Solar Installation in Port Monmouth, NJ | 8.1 kW, 20 REC Panels, SolarEdge Inverter

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Solar Critter Guard, Solar Panel Installation and Standby Generator Service in Port Monmouth, NJ by Green Sun Energy Services.

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Port Monmouth, NJ · Client since November 2022

An 8.1 kW solar installation:

James in Port Monmouth, NJ had Green Sun Energy Services install a solar array in November of 2022. The system is built around 20 REC405AA Pure Black panels — REC’s all-black module with a black frame and black backsheet — producing an array rated at 8.1 kW. At that size, the system is designed to cover about 96% of the electricity the home uses, based on an estimated first-year production of 9,908 kWh. The utility serving the home is JCP&L.

Each panel is paired with a SolarEdge S440 power optimizer, feeding a SolarEdge SE7600H-USNBBL14 HD Wave Energy Hub inverter. The optimizers let each panel work independently, so shade or soiling on one panel does not drag down the rest of the array. Both the inverter and the optimizers carry a 25-year parts-and-labor warranty. The panels are mounted on the Snap-N-Rack Rail Free mounting system with an array skirt, designed for composition shingle roofs and carrying its own 25-year warranty. Rather than running continuous rails across the roof, the Rail Free system attaches each panel directly at its four corners, which reduces the number of roof penetrations and sits lower on the roof surface.

Monitoring is handled through an ANSI-C12 SREC meter with consumption monitoring and a 4G cellular modem with a data plan included. That setup tracks both what the array produces and what the home draws from the grid, giving James a clear read on the system’s performance at any time. The package also includes a PSP whole-house surge protector to guard the home’s electrical equipment.

A SolarEdge Smart EV Charger was installed as part of the package, wired in next to the inverter. Because it is a SolarEdge unit on a SolarEdge inverter, the charger can coordinate with the array — drawing on solar production first when the car is charging rather than pulling straight from the grid.

The roof area covered by the array is 2,800 square feet. Green Sun ran 100 feet of black PVC-coated critter guard around the array perimeter to close the gap between the panel edges and the roof surface, keeping birds and squirrels from nesting underneath. As part of the same project, the existing electric attic fan was replaced with a new solar attic fan supplied by Green Sun.

The entire installation is covered by Green Sun Energy Services’ 25-year limited workmanship warranty. Green Sun can also walk homeowners through the SREC registration process and the financing and incentive questions that come with a solar project — including the ownership options, available programs, and the tax questions worth bringing to an accountant.

A 20 kW standby generator

James also has a Generac standby generator at the home, a 20 kW LP / 18 kW natural gas unit, Model 6244, installed in February of 2014. The transfer arrangement is a managed whole-house setup with a 90-amp automatic transfer switch. When JCP&L power goes out, the switch detects the outage, starts the generator, and transfers the load without any manual action required. The home’s electrical service is 200 amps. Green Sun maintains the generator on a service plan that includes scheduled annual maintenance visits.

Because the array is a standard grid-tied system without battery storage, it does not run during a grid outage — the generator handles backup power independently. The two systems serve different purposes and were sized and installed on their own terms.