Solar PV on the SBS-Solar roof. Missoula, Montana
SBS-Solar offers consulting, design and installation services for grid tied residential and commercial solar photovoltaics (PV) systems. SBS-Solar has designed a wide variety of solar systems and has the experience to make your solar project a success.
We recommend this PDF for further Solar PV information.
Solar Electric Basics
Photovoltaic (PV) panels convert sunlight directly into electricity.
The system consists of:
* Solar PV Panels — Generate DC electricity
* Inverter — Converts the DC to standard AC electricity that is compatible with the electrical grid and capable of powering electrical devices.
* Utility Meter — Tracks the solar electricity that your system produces and feeds to the utility grid, thereby keeping track of your credit from the utility.
A grid-tied solar electric system can generate power on-site to supply a home or business that is connected to the utility grid and offset the usage from the utility company. Grid-tied systems are the most common types of solar systems.
An off-grid solar system with a battery back-up can supply power to a remote home or area that would otherwise not have access to electricity.
(picture courtesy of SolarDepot)
Add Value to Your Home
Solar is an investment that adds significant resale value to your home. An excerpt from a 1998 article published in the Appraisal Journal notes:
“A home’s value is increased by $20,000 for every $1,000 reduction in annual operating costs from energy efficiency.”
Click here to download a PDF about a basic SBS-Solar 2kw PV system.
