Ian from Howell, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since April of 2021. The array was completed in July: 42 panels making 15.33 kW into a SolarEdge inverter with optimizers, and an estimated 19,591 kilowatt hours in the first year. JCP&L interconnected it in August. At over fifteen kilowatts this is among the largest residential arrays on the site, and nearly twenty thousand kilowatt hours a year is more than most households use – the sort of system that suits a house already running electric heating or charging a car, or expecting to. The existing roof was sound enough to take the array as it stood.
Project Facts
- Location
- Howell, NJ
- Service
- Solar Panel Installation
- Client since
- April 2021
- Panels
- LG Model # 365N1K-A6
- Panels
- 42
- System size
- 15.33 kW
- Inverter
- SolarEdge SE11400H-US000NNC2
- Mounting system
- Ecolibrium Solar
- Estimated first-year production
- 19,591 kWh
- Share of the home's electricity
- 100%
- Electric utility
- JCP&L
Solar questions from Howell homeowners
Does a third-party electricity supplier prevent going solar?
Not necessarily. New Jersey's net-metering rules contemplate customers taking supply through Basic Generation Service or a third-party supplier, though billing arrangements can differ. The supplier contract is worth reading, particularly on exported energy and the annual true-up.
What should a Howell 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.
How much does shade from mature Howell trees affect production?
Shade can materially reduce production, particularly when it falls during the highest-production hours. Module-level electronics such as microinverters and optimizers reduce the effect of partial shading, but they cannot create sunlight where there is none. Significant shade should be modelled before any annual production figure is quoted.