Elizabeth from North Plainfield, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since September of 2025. The array was completed on 31 October: 12 panels making 5.22 kW with Enphase IQ8 microinverters, 90 feet of critter guard, and an estimated 4,178 kilowatt hours in the first year. That production figure is the interesting one – 4,178 kilowatt hours from 5.22 kW is well below what the same array would make on an unobstructed roof, and the estimate says so honestly rather than quoting the number the panels could produce in ideal conditions. A shaded roof is where microinverters earn their place: a panel in shadow drops only its own output rather than dragging a whole string down with it. PSEG interconnected the system in November.
Project Facts
- Location
- North Plainfield, NJ
- Services
- Solar Critter Guard, Solar Panel Installation
- Client since
- September 2025
- Panels
- Hyundai Model # HiN-T435NF
- Panels
- 12
- System size
- 5.22 kW
- Inverter
- EnPhase IQ8PLUS-72-M-US Micro-Single
- Mounting system
- Unirac
- Estimated first-year production
- 4,178 kWh
- Share of the home's electricity
- 89%
- Electric utility
- PSE&G
- Critter guard fitted
- 90 ft
Solar questions from North Plainfield homeowners
What does a 460-watt panel mean?
It is rated to produce up to about 460 watts under standardised laboratory conditions. Twenty-five of them make 11.5 kW DC; twenty-six make 11.96 kW. The panel count and the wattage should multiply out to the DC system size stated in the proposal -- if they do not, something has been rounded that should not have been.
Does a bigger array always produce more?
Generally yes when everything else is equal, but size alone does not decide annual production. A smaller unshaded south-facing array can outproduce a larger one that is shaded or poorly oriented. Azimuth, tilt, shading, inverter efficiency and module characteristics all bear on it.
What should a North Plainfield homeowner look for in a solar company?
One that can design, permit, interconnect, install, commission, monitor and service the system, and explain the structure accurately. That means twelve months of real usage, a realistic production model, correct kW and kWh arithmetic, orientation and shading, structural capacity, the rooftop code requirements, the electrical articles for photovoltaic systems and grid interconnection, rapid shutdown, manufacturer installation instructions, utility interconnection and net metering, incentive registration, roof age and condition, penetration and waterproofing detail, the panel, inverter, mounting and workmanship warranties, monitoring, and service after the installation. The question worth asking is not who quoted least, but which company has designed the best long-term system for the house and will still be able to support it years from now.