Sean from South Plainfield, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since November of 2011, which makes him one of the longest standing on our list. He and Stacey signed in early November and the array was producing before Christmas, 8.46 kW on Enphase microinverters and Zep mounting with revenue-grade ANSI metering, estimated at 10,454 kWh a year. Three years later we came back to take the panels off and put them back on, the job that lets a roof be replaced without the array being written off. South Plainfield is in Middlesex County.
Project Facts
- Location
- South Plainfield, NJ
- Services
- Solar Panel Installation, Solar Removal/Replacement
- Client since
- November 2011
- Panels
- Canadian Solar Model # CS6P-235PX
- Panels
- 36
- System size
- 8.46 kW
- Inverter
- EnPhase M215-60-2LL-S22/S23 Micro-Single
- Mounting system
- Zep Solar
- Estimated first-year production
- 10,454 kWh
- Electric utility
- PSE&G
Great install, very knowledgeable about all solar programs, hands on, very neat look on my house, overall perfect job. Love to see that PSEG bill every month. Oh wait I haven't seen it since Green Sun installed my panels. PSEG has now paid both my gas and electric bill for the past three months because I have over produced so much energy. Thanks Green Sun! - Sean P. from South Plainfield, NJ | Solar Review Source: Google
Green Sun Energy Services replied
Thank you, Sean. Knowing the programs is part of the job rather than a bonus, because the paperwork around solar is where most households get stuck. Your array has been producing in South Plainfield since 2011 and has been off and back on once since, for work on the roof. Neat is what we aim for on a house you look at every day.
Solar questions from South Plainfield homeowners
What should a South Plainfield 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.
Should the system cover 100 percent of annual usage?
Often that is an attractive target, but it is not automatically the best design. Roof area, shading, the financing structure, future electricity use, equipment size, utility limits and roof condition all bear on it. A 90 to 95 percent offset on an excellent roof can be a better system than one forced onto shaded surfaces to reach a round number.
Why is annual offset the number that matters?
Because the value of net metering is strongest where solar production offsets electricity the household would otherwise have bought. Producing substantially more than a year's consumption means the surplus is ultimately treated differently from the credit that offsets consumption.