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.
Project Facts
- Location
- Allentown, NJ
- Services
- Solar Critter Guard, Solar Panel Installation, Standby Generator Installation, Standby Generator Service
- Client since
- November 2018
Solar
- Panels
- LG Model # 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
Standby generator
- Manufacturer
- Generac Model # 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
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.
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 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.