Get up to speed quickly by watching the video of one of our 34 community meetings from this summer to learn how solar works, see the pricing and incentives explained, and to learn all the basics you need to know to get started.
Why Solar Now?
Solar panels are being produced quicker and cheaper than ever before.
As the industry has grown in scale, the cost of solar panels have been reduced by 66-75% and have now stabilized at this much more affordable level. As a result, solar PV systems are cheaper than they ever have been to date, and are accessible for a large percentage of New York's population.
Incentives and tax breaks exist now.
More incentives and tax breaks exist now than ever before for installing solar power. For an average residential customer, 69% of the cost of a system is covered by these incentives. It is simple to confirm one's ability to take these incentives and tax breaks, and most of the paperwork is done by the Installer Partner you chose.
There are several great and affordable ways to acquire or finance a solar PV system.
Currently, there are several affordable ways to go solar. The main options are to purchase a system at an affordable upfront price after all incentives, to purchase a system through a low-interest loan, or to lease a system. Both the low-interest loan and lease options typically require no money down and have a monthly cost less or similar to what you pay for electricity now. More information on these options and which one might be the best fit for you can be found in our Solar FAQ.
You can lock in cheaper electricity from a cleaner source and be guaranteed price stability.
Whether you purchase or lease a system, you will be locking in clean electricity for the next 25+ years at a rate less than or similar to what you are paying today. Purchasing a system results in fixing a cost for electricity that is significantly less per kWh than what you are paying today, while leasing a system results in a cost for electricity similar to what you are paying today.
Now is the time to do your part in halting the worst aspects of climate change and reducing the other pollution associated with fossil fuels.
We are forcing the changing of the climate through our greenhouse gas emissions and the effects will be incredibly devastating, destabilizing, and irreversible for our families and communities. To avoid rising sea levels that force mass evacuations, rising temperatures and changing water patterns that cause droughts, fires, and crop failures, and mass extinctions in our oceans, forests, and other land ecosystems, we need to act now to eliminate our greenhouse gas emissions and move to a 100% renewable energy system.
As the industry has grown in scale, the cost of solar panels have been reduced by 66-75% and have now stabilized at this much more affordable level. As a result, solar PV systems are cheaper than they ever have been to date, and are accessible for a large percentage of New York's population.
Incentives and tax breaks exist now.
More incentives and tax breaks exist now than ever before for installing solar power. For an average residential customer, 69% of the cost of a system is covered by these incentives. It is simple to confirm one's ability to take these incentives and tax breaks, and most of the paperwork is done by the Installer Partner you chose.
There are several great and affordable ways to acquire or finance a solar PV system.
Currently, there are several affordable ways to go solar. The main options are to purchase a system at an affordable upfront price after all incentives, to purchase a system through a low-interest loan, or to lease a system. Both the low-interest loan and lease options typically require no money down and have a monthly cost less or similar to what you pay for electricity now. More information on these options and which one might be the best fit for you can be found in our Solar FAQ.
You can lock in cheaper electricity from a cleaner source and be guaranteed price stability.
Whether you purchase or lease a system, you will be locking in clean electricity for the next 25+ years at a rate less than or similar to what you are paying today. Purchasing a system results in fixing a cost for electricity that is significantly less per kWh than what you are paying today, while leasing a system results in a cost for electricity similar to what you are paying today.
Now is the time to do your part in halting the worst aspects of climate change and reducing the other pollution associated with fossil fuels.
We are forcing the changing of the climate through our greenhouse gas emissions and the effects will be incredibly devastating, destabilizing, and irreversible for our families and communities. To avoid rising sea levels that force mass evacuations, rising temperatures and changing water patterns that cause droughts, fires, and crop failures, and mass extinctions in our oceans, forests, and other land ecosystems, we need to act now to eliminate our greenhouse gas emissions and move to a 100% renewable energy system.
Solar FAQ
My property is located in a nearby bordering town or county, can I participate in Solar Tompkins?
Although our 2014 Solar Tompkins program is focused on Tompkins County, to be as inclusive as possible, it is also open to families that live outside of the boundaries of Tompkins County. Specifically, we will be allowing up to 5% of our total enrolled families to be from outside of the county.
What is Solar PV?
Solar PV is a mature renewable energy technology that uses photovoltaic material to produce electricity from a 100% clean source - the sun. Specifically, solar panels convert sunlight into DC Power. A device known as an inverter then converts the DC power to AC power (which is the same electricity as provided by the utility grid). The power then travels from the inverter to your electric service panel, and is distributed throughout your house. On sunny days you may not have a use for all the electricity you are generating and any excess flows out to the electric grid where it is available to other electric utility customers. When your system generates more electricity than you use, you receive a credit at full retail rate from your utility. This is called net-metering, and the credit is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh).
Where can Solar PV be installed?
New York has an excellent solar resource, which is equivalent to about 2/3rds of that of Arizona and Southern California annually. Solar PV can be installed on building roofs, as free-standing ground mounted structures, or over parking lots, driveways, walkways, and decks. The roofs can be those of your home or office, or those of separate garages, barns, and other outbuildings
Can Solar PV meet 100% of my electricity needs?
Yes, solar PV can definitely meet 100% of your electricity needs and this is the goal of most people. Typically systems are designed to meet 100% of your electrical usage on an annual basis. Smaller systems are also just fine and sometimes can make more sense because of space or budget constraints.
Is my home right for solar?
Solar works best facing south, southwest, and southeast. There should be minimal shading from trees, buildings, chimneys and other obstacles, or the cause of the shading should be able to be mitigated. Shading can be measured exactly by the Installer Partner you are working with, and that is a standard part of the site assessment process. Another possible consideration for installing solar is the condition of your roof. Roofs should typically have at least 7-10 years of life remaining in order for a new solar system to be located there. If you have a roof that is older than that or in poor condition, your Installer Partner can help you get an estimate for replacing all or just part of the roof to enable the installation of a solar system.
What if I don't have a good site or own my home or building?
If you don't have a suitable site for solar or don't own your home or building, don't despair. There will soon be other opportunities for you to go solar. There are currently exciting efforts underway in New York to allow "Community Shared Solar", which is a model where large systems are built and then anyone in the community can buy or lease a "share" of them. Shares are defined differently in various states, but typically a couple shares equal a standard residential size solar system. Once you buy or lease your shares, you get full credit for their production on your electric bill each month and all of the clean solar electricity they produce goes directly into your local electric grid.
What are the financial incentives for going solar?
Currently for an average residential customer in New York, up to 69% of the cost of a solar PV system is covered by incentives. These incentives include a $1.00/W upfront grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), a Federal Income Tax Credit of 30%, and a State Income Tax Credit of 25%. Both tax credits are calculated off of the project cost after the NYSERDA incentives. There are no requirements for the NYSERDA incentive, but the tax credits do require you to have tax liability.
How do I know if I can use the tax credits?
Typically a large percentage of families in Tompkins County do have income tax liability, and thus they can use the tax credits. Tax liability has nothing to do with whether you receive a refund from the Federal and State governments each year. Instead tax liability simply means that you pay federal and state income taxes on a net annual basis. You can pay this income tax through the normal weekly or biweekly withholding process throughout the year, through quarterly payments, or at the end of the year. To generally see if you have tax liability and if so how much, we recommend you look at your last years income tax filings. For the Federal income tax, please refer to pg 2 of Form 1040 on line 61. For the NY income tax, please refer to pg 3 of form IT-201 on line 46. Please also consult your tax professional.
What is the typical cost of a system for an average family?
As a result of the incentives, an average family using 8,000 kWh/year can typically purchase a system to cover 100% of their current electricity needs for between $6,000-$9,500 depending on whether it is roof or ground mounted, or they can lease a system for no upfront cost and often pay about the same price per month they are paying to their electric utility today. Please keep in mind that every home's electricity usage is different, and thus the needed system size and corresponding cost will vary accordingly. Solar Tompkins is offering attractive 20%+ lower-than-market pricing, and this pricing is available under our Installer Partners section.
What are the financing options for going solar?
Currently, there are several affordable ways to go solar. The main options are to purchase a system at an affordable upfront price after all incentives, to purchase a system through a low-interest loan, or to lease a system. Typically purchased systems have a payback of 6-8 years, and many loan and lease options have monthly payments about the same or slightly less than what you are paying the electric utility now.
Which financing option might be best for me?
Our Installer Partners offer all three of the financing options as a part of the program, and the option that is best for you will depend on a variety of factors. For example, purchasing might make sense if you have the ability to use the tax credits and are looking for the best economic return on investment. On the other hand, leasing might make sense if you don't have the ability to use the tax credits, or if you find some of extended warranty and low maintenance benefits of leasing attractive. Both purchasing and leasing have no money upfront payment options.
If I have solar panels, will I have electricity when the power goes out?
A typical solar PV system simply connects to the electric grid and has no storage capacity, and thus it does not have the ability to provide electricity when the grid is down. When the power goes out, this type of system automatically shuts down to protect utility line workers and equipment. These systems are the starting default option because they are the least expensive type of solar PV system, and many people have power outages only very rarely and really don't need backup power. That being said, all solar PV systems have the ability to provide electricity when the power goes out if another couple components are added. These systems continue to be grid-connected, but use battery storage to keep the solar system running and provide you stored energy when the grid is down. The Solar Tompkins program will offer both types of systems through our Installer Partners, and they can advise you as to what will make the most sense for your situation.
How does snow affect the solar panels?
Snow will accumulate on any type of solar system in the winter months. Typically steeper roofs and ground-mounted systems shed snow the best, but all systems will clear the snow somewhat when we get some sun in the winter. Regardless, snow is not as significant of a factor for solar in New York as one might think. In fact, because our solar resource is so heavily weighted to the spring, summer, and fall months, if an average system was completely covered in snow for 2 out of the 3 primary winter months, this would only reduce the annual output of the system by 7-8%. Our Installer Partners take this standard loss to snow into account when sizing a system for your home, so no snow maintenance is expected or required.
What are watts, kilowatts, and kilowatt-hours?
The size of a solar electric system is often described in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). One kW = 1,000 W. Watts are a unit of power, just like the horsepower of an engine. They express the maximum possible output of energy the system can produce at any point in time. When sunlight strikes solar electric panels, they produce electricity that is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh). Kilowatt hours are the units of energy you buy from your utility and use in your home to run your appliances, lighting and electronics.
Although our 2014 Solar Tompkins program is focused on Tompkins County, to be as inclusive as possible, it is also open to families that live outside of the boundaries of Tompkins County. Specifically, we will be allowing up to 5% of our total enrolled families to be from outside of the county.
What is Solar PV?
Solar PV is a mature renewable energy technology that uses photovoltaic material to produce electricity from a 100% clean source - the sun. Specifically, solar panels convert sunlight into DC Power. A device known as an inverter then converts the DC power to AC power (which is the same electricity as provided by the utility grid). The power then travels from the inverter to your electric service panel, and is distributed throughout your house. On sunny days you may not have a use for all the electricity you are generating and any excess flows out to the electric grid where it is available to other electric utility customers. When your system generates more electricity than you use, you receive a credit at full retail rate from your utility. This is called net-metering, and the credit is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh).
Where can Solar PV be installed?
New York has an excellent solar resource, which is equivalent to about 2/3rds of that of Arizona and Southern California annually. Solar PV can be installed on building roofs, as free-standing ground mounted structures, or over parking lots, driveways, walkways, and decks. The roofs can be those of your home or office, or those of separate garages, barns, and other outbuildings
Can Solar PV meet 100% of my electricity needs?
Yes, solar PV can definitely meet 100% of your electricity needs and this is the goal of most people. Typically systems are designed to meet 100% of your electrical usage on an annual basis. Smaller systems are also just fine and sometimes can make more sense because of space or budget constraints.
Is my home right for solar?
Solar works best facing south, southwest, and southeast. There should be minimal shading from trees, buildings, chimneys and other obstacles, or the cause of the shading should be able to be mitigated. Shading can be measured exactly by the Installer Partner you are working with, and that is a standard part of the site assessment process. Another possible consideration for installing solar is the condition of your roof. Roofs should typically have at least 7-10 years of life remaining in order for a new solar system to be located there. If you have a roof that is older than that or in poor condition, your Installer Partner can help you get an estimate for replacing all or just part of the roof to enable the installation of a solar system.
What if I don't have a good site or own my home or building?
If you don't have a suitable site for solar or don't own your home or building, don't despair. There will soon be other opportunities for you to go solar. There are currently exciting efforts underway in New York to allow "Community Shared Solar", which is a model where large systems are built and then anyone in the community can buy or lease a "share" of them. Shares are defined differently in various states, but typically a couple shares equal a standard residential size solar system. Once you buy or lease your shares, you get full credit for their production on your electric bill each month and all of the clean solar electricity they produce goes directly into your local electric grid.
What are the financial incentives for going solar?
Currently for an average residential customer in New York, up to 69% of the cost of a solar PV system is covered by incentives. These incentives include a $1.00/W upfront grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), a Federal Income Tax Credit of 30%, and a State Income Tax Credit of 25%. Both tax credits are calculated off of the project cost after the NYSERDA incentives. There are no requirements for the NYSERDA incentive, but the tax credits do require you to have tax liability.
How do I know if I can use the tax credits?
Typically a large percentage of families in Tompkins County do have income tax liability, and thus they can use the tax credits. Tax liability has nothing to do with whether you receive a refund from the Federal and State governments each year. Instead tax liability simply means that you pay federal and state income taxes on a net annual basis. You can pay this income tax through the normal weekly or biweekly withholding process throughout the year, through quarterly payments, or at the end of the year. To generally see if you have tax liability and if so how much, we recommend you look at your last years income tax filings. For the Federal income tax, please refer to pg 2 of Form 1040 on line 61. For the NY income tax, please refer to pg 3 of form IT-201 on line 46. Please also consult your tax professional.
What is the typical cost of a system for an average family?
As a result of the incentives, an average family using 8,000 kWh/year can typically purchase a system to cover 100% of their current electricity needs for between $6,000-$9,500 depending on whether it is roof or ground mounted, or they can lease a system for no upfront cost and often pay about the same price per month they are paying to their electric utility today. Please keep in mind that every home's electricity usage is different, and thus the needed system size and corresponding cost will vary accordingly. Solar Tompkins is offering attractive 20%+ lower-than-market pricing, and this pricing is available under our Installer Partners section.
What are the financing options for going solar?
Currently, there are several affordable ways to go solar. The main options are to purchase a system at an affordable upfront price after all incentives, to purchase a system through a low-interest loan, or to lease a system. Typically purchased systems have a payback of 6-8 years, and many loan and lease options have monthly payments about the same or slightly less than what you are paying the electric utility now.
Which financing option might be best for me?
Our Installer Partners offer all three of the financing options as a part of the program, and the option that is best for you will depend on a variety of factors. For example, purchasing might make sense if you have the ability to use the tax credits and are looking for the best economic return on investment. On the other hand, leasing might make sense if you don't have the ability to use the tax credits, or if you find some of extended warranty and low maintenance benefits of leasing attractive. Both purchasing and leasing have no money upfront payment options.
If I have solar panels, will I have electricity when the power goes out?
A typical solar PV system simply connects to the electric grid and has no storage capacity, and thus it does not have the ability to provide electricity when the grid is down. When the power goes out, this type of system automatically shuts down to protect utility line workers and equipment. These systems are the starting default option because they are the least expensive type of solar PV system, and many people have power outages only very rarely and really don't need backup power. That being said, all solar PV systems have the ability to provide electricity when the power goes out if another couple components are added. These systems continue to be grid-connected, but use battery storage to keep the solar system running and provide you stored energy when the grid is down. The Solar Tompkins program will offer both types of systems through our Installer Partners, and they can advise you as to what will make the most sense for your situation.
How does snow affect the solar panels?
Snow will accumulate on any type of solar system in the winter months. Typically steeper roofs and ground-mounted systems shed snow the best, but all systems will clear the snow somewhat when we get some sun in the winter. Regardless, snow is not as significant of a factor for solar in New York as one might think. In fact, because our solar resource is so heavily weighted to the spring, summer, and fall months, if an average system was completely covered in snow for 2 out of the 3 primary winter months, this would only reduce the annual output of the system by 7-8%. Our Installer Partners take this standard loss to snow into account when sizing a system for your home, so no snow maintenance is expected or required.
What are watts, kilowatts, and kilowatt-hours?
The size of a solar electric system is often described in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW). One kW = 1,000 W. Watts are a unit of power, just like the horsepower of an engine. They express the maximum possible output of energy the system can produce at any point in time. When sunlight strikes solar electric panels, they produce electricity that is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh). Kilowatt hours are the units of energy you buy from your utility and use in your home to run your appliances, lighting and electronics.
