James from North Middletown, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since April of 2019, and this was the second phase of solar on the property. The array was completed on 10 May: 33 panels making 11.06 kW into a SolarEdge inverter with optimizers, and an estimated 10,420 kilowatt hours in the first year. JCP&L interconnected it in June. Coming back to add a second array is the clearest evidence a first one did what it promised – nobody expands a system that disappointed them – and a household that has lived with solar for a while knows exactly what its consumption looks like. The existing roof was sound enough to take the additional panels as it stood.
Project Facts
- Location
- North Middletown, NJ
- Service
- Solar Panel Installation
- Client since
- April 2019
- Panels
- LG Model # 335N1C-A5
- Panels
- 33
- System size
- 11.06 kW
- Inverter
- SolarEdge SE7600H-US000NNC2
- Mounting system
- Ecolibrium Solar
- Estimated first-year production
- 10,420 kWh
- Share of the home's electricity
- 90%
- Electric utility
- JCP&L
Solar questions from North Middletown homeowners
How much weight do panels add?
The exact load depends on the modules and the mounting system, but residential solar generally adds a relatively modest distributed dead load. Weight alone does not settle the structural question: wind uplift, attachment spacing, roof framing and snow loads matter as much.
How does an optimizer system differ from microinverters?
An optimizer system puts DC power optimizers at the modules and a single central inverter elsewhere; a microinverter system puts a small inverter at each module. Both can provide module-level monitoring and rapid shutdown when properly designed -- they are different architectures rather than one being the upgrade of the other.
Does solar work well in North Middletown?
Yes. New Jersey receives more than enough annual sunlight for residential photovoltaic systems to produce substantial electricity. Panels run on light rather than heat, so they keep producing through the winter. What varies from house to house is roof orientation, pitch, shading, system size, equipment and local weather.