Our whole focus at Energetechs is on energy conservation. We can help you in a myriad of ways to save energy and lower your utility bills while ensuring your health, safety, and comfort along with the beauty, durability, and value of your home. Only AFTER we have done all of this do we look at how a solar photovoltaic (PV) electric, or solar thermal (hot water heating) system might work to further reduce the environmental impact of your home. In our “House-as-a-system” approach we always look at the whole picture of what makes the most sense for you, your family, your site, and your home. Typically this means reducing your energy needs as much as possible BEFORE looking to supply your energy from renewable sources like solar panels.
Does a Solar Water Heating system make sense in Missoula, Montana?
Absolutely! Missoula has a cold climate and sometimes it feels like the sun doesn’t shine much here in the winter time. But the new evacuated-tube solar water heating systems are extremely efficient at capturing heat from the sun, even when it’s cold outside or there doesn’t appear to be much sunshine.
Solar Water Heating Panels on a house near Missoula
Solar Water Heating Panels on a house near Missoula
Solar Hot Water
A solar thermal system can be used to heat water for either domestic hot water or for space heating via a hydronic heating system (with either radiators or radiant in-floor heating). A properly designed system can actually provide pre-heated water for BOTH domestic hot water AND for space heating requirements. This usually involves the use a pre-heat tank to store the solar heated water during the day and a heat exchange system to transfer the heat from the tank to the domestic hot water heater (a super-efficient, sealed-combustion, direct-vented, on-demand, tankless water heater is the most energy efficient choice) or to the hydronic space heating system or both. Typically the solar water heating panels pre-heat the water so that the water heater or boiler just have to raise the temperature a small amount to provide for the domestic hot water or space heating needs. This can dramatically improve the overall energy efficiency of the home.
Solar PV Panel
Solar PV Panel
Solar Electric PV Panels
Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Electric Panels turn sunlight into electricity. Generally there are two types of residential Solar Power Systems, “Stand-Alone” or “Grid-Tied”. Both use the same type of Solar PV Panels to create electricity but there are important differences in how the power is stored and used.
Do I want a “Stand-alone” Solar Power System on my house in Missoula?
Probably not! Stand alone systems typically make the most sense in locations where there is no access to a power line (or it is too expensive to get access to one). A “Stand-alone” solar power system uses batteries to store the electricity from the solar PV panels. During the day the solar panels make electricity and send it to “deep-cycle” batteries where it is stored. Then, when someone in the house turns on a light or a stereo, electricity is drawn from the batteries to provide the power. In some houses with stand-alone systems the power is produced, transmitted, and used as a low-voltage DC (Direct Current either 12V, 24V, or 48V). This requires special lights and appliances that use DC current and is typically limited to very small solar power systems in remote locations.
Alternatively (pardon the pun) the DC current can be converted to “Alternating Current” (AC) via a device known as an “inverter”. This converts it to the same kind of 110V AC that is typically used in grid-connected houses and means that standard household lights and appliances can be used in a “stand-alone” solar system. However it is very important that both the house itself and all the electrical appliances in it are as energy efficient as possible so that the size, cost, and overall environmental impact of the solar panels, inverter, and batteries can be kept to a minimum.
Will a “Grid-tied” Solar Power System work in Missoula?
Yes indeed! In fact there are many grid-tied solar power systems already operating on houses, apartments, and business in Missoula. And this number is growing rapidly due to government and utility company incentives and tax rebates for grid tied solar PV systems. In a grid-tied system there are no batteries. The power from the solar panels runs through an inverter first and is then sent to the grid via the regular power lines. When the house is producing more power than it is using the electricity meter on the house effectively runs backwards, saving you money on your utility bills ever month. When the house is using more power than it is producing the meter runs in the usual direction and the house gets its power from the regular electricity grid. In effect the house is using the power grid as a battery system.
What are the benefits of a “Grid-tied” over a “Stand-alone” Solar PV System?
As usual there are pros and cons to both types of residential Solar Power System and these should be assessed carefully by someone with expert knowledge who can help you decide exactly what type and size of system you need for your specific situation.
Grid-tied Solar Systems
Grid-tied solar power systems have numerous advantages. The one that most homeowners appreciate is the fact that they don’t have to make any change to their lifestyle in order to live with a grid-tied system. Their home or business can operate exactly the same as it would if it had no solar system at all. They don’t have to check battery levels, or install special appliances, or watch how much power they use (although some people consider this to be the biggest problem with grid-tied systems because there is no incentive for the homeowner to use less electricity than they would if they didn’t have a solar system). Other advantages of grid-tied systems include the fact that any size house with any kind of regular household appliance will work on such a system and, because the solar system is putting power into the national grid, it is helping to reduce the number of new fossil fuel or nuclear power plants that need to be built to meet the country’s electricity needs.
Grid-tied systems can also be tuned to provide the greatest ANNUAL solar power production. In a place like Missoula, Montana where the winters are long and not always sunny it generally works best to angle the solar panels more towards the summer sun. The days are longer and the sun is stronger in the summer so the total solar power production over a whole year can be increased this way.
The big disadvantage of a grid-tied system is that it is tied to the grid. If the grid goes down, the house or business will be blacked out with everyone else.
Stand-alone Solar Systems
The big advantage of stand-alone solar power systems is that they can provide electricity almost anywhere on the planet, regardless of whether there are power lines or generators available nearby. Hence they are most popular in remote areas where there is little or no choice. However there are people who choose the live on stand-alone systems even when they have the option to tie into the grid. Often this is because they want to be independent of the grid so that, if the grid fails, they will still have power. But sometimes it is for the more philosophical reason of wanting to live as responsibly as possible. Unless you install a huge solar and battery system, for most people a stand-alone power system forces you to pay attention to how much power you use both in general and on a day-to-day basis. In general you have to build as energy efficiently as possible and install electrical devices that use as little power as possible so as to keep the size of the system as small and affordable as possible. With a grid-tied system you can add a small system to your house and it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t produce all of the power that you need because you can get the rest from the grid but not with a stand-alone solar system. A stand-alone system has to be able to meet ALL of the power requirements of the home or business every day of the year (of course most people on stand-alone systems have a back-up generator just in case). Then you have to pay attention to how much power the panels are producing, how much is in the batteries, and how much you are using. And this changes from day to day and at different times of the year. (If you’ve had a run of cloudy days you might not be able to do laundry today and you probably won’t have a dryer anyway because they use too much power). This could be considered BOTH the most restricting thing about stand alone solar power systems AND the greatest thing about them.
Who are Missoula’s best and most experienced Solar Power System Installers?
I bet you’re expecting me to say “Energetechs is the best and most experienced Solar Power System Installers in all of Western Montana”. But we actually don’t install solar electric or solar thermal systems at all. We do however work with the very best solar system installers and sub-contractors in the business so we can help get the best deal. Moreover, because we don’t install solar systems ourselves we can offer you the most unbiased advice on what type of system you need and whether you’re even ready for a solar system. As mentioned above we focus on taking care of energy efficiency and conservation (using a house-as-a-system approach) first, then we look towards meeting your real power NEEDS with renewable energy sources like Solar Panels. Our friendly and knowledgeable team can help you to maximize your energy savings AND figure out how best to use solar power technology to live in the most healthy and responsible way possible. We’re here to help you prioritize the complex decisions involved in making your building as energy efficient as possible while ensuring that you health, safety, comfort, and the durability and value of your home are protected.
We invite you to call us at the number below or email us using the “Contact” form at the top right of this page.
Call Energetechs and Save Heat Now!
(406) 721 2741
615 Oak St, Suite 101, Missoula, MT, 59801