Process for Design & Installation from Mid South Solar Solutions

Grid-tied Photovoltaic Energy

• Google Earth is used to establish the exact orientation of your home.  Note that any deviation from magnetic south (180 degrees) can lead to substantial performance loss in the system.  If the roof azimuth is unsuited for a PV system, we will look at the property around the home to determine if a ground mount system may be suitable.
• We will ask for you to gather the following information for you home to make sure your home can accomodate a PV system: 
  1. Approximate age of roof
  2. Amperage of main breaker in your service panel box
  3. Current electric bill with kWH (kilowatt hours) monthly usage. 

On average, a typical roof mounted PV system will require 100 square foot of roof for every kW of power being proposed.  It is important when designing a PV system to take things such as chimneys, vent stacks, and any other roof penetration in account for proper placement and size ability for the system.

• If all aspects of your home meet the guidelines for a PV system, we will set up a site visit to do an analysis of the structure (roof rafters/trusses, and panel box to make sure there is additional space for a breaker for the PV system).  We will also perform a shading analysis of the roof to determine if there would be any interference with the system's power output.  At this time, photographs and exact measurements will be taken to accurately begin the design and proposal of your PV system.  We will need access to the attic to inspect the rafters/trusses for load ratings, as well as the main service panel box.
• A written proposal will be presented to you.  Once everything is agreed upon, we will begin to finalize any engineering data needed for the permitting process.  We will also assist at this time in all paperwork necessary for the 30% federal tax credit.
• All paperwork will then be submitted to the locality and contact will be made with the local electric service provider to ensure the ability for net-metering.  Any needed products will all be ordered at this time. 
• Depending on the permitting process, about 6-8 weeks after submittal, you will be notified for schedule of installation.  Once installation is complete, we will meet at your home to do a final walk of the PV system.  At this time, we will also go through all the functions of the inverter and discuss REC's (renewable energy credits). REC's are essentially payments made to you by a broker who in turn sells them to a power company to meet their federal obligations for renewable energy.  Typically for every 1000 kWH of energy produced by your PV system, you are awarded 1 credit which the broker will collect and sell on the open market.  You will in turn be set up with an account in which funds will be accrued and paid according to the arrangements established with the broker.
• After your PV system is fully operational, we can establish a maintenance agreement where we can monitor your system's performance and have bi-annual site visits set to ensure all modules are properly working and clean.  We would also check all mounting hardware for continued safety.

 Mid South offers you Schuco grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at our locations in Virginia and Pennsylvania: Springfield, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Fredericksburg, VA, Fishersville, VA, Richmond, VA, Winchester, VA, and Camp Hill, PA.