Lisa from Allentown, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since November of 2018. The array went up first and the standby generator followed two years later, which is the order most houses arrive at rather than plan for.
8.32 kW of solar
Twenty-six LG panels went on in November of 2018, 8.32 kW in total, with a first-year production estimate of 10,243 kWh. The mounting is a rail-free system, so each panel is carried on its own pair of brackets rather than on a continuous rail — fewer components on the roof and fewer penetrations to seal. A hundred and sixty-eight feet of critter guard went on with the array, which is what stops squirrels nesting in the gap between panel and shingle.
A 13 kW standby generator
The Generac was commissioned in December of 2020 and is rated 13 kW on either fuel, so the natural gas it runs on takes nothing off the nameplate. The load survey came to 2,436 square feet, and it is switched by a 150-amp automatic transfer switch.
Why a solar house still wanted a generator
The two do opposite jobs and the difference only shows up in an outage. A grid-tied array shuts down the moment the utility does, for the safety of anyone working on the line, so a roof full of panels goes dark with the rest of the street. The generator is what actually keeps the house running. Fitted two years apart, the two now cover the whole of the year between them: the array carries the daylight and the generator carries the storm.
Why Lisa chose Green Sun Energy Services
More than solar panels: a professionally managed energy system, from design and permitting through installation, inspection, activation and ongoing support.
Complete backup power, from sizing and installation to the service that keeps it ready.
What makes Green Sun Energy Services different
- Solar: design and installation supervised by a NABCEP-certified professional (#PVA-111016-016148), with SolarEdge optimizers on every panel so each one reports its own output. On this home: an 8.32 kW solar array of 26 LG 320N1K-A5 panels, a SolarEdge SE6000H-US000NNC2 inverter, the Ecolibrium Solar mounting system and 168 ft of critter guard.
- Standby generators: installed and serviced as a Generac Authorized Sales and Service Dealer, by factory-authorized Generac technicians. On this home: a Generac 7173 standby generator (13 kW LP / 13 kW NG) running on natural gas, on a 150-amp transfer switch (managed whole house) and serviced by Green Sun Energy Services.
- Warranty: backed by a 15-year solar workmanship warranty and a 5-year generator workmanship warranty.
- Local: locally owned and operated in New Jersey since 2010, NJHIC licensed (#13VH06229000), with 138 completed solar projects and 444 completed standby generator projects across Monmouth County and 361 solar projects and 621 standby generator projects throughout New Jersey.
Our work in Allentown
Green Sun Energy Services has completed 1 featured solar project, 4 standby generator installations and 5 generator service customers in Allentown. Allentown, a borough in Monmouth County, is served by PSE&G.
Generate electricity on your roof and use it to help power your vehicle.
Thinking about solar, a standby generator, or both for your Allentown home? Tell us about your project here or call 732-410-7818.
Power it. Protect it. Maintain it.
Project Facts
- Location
- Allentown, NJ
- Services
- Solar Critter Guard, Solar Panel Installation, Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- November 2018
Solar
- Manufacturer & model
- LG 320N1K-A5
- Panels
- 26
- System size
- 8.32 kW
- Inverter
- SolarEdge SE6000H-US000NNC2
- Mounting system
- Ecolibrium Solar
- Estimated first-year production
- 10,243 kWh
- Share of the home's electricity
- 94%
- Electric utility
- PSE&G
- Critter guard fitted
- 168 ft
- Workmanship warranty
- 15 years
Standby generator
- Manufacturer & model
- Generac 7173
- Rated output
- 13 kW LP / 13 kW NG
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
- Home sized for
- 2,436 sq ft
- Electrical service
- 150 amp
- Transfer switch
- 150 amp
- Load management
- Managed Whole House
- Workmanship warranty
- 5 years
Questions from Allentown homeowners
SolarWhat should a Allentown 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.
SolarHow long does an inverter last?
It depends on the manufacturer, the design, the environment and the generation of equipment, and it should not be assumed that an inverter lasts as long as the modules. Worth comparing: the product warranty, whether labor is covered, how a replacement is handled, monitoring coverage, and whether the installer will still be servicing that equipment.
Standby generatorHow is the gas pipe size worked out?
From the generator's demand, the available pressure, the pipe length, the allowable pressure drop, the fittings, the pipe material and every other appliance connected to the system. The adopted fuel-gas code carries the sizing requirements and tables, and the model's published fuel consumption goes into the calculation.
Standby generatorHow level does a generator have to be?
Within the leveling tolerance specified in its installation manual -- applicable air-cooled instructions have used roughly a half-inch overall. A poorly prepared base can settle after installation and bring on drainage, vibration or enclosure problems that were not there on the day it went in.
Standby generatorHow can a whole house be carried on a smaller electrical service?
Through load management. One or more large loads are controlled so they do not start at the same moment, or shut down briefly if generator demand climbs too high. That is what allows whole-house coverage where the raw sum of every connected load would otherwise exceed the machine.