The Latest Climate News

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that March 2010 was the warmest March since 1880 (when temperature record keeping began). There were a few parts of the nation and the world that experienced unusually cold weather, but overall the planet was substantially warmer. If you click on the map you'll see high-res version of the temperature anomalies. The red dots indicate hotter than normal temperatures. The blue dots indicate colder than normal temperatures. The largest red dots indicate a plus five degree Celcius deviation. The large blue dots indicate a minus five degree Celsius devition. Five degrees Celcius is approximately 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Based on the map, New England had an 8 to 10 degree Fahrenheit warmer March than usual.

The Ecotarium in Worcester is featuring an interactive exhibit on the effects of Climate Change in New England through May 2010: Seasons of Change.

Recent Solar Installations

The Six-panel 1.2-kilowatt solar array pictured in the introduction went online in March. It is located in Hudson, MA. The array has six Sanyo 195-watt HIT solar modules and each panel has a SunDrum solar hot water collector mounted on the back. This is what we call a Hybrid solar electric, solar hot water system. The system will generate about 1,400 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and about 50% of the homes domestic hot water. Click on the image to see a larger version, click here to see how the system is performing.

The 5.04-kilowatt system pictured to the left is located in Northborough, MA. This array uses 24 Schüco 210-watt modules. It will generate approximately $1,000 of electricity per year (6,000 kilowatt-hours). Click on the image to see a larger version, click here to see how the system is performing.

The Mark of a Quality Solar Power Installation

Are you shopping for a solar electric system? As a regular part of the newsletter, I’ll be writing about things you should consider when evaluating installers for your home or business. I’ll start with the largest cost component, the solar panels.

Selecting solar panels can be a daunting task. There are scores of panel makers and yet there is little variation in performance. (While there are a few outliers on the high and low ends, generally, they all perform about the same.) And, in this time of rapid growth, there are many new solar panel makers. So how do we know what panels to choose?

Since performance varies so little, what criteria do we use to select a supplier? One key is company history. Why? Most manufacturers offer a 20 or 25 year power production warranty. But what good is a 25 year warranty if the company goes out of business? The short answer is, “It’s not very good.” Unfortunately, the only reliable indicator of future performance is past performance.

Our assumption is that companies that have been successfully making solar panels for years are likely to continue being successful. This heavily influences our selection of solar panels. (Of course, availability and pricing are factors too.)

The combination of reliability of product and company, along with price and availability has led us to use primarily Schüco and Sanyo solar panels. Both companies have been in business about 60 years. Schüco started their solar work in Germany early 1990s and US Solar operations in 2005. They are also known for their building integrated photovoltaic systems (BIPV), solar hot water systems, building facades, and windows.

Sanyo also started their solar business in the early 1990s. Sanyo is known for making the most productive solar panels on the market for the New England Climate – the “HIT Power” series panel. Although the Sanyo panels are more expensive, in New England they produce the most energy (kilowatt-hours) per installed watt of any panel made.

Every week we receive solicitations from different panel manufactures and distributors. Naturally, they all want us to sell their solar panels. Our job is to evaluate the panels and their makers. We won’t offer them to you until we feel comfortable putting them on our own roof.

In future issues, I will discuss inverters (that convert direct current to alternating current), solar mounting hardware (that keep solar panels on your roof without leaks), and general electrical practices.
 

System Anniversaries

	The Hughes' system in Concord just passed its two-year anniversary date. The system uses Seven Evergreen 180-watt solar modules and a Solectria PVI-1800 inverter. Since we turned this system on, it has generated over 3,000 kilowatt-hours.
	The Hamilton system in Sudbury has one year of service and has generate over 6,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity. The system uses 25 Sanyo 205-watt modules and a Solectria PVI-5000 inverter. Sudbury's electricity is supplied by NStar, the second most expensive supplier in the state. (Second to Unitil)

Brief Updates

• We will be at the Maynard Energy Fair on Saturday May 8th. 12-4 pm, Fowler School, Tiger Dr. Maynard
• We will be at Hudson Fest, June 5th - Downtown Hudson - Rain or Shine