Our Commercial Customers

Join us for our Solar 101 Community Workshop on Wednesday, May 1 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in Long Beach.

Organized by AMECO, the workshop will teach you how to use the sun’s power to benefit your home or business.  Our team of experts will go over the basics of solar energy in addition to other topics including: how much money you can save with solar, how to finance a solar installation and how to choose the best solar system and solar installer.  Attendees will be given the chance to ask questions at the end of the workshop.

Patrick Redgate, our President & CEO commented, “After thirty nine years in the solar business, we have accumulated a lot of knowledge about solar. We want to pass this information on to the community and hope that our session will inspire more people to consider solar, making their homes and business more sustainable.”

There are a limited amount of spaces available so register today to lock in your spot at the Solar 101 Community Workshop.  Fill out a brief form on our Solar 101 Registration page or call us at (562) 633-4400. We hope to see you there!

Solar photovoltaic panels generate DC (Direct Current) electricity. However, almost every household and business in Southern California uses AC (Alternating Current) electricity. A solar inverter changes DC power to AC power so it can provide electricity that is suitable for use in your home or business. Also, this conversion allows you to “backfeed” electricity to the utility grid to which the inverter is connected so that you can sell electricity back to the utility company (a process that is known as net metering).

There are two types inverters used in solar installations today: 1) a central “string” inverter or 2) multiple small “micro” inverters. Micro-inverters are relative newcomers to the marketplace and despite their higher cost (as much as 30% more than a central inverter) their popularity has been growing rapidly in Southern California. In 2008 there were only 18 residential solar systems that possessed micro-inverter technology, but by the end of 2012 that number had increased to 12,000.¹

A typical central inverter is located at ground level, usually near the Main Electrical Service Panel. It combines all of the power from multiple solar panels in this one central location. As a result, voltages can be quite high in the central inverter, sometimes as much as 600 volts DC. Micro-inverters are connected to each solar panel in the system and immediately convert DC power to AC current, usually at 240 volts. Although both voltages can be dangerous, there is an improved safety factor when using micro-inverters that have lower voltages.

Other perceived advantages of micro-inverters:

• Since each solar panel has its own inverter, a failure would mean that only one panel is not working;
• One panel’s poor performance would not affect its neighbor’s production, but if there is a shaded panel in a system with a central inverter then it can alter the energy output of other panels;
• Multiple orientations of panels are possible with micro-inverters while a central inverter usually requires its panels to all face in the same direction.

On the other hand, there are disadvantages associated with micro-inverters:

• Because they are rooftop-mounted, there are higher installation costs and higher costs associated with future serviceability;
• A micro-inverter is installed on the roof under the solar panel where high heat could reduce its life, whereas central inverters have a documented history of reliable performance;
• Voltage drops for long runs at 240 volts of AC power in micro-inverters is greater than that with higher voltage DC wiring associated with central inverters.

Although performance and failure rates are more predictable with central inverters at this point in time, the future looks promising for individual or micro-inverters. If reliability and cost trends continue, central “string” inverters may become a feature of the past in the not too distant future.

The fact that micro-inverters allow AC power output of a solar system to be interrupted by a switch located at ground level markedly improves safety for first responders in the event of a fire. In addition, the ability to design a system with minimal regard for solar panel orientation opens up more roof area for module deployment. Lastly, since many micro-inverter manufacturers provide module-level monitoring, a defective unit will be recognized and replaced, hopefully in time to take advantage of its warranty. This may become more crucial in time as smaller foreign manufacturers leave the US market.

All in all, micro-inverter technology is a winner on many levels, but only time will decide which technology crosses the finish line.

¹Data from the CSI for the utilities of SCE, PG&E and SDG&E.

As the local solar expert of Los Angeles and Orange County, we’re constantly reading up on the latest news to keep informed about the solar industry. Every once in a while, we’ll share the most interesting articles that we come across in an effort to help spread some solar knowledge.

• With so much speculation about the future of solar energy, Rosana Francescato tries to set things straight with her article at the PV Solar Report. In particular, she explains why solar makes financial sense and makes a detailed comparison between renewable energy and fossil fuels.

• In Solar Today’s March 2013 Issue, Tracy Dahl writes about his unique solar photovoltaic (PV) system on Greenland’s ice cap. Its tower-like design allows for maximum solar energy production that powers the Summit Station research center.

• Jennifer Runyon reports on the incredible growth of the solar industry in 2012 on Renewable Energy World. Of course, California comes out on top with the most residential and non-residential solar systems installed last year.

• Did you know that Pope Benedict XVI is often called the “green pope” and installed solar panels on the roof of the Vatican? In Kate Galbraith’s article in the NY Times, she explores the Pope’s influence on churches across the nation and why they are considering solar energy.

• It warms our hearts to see nonprofit organization We Care Solar using solar energy to save lives in Nigeria. Read more in Christie O’Reilly’s article, ‘Solar suitcase’ saving moms, babies during childbirth.

We’d like to take a moment to introduce the newest member of the AMECO Solar team…our Chevy Volt!

The bright and bold design — done by Iconography Studios over in Los Alamitos — highlights the fact that our brand new electric car is powered by solar energy.

Each evening, we plug in the electric car so that it can refuel with clean, renewable energy that has been produced from our solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. After a full night of charging, the Chevy Volt has sufficient energy to go anywhere from 40 to 100 miles on solar power alone. That’s more than enough for a short commute to the office and a few visits to our installation sites.

Similar to solar rebates and incentives, you receive money back from the state and federal government when you purchase an electric car. The California state government offers a $1,500 rebate for plug-in electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt, and the federal government offers a tax credit of up to $7,500. Added together, these rebates reduced the price tag of our electric car by $9,000.

But that’s not all! We’re saving even more money each month by fueling with solar power instead of gas or electricity from the utility company.

Let’s say, on average we drive about 1,000 miles a month.

If we were driving a car that gets 25 MPG with gas currently at a record high of $4.32 a gallon (ouch), then we would spend $172.80 a month to refuel with gas.

If we were driving our Chevy Volt that uses 2.7 kilowatts per hour with electricity currently at an average of about $0.20 per kilowatt per hour, then we would spend $74.07 a month to refuel with electricity from the utility company.

But, by driving our Chevy volt with energy generated from our AMECO Solar-installed solar panels, we will spend $0 to refuel with solar power. Saving us up to $2,000 a year!

While driving an electric car is already reducing our carbon footprint, we are reducing our greenhouse emissions even more by using solar power to charge our new Chevy Volt. And that’s saying a lot for a car owner driving around Los Angeles and Orange County.

If you are interested in adding solar panels to offset the energy usage of your electric vehicle, contact us by replying to this blog post, calling (888) 595-9570 or going to the AMECO Solar website.