Consider replacing your older holiday lights with more energy efficient lighting, LEDs. Though they might cost a little extra, these lights are more reliable, safer, and last for up to 20 years. They are widely available either at your local home supply store or online, and come in all festive colors. The nice thing about LEDs is that they're shatterproof, shock resistant, present no fire hazard and are safe to touch, which makes them good for outdoor and indoor use. They also use 10 times less energy than incandescent mini-lights and 100 times less energy than standard bulbs. These lights can last up to 50,000 hours save up to 80-90 percent of your decorative lighting energy costs. If LEDs are not an option, consider buying new miniature lights, which use about 70 percent less energy and last longer than the larger bulbs.

Another thing to consider for holiday lighting expenses is the amount of time you keep your lights lit. Among the hustle and bustle of juggling activities and parties, it is easy to forget the lights on and rack up unnecessary costs. If you don’t already have an automatic timer set to your lights, it would be a good idea to get one and avoid worrying about manually turning lights on and off each day. Timers can be set up to turn the lights on at dust and turn them off at a desired time. Just make sure that the timer you use is rated to handle the total wattage of your lights. Wisely using your lights during the holidays can greatly reduce your power consumption, not to mention your stress levels!

We hope these tips are simple and helpful enough to get you through a money-saving holiday season. If you’re trying to estimate costs of purchasing different light bulbs, you can calculate the costs with the Holiday Lighting Calculator. Remember, you can still be festive even if you are trying to be frugal. Happy Holidays!

SRECs and Ardo Energy

2011-12-19T12:55:35-05:00

Besides the many environmental, aesthetic, and socio-economic benefits of switching to Solar Energy, there are also substantial financial benefits that come from producing a renewable energy source. Once you decide to go Solar, Ardo Energy will help new owners of Solar systems register their projects in the SRP program before construction. This will establish the project’s eligibility to earn SRECs. An SREC, or a Solar Renewable Energy Credit, is a state credit that records and registers the amount of solar electricity each Solar system generates. For each 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity generated by a system, one SREC is earned and placed in the customer's electronic account. SRECs can be sold for cash on the SREC tracking system, providing revenue for the first 15 years of the system's life. Current market averages estimate about $600 per SREC, though prices continue to climb. A typical home will produce between 5 and 10 SRECs per year, while commercial and business owners can expect to produce hundreds of SRECs for their properties.

The SREC tracking system enables account holders to track solar energy production from their installations. SRECs are issued to account holders based on recorded or estimated production of the solar energy system. Once a solar energy system has been installed and an online SREC tracking system account is set up, SRECs will be deposited monthly. The SREC tracking system also records the sale of SRECs from generators to purchasers. Though this may seem like a many-step process, Ardo Energy experts will manage every step in order to ensure optimal transference. The application, registration, and monthly management of your SRECs, along with the trading and selling of your SRECs will be overseen and handled by Ardo Energy professionals to ensure you receive maximum revenue for the energy you save.

Solar Power Myths and Concerns

2011-12-08T17:41:58-05:00

With the possibility of Solar Energy superseding conventional electricity methods, scepticism is to be expected. A satisfied customer is an informed customer, and with that said there are still a lot of myths and concerns about Solar Energy that should be cleared up. Perhaps the first and most obvious myth is that Solar Power only works in very sunny locations, not in cloudy/foggy areas. False. Of course solar works best under sunny, clear sky conditions, but overcast countries like Germany and Japan, whose geographical latitudes are further north than the northern border of the States, are global leaders in residential solar usage (5 and 3 times as much as the states, respectively). But, to be sure, a small solar panel area in Tucson will still provide the same energy output as a larger system in Seattle. Light energy can still be absorbed through clouds and fog, in fact, San Fransisco, one of the foggiest cities in the world, is one of the leading US cities for solar energy users. It is the shade, which comes from trees or other buildings, which prevents effective sun absorption, not clouds or fog.

Another myth is that Solar Power is way too expensive. Cost is an important consideration, but keep in mind ‘expensive’ is a relative term. Comparing the average cost of utility power in the US, most pay about $.10 per kilowatt hour (kWh), whereas some states residents pay up to $.35 per kWh at times of peak usage (when solar works best). Many of these states have rebates and incentives to encourage buying solar power and even the government offers a 30% tax credit incentive to further reduce costs. This is more cost-effective when you take into account continually rising utility costs. And if you consider the environmental cost, solar is a completely clean and quiet power source. There is no environmental damage and no cost to repair those damages like with coal, natural gas, or nuclear power production.

+++Example+++
Using an example of a 5kW (kilowatt) solar power system in New Jersey, the average cost of electricity in New Jersey is 11.2 cents per kWh (kilowatt-hour) and the average household will generate approximately 6.9 MWh (megawatt-hours) over the year. Adding that up, that is $775 in electricity costs per year not including the rise in electric costs. That is over $19,000 in savings for the span of the 25 year warrantied life of your solar power system (Westinghouse Solar). In addition to the savings in electric costs, based on our example solar power system, the cost of this 5kW system after a federal tax credit is $19,400 and for the first 15 years you receive $3,150 in cash per year for your SRECs (certificates received per MWh) - that’s over $45,000! Your solar power system would pay for itself within 5 years!
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Myth number three is that Solar Energy is not as reliable as conventional energy methods. The reality is quite the opposite. Solar is often more reliable than other energy sources. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has found PV systems to be "the most reliable source of electric power ever invented." According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, surveys taken over the last decade show that over 94% of solar water heating owners consider their solar heater to be a wise investment. The main reason for solar's superior reliability is that as a decentralized power source, it is not subject to power blackouts or breaks in a system network. Because of its high reliability, solar technologies are even used to power warning signals, navigational buoys, aircraft warning lights and railroad crossing signals.

Now many people are realizing the efficacy of Solar Power and its global potential, but many still question whether Solar Power can contribute enough energy to provide for the whole nation. Again, taking into account the source of this energy, the sun, an enormous ball of fire approximately 110 times the size of earth, continually emitting heat and light, there is more than plenty to provide for the whole nation. By these measures, a 100 square mile plot of land in Nevada covered in solar panels would be enough to generate solar electricity for the entire United States population. Another similar measurement: if less than 0.5% of the Sahara desert (an area of the globe experiencing the highest and most consistent exposure to the sun) were covered in solar panels, it could generate sufficient solar energy to power the whole of Europe. With that said, the sun is undoubtedly a powerful and abundant natural resource.

These are a handful of the large concerns surrounding the debate of Solar Energy. Of course it is healthy to question the stability of new energy methods, and with a little investigation, it is clear that Solar Energy may be the safest, most cost-effective, clean, and powerful contemporary method for providing our energy needs.

Home Requirements for Solar Power

2011-12-06T11:52:35-05:00

If you are considering powering your home with solar energy, the first step is determining the features and size of your new solar power system (photovoltaic system or PV system). First consider the condition and location of the roof on which you will install the solar panels. Generally, shingle roofs are simpler to work with than slate roofs, though an experienced installer will know how to work with any roof type. Roof orientation is important; usually south-facing roofs are best for buildings in the Northern Hemisphere. During the summer and winter seasons, south-facing roofs absorb maximum sunlight, but east and west-facing roofs are also acceptable. In terms of condition, newer roofs are more suited for new solar panels. Older roofs should be replaced at the time of your solar power system installment in order to avoid the cost and hassle of removing and then reinstalling your system. When you start choosing exactly how large or small you want your solar power system, the size depends on how much space is required for your solar energy needs. The number of kilowatt-hours your home consumes per month will determine the number of solar panels required. Some residential systems require as little as 50 square feet, whereas larger ones may require up to 1,000 square feet. Commercialized systems may require even more than this. All of these figures and measurements can be estimated by your experienced solar developer.

Keep in mind that the best-designed systems are those that are unobstructed by any kind of shade, whether from trees, chimneys, roof gables, other buildings, or any other surrounding landscape. The goal with a solar power system is to utilize a roof location that maximizes sun exposure and provides optimal power to your home or business. This process may take some planning, and our experienced solar power experts will be more than happy to assess which design is best suited for your roof and will provide you with an individualized assessment.

How Does Solar Power Work?

2011-12-06T18:13:44-05:00

So, the prospect of using solar power to run a building, whether that be a commercial warehouse or a residential home, appears promising and innovating, but how exactly does it work? Basically, Solar Energy is the conversion of light from the sun into electrical energy. It may seem like a complex process, but it’s relatively simple.

It works like this: Ardo Energy will install solar panels on the roof of your building. These panels are PV panels, or Photovoltaic Panels, that are designed to absorb and convert sunlight into usable electrical energy. You may have seen them before near power plants or on industrial buildings; they look like large, square glass windows. These panels convert photons (light energy) into Direct Current (DC) electricity. This DC current flows into a device called an inverter. The inverter “inverts” the Direct Current into Alternating Current (AC) electricity. As you know, AC power is the type of electricity that runs all of the appliances in your house. The AC electricity is fed into a “grid” which is a system of physical lines that transport energy between electric utility companies and your home or business. When your solar system is producing more energy than your home is actually using, the excess electricity flows onto the grid and turns your home's electric meters backwards. Your home's solar system must be grid connected or "grid-tied" to receive credit for the electricity generated. That’s basically it! The process of conversion is simple, clean, and cost-effective.

Now, this credit mentioned above refers to SRECs, Solar Renewable Energy Certificates. SRECs are certificates awarded to green energy producers. This means that for every mega-watt hour of electricity produced by a system one SREC is awarded. SRECs can be sold in a spot-market or to brokers for cash. The average SREC brings in about $600. Most homes can generate 5-10 SRECs per year and commercial properties can generate up to several hundred. The benefits of Solar Energy are bright and clear.

The sun is one of the most abundant natural sources of energy on the planet, emitting enough power to run facilities and still conserve energy. Solar energy is quickly growing into one of the most popular methods of sustainability. It is easy to go green when you have the right technology. Saving money and saving energy has never been more convenient!

So, Who is Ardo Energy?

2011-11-29T15:48:25-05:00

If you’re looking for a way to go “green” for your home or small business, then we suggest you look into Ardo Energy. Ardo Energy is a pioneering Solar Developer out of New Jersey. They are an expanding business comprised of experienced engineers and Certified Solar Installers. This company specializes in procuring, installing, and maintaining solar electrical systems. In plain terms, they set up state-of-the-art equipment designed to harness energy from the sun and generate enough power to supply buildings of any size; from an average house to large industrial warehouses. Ardo Energy’s clientele include residential, commercial, and industrial customers; or anyone interested in reducing energy expenses while employing the most environmentally sound and sustainable technologies available on the market.

Earlier this year, Ardo Energy partnered with Westinghouse Solar to form one of the few State Authorized Westinghouse Solar Dealers in the country. Westinghouse is a leading PV systems dealer using the most advanced and reliable solar technologies. A PV system, or a PhotoVoltaic system, is a large exterior solar panel that converts solar energy directly into electrical energy. Together, this company partnership ensures customer satisfaction by providing the best aesthetics, performance, and reliability in the field by offering a 25 year warranty. Ardo Energy will take care of all your personalized solar needs; everything from designing and installing, monitoring, and managing. They are highly committed professionals with their priorities set on customers’ benefit and satisfaction. Looks like the beginning of a bright, sunny future.

Welcome to the Everything that is Solar Power blog

2011-11-28T16:59:12-05:00

Thank you for visiting Ardo Energy's solar power blog. Here we will deliver any and all information to solar power energy, green initiatives, and how to save you money in your daily life. It is our goal to help make your life easier while powering a brighter future!