Is my home suitable for solar?
Solar panels are designed to work in any part of the world in any different climate. However, in Washington in particular where there is an abundance of trees, it is important to factor in any substantial shading that can affect rooftop panels. There are a variety of other factors such as the size, shape, pitch, location, and condition of your roof. We’re glad to take a look at your home and give you a full analysis.
How long does it last?
Most system parts are under warranty for 25 years making it a really sound investment because your return will not fluctuate like the stock market and your system is inflation resistant to any change in energy prices. Also, while the warranty is 25 years most systems last much longer than that. Solar panels are expected to work decades longer then their warranties.
How much does solar cost?
It’s different for every system based on a number of factors from your energy demands to available space to equipment to your available budget. We only want to put solar on your house if it makes sense.
What size system do I need?
We discuss your yearly energy usage and then fit a system for your specific needs. Anything from 5 kW to 20 kW is common on residential roofs, but we have done private residential installations as big as 30 kW. We’re glad to go over your electricity bill with you and design a system that gives you the greatest bang for your buck.
What kind of maintenance is necessary for solar panels?
Solar panels generally require very little maintenance and Washington’s rain actually helps to keep them clean. Beyond that a good spray from a garden hose and a soft brush or cloth once or twice a year is usually sufficient to remove any dust and debris although extra care should be taken if your panels are located on a roof. Never use a pressure washer or any chemicals or solvents on the solar panels.
What happens if my system has an issue?
There are two major components in a PV system: Solar modules & inverters
All solar modules are warranted to produce energy for 25 -30 years. With tens of thousands of modules installed we have only had one failure to date. Industry wide, the median percentage of solar panels that fail is 0.05%, thats 5 out of every 10,000 produced.
Most inverters carry at least a 10-12 year warranty, many have 25-year warranties and for all of them a 20-25 year warranty can be inexpensively purchased as part of the initial cost.
Forecast Solar will facilitate any warranty issues with inverters, racking and solar modules covered by manufacturer's warranties according to the full conditions of that coverage by the manufacturer at the time of purchase for ten years. Forecast Solar also provides a 10-year workmanship warranty on all our work.
How will my property be assessed and can I be assured that the system performs as expected?
Once a satellite pre-assessment has been done, we come to the location with special instruments that accurately read yearly site solar exposure. This will enable us to provide you with a detailed cost-benefits assessment for the system. After hundreds of installations, every PV system we have installed is producing better than projected. All of our systems that have run the term of their expected payoff time have paid for themselves in less than the estimated time.
With Forecast Solar every effort is made to assure our customers make the right decision with the most accurate data we can provide. After online pre-assessment and site assessments we have recommended to hundreds of potential clients that their site is not conducive to good solar economics. Your satisfaction is the lifeline to our future clients.