Meg Simone is known for creating timeless wedding films at New England’s most gorgeous destinations. Her home post-production studio is where precious moments come to be – thanks to a fair amount of electricity! Making her operation a little greener this year is a pole-mounted 3.7kw photovoltaic sstem installed be ReVision Energy just in time for the holidays.

Meg shares her enthusiasm for the system in this quick video:

We touched based with Meg to ask her about the process and what she likes about the new system:

When we built our house we put in a evacuated tube solar hot water system with ReVision. We know there are other options out there for solar installers but we love the personal attention, ease of install (thanks Jen for taking care of the paperwork) and customer service that stands behind the product. The vast experience from the team at ReVision is unmatched. You don’t have to take my word for it, you can read their bios!

We had wanted to add solar electricity for a long time, and finally the incentives and rebates afforded us the opportunity. ReVision made my life easy and this process FUN. The guys are so friendly we told them to come in for lunch on the 2nd day of the install! In fact, the team is so friendly and personal it feels like a friend has helped install this not just a business.

We love seeing how much power the system makes each day. It’s a good feeling to know that the sun can power our at-home businesses and reduce our carbon footprint.

See some more photos of the installation on our Facebook page, courtesy of Meg:

With utility electric rates set to rise again and costs of solar continuing to drop, it’s never been better to free yourself from the power company. To make this process easier, ReVision is now able to offer a 20 year solar loan with rates as low as 5.24% through SunPower.

Key features of the new program:

• Available for SunPower premium solar modules, which boast up to 50% more power per sq. ft. than standard efficiency panels
• Loan amounts from $15,000 – $50,000
• Reasonable credit criteria and quick approval
• No pre-payment penalties
• Option to lower monthly payment after receipt of state/federal rebates

A grid-tied solar electric system allows you to generate your own clean energy straight from your rooftop – eliminating power company profits and reducing the need to fire up conventional coal plants for electricity generation.

ReVision offers a free evaluation if you’re interested in learning about how solar electricity would work for your home – and if you’ve had a quote from us in the past, please take the time to contact us today to see how the costs for solar have declined in the meantime.

SunPower on Homes

Here are some photos of homes where we’ve installed SunPower modules:

SunPower panels are only available through their high-screened dealer network. ReVision is the only Premier SunPower Dealer in Maine and one of a very few in the Northeast. Contact us to learn more about SunPower’s solar loan program.

Tom Southworth’s BEYOND net zero home will sell power to the grid each year!

Tom Southworth’s commitment to sustainability runs deep. Since 1974 he’s owned and operated a water-powered sawmill in Lancaster, New Hampshire, around which he built the successful Garland Mill Timberframes business. Tom imparted his passion to his son Ben, whose work includes turning a 1970s ranch house into a LEED Platinum, Net Zero showcase. So when it came time to build a home to retire in, Tom set his sights high: he wanted a house that would not only generate all of the electricity it uses each year, but also produce a surplus to sell to the grid.

New Hampshire Ups the Ante

“What got me started in this direction is when New Hampshire went beyond net billing and offered to write me a check if I produce more power than I use,” Tom says. “I took a hard look at my energy usage and determined that 8,000 kWh/year would allow us to meet all our needs and be a net exporter of electricity.”

Most impressive is that Tom both exports power to the grid and heats his home with electricity. While conventional wisdom is that electric heat is expensive, 21st century building standards challenge that assumption completely.

“While it’s not official yet, we built this house to meet German passivhaus standards,” Tom says. “This means an extremely well-insulated building envelope consisting of 12″ exterior side walls packed with cellulose sheathed with 2″ foam, and 40″ of cellullose packed into the truss system. We moved in on April 1st and so far have not used any heating whatsoever.”

Tracking Results

Tom Southworth’s solar thermal storage tank is tied into its own electric meter to track run time of the backup electric element

To keep track of his goals, Tom uses a decidedly analog but very effective method of monitoring his systems – an extra electric meter dedicated to tracking photovoltaic production, and a second dedicated to his hot water tank. In addition to the photovoltaic system, Tom had us install a solar hot water system tied into an existing 120 gallon storage tank with electric backup.

“Since we don’t really know much electricity our backup tank will use in the winter, we added the second meter so we could really understand it,” Tom says, “We expect to use only solar-heated water from May through September and will be closely watching how much the electric element is needed in the other months.”

Power While the Sun Shines

Now that everything is up and running, Tom says the system is so far “on target” for photovoltaic production.

“I’m 100% pleased with the system,” Tom says, “I look forward to enjoying my years of retirement knowing my energy comes from the sun.”

The Vermont Energy Act of 2011 expands the State’s net metering program, establishes a minimum .20c/kWh benefit for renewable energy, and streamlines the permitting process for new photovoltaic systems.

Renewable Energy World concisely summarizes the program:

The process, which replaces permitting, allows solar customers to install the system 10 days after completing a registration form and certificate of compliance with interconnection requirements. The utility has 10 days to raise any issues concerning the interconnection, otherwise a Certificate of Public Good is granted and the project may be installed.

By making the standards for solar installations consistent state wide, Vermont recognizes that in the hands of competent installers, a grid-tied solar energy system is a straightforward installation with little risk to the homeowner.

The Green Mountain State Leads the Nation

Vermont’s progressive vision is literally first in the nation and has inspired many other states as a result. Installers in California, for example, estimate similar measures would eliminate $2,516 in permitting costs per residential installation and provide a $1 billion stimulus to the solar industry over the next five years.

To keep standards of work high, Vermont regulates quality through close relations with the independent, nonpartisan trade association Renewable Energy Vermont (REV). For a homeowner to access state rebates, they must contract an installer who has been scrutinized by REV, a process which includes a review of prior work, proof of technical competence, and a request to review NABCEP credentials.

What Vermont’s Neighbors Can Learn

ReVision Energy solar installers at Lake Region Community College.

The streamlined permitting process and generous, performance based rewards for solar are all part of Vermont’s efforts to build a more independent electric grid and reduce carbon emissions – but it’s not just about the environment.

Martha Staskus of REV said in a recent interview that “Renewable energy development is an economic driver, creating jobs in the development, construction/manufacturing and renewable energy industries. Vermont has more than 300 renewable energy businesses – and as these thrive, job growth benefits.”

In a time when job-creation is a #1 issue for most politicians, we hope the fact that solar is the fastest growing industry in the US will catch their attention. The rewards for clean energy are huge – cleaner air to breathe, reduced stress on the grid, independence from fossil fuel energy and great jobs for the people who install the systems (as our team can attest).

Cheers to the Green Mountain State!

Greg Rossell’s solar powered boat house will provide more than 2/3 of the power used by his home and boat shop.

We love to catalog the stories of our customers – what motivates them to go solar, and why now. This time we’re excited to have Greg Rossell, an active boat builder and board member of WERU, share his story in his own words:

I suspect everyone has a had a different path as to how they decided to go solar. We have long been interested in solar – although over the years the “solar energy” we used was mostly tied up in the firewood we burned to heat our home and boat shop. We became more interested in electricity when in 2004 we purchased a Prius – just before gasoline spiked to 4 dollars a gallon.

Over the ensuing years we have followed the politics of energy – how it is produced and what the actual cost is. All the time we kept eyeing each electrical device we owned with a chary eye – giving the energy hogs the pink slip and replacing them with more friendly models. Solar had a lot of appeal – especially compared to the alternatives. But we dawdled – after all, we were still hooked to the grid and we weren’t using that much power…

What tipped the scales for us was a week long trip we took last summer in a solar electric launch in Ontario. While the boat had a back up generator, it was rarely used it as the solar panels produced all the power we needed to cruise with 6 adults, 2 babies and a dog. All in silence, without fumes, or vibration. This was definitely cool and practical.

Upon our return, we began to do more research. And fortunately, while we had “dawdled” the technology had been continually improving. Solar panels became more efficient as did the micro-inverters that change the DC power to AC. Perhaps as important for us was that we could have a grid tied system where we could send any extra unused energy onto the electrical grid while banking energy credits. We would also avoid the hassle of dealing with batteries and all their cost and maintenance. And, there was the matter of energy credits and rebates that made the investment more affordable for us!

The next task was to look for someone to walk us through the process (and hopefully) do the installation. We decided on ReVision Energy for a number of reasons. One reason is that they are local – many of the folks who are installers are our neighbors. We knew if there was a problem there would always be someone handy to deal with it. They have done plenty of solar arrays in the state so they know the conditions in Maine and what can be realistically expected from a system. They are also business members of WERU radio which indicates that they invest in their community.

The entire experience went like clockwork – from the initial evaluation by Hans Albee, his patient answering of my multitude of questions, the crew’s speedy, clean and efficient installation of the photovoltaic panels, and Jennifer Albee’s technical guidance — walking us through the paperwork involved with getting registered as a energy provider with Central Maine Power and the application for the energy investment rebates.

In the end we went with a system that will provide 2/3 of our home and shop electricity demand. We now have a CMP double meter system that records both the energy from “away” we use as well as the power we put into the grid. It’s a most practical manner of keeping track of those electrons but I have to admit I do miss seeing our old familiar meter running merrily backwards – I could have watched that all day.

Thank you for your story, Greg! Be sure to check out the March/April edition of Wooden Boat magazine which features a shot of this system.

Two kilowatts of solar electric panels are lighting up Fryeburg Academy thanks to a system recently installed by ReVision.

The Conway Daily Sun reported how the project came to be:

The genesis for this project began with the students in the class of 2009, led by Logan Cline, who launched the first year’s efforts to raise funds while also raising community awareness of the need to conserve energy on campus.

This was followed in 2010 by senior class president Kenedi Hall, who also approached TransCanada Energy for a significant grant to augment their efforts. Together, over $10,000 was raised to fund the initial project, and fund-raising is continuing to add more panels at a future date …

The system is designed both as an energy producer and ongoing teaching tool. Located in the academy’s dedicated science facility, students will be able to monitor and learn about the system as part of the day-to-day curriculum.

The 2KW system is expected to produce over 2,829 kWh of clean electricity each year, offsetting more than 3,500 lbs of C02 emissions!

From our Schools and Nonprofits Solar Photo Gallery:

See more installations in our Solar Projects Map

This passive solar house in Portsmouth, New Hampshire has a 3.4 kilowatt Sun Power photovoltaic (PV) array mounted on a 40-degree pitched roof, and a Sun Power 3000 inverter.

The solar electric array generates most of home’s electricity during the course of the year, averaging about 380 kilowatt hours each month.

This solar power system is grid-tied with no moving parts and smart inverter technology that allows the import of electricity to the electric panel on overcast days or when electric load is high. In clear sunlit conditions the array will export energy out to the electric grid, and credit is banked under New Hampshire’s net metering program.

Using solar power at home not only produces clean energy reliably, it reduces the strain on the electrical grid during times of peak demand.  Since solar energy has no emissions, this system will eliminate an estimated 6,890 lbs of CO2 from the atmosphere each year!

We put a lot of effort into ensuring our systems will operate trouble-free in New England winters for 20+ years, which is no small feat!  Exceptional manufacturers help make this a reality.

We recently learned that one of the manufacturers we use for solar electric panels, Canadian Solar, received some of the highest rankings in PV USA (PTC) rankings.

These rankings, required by the State of California, exhaustively test module performance in laboratory settings and are required for a module to be eligible for California’s solar financial incentives.

Five of Canadian Solar’s solar module series, the CS6P- 220P, 225P, 230P, CS5P-240M and CS5A-180M obtained rankings that were near the top of all of those tested.

You can read Canadian Solar’s official statement, or see the full listing of PTC rankings and requirements.

Here are some pictures of recent installations that use Canadian Solar panels: