Solar Facts

Choosing to install a solar system is one of the biggest decisions you will make as a homeowner. It can also be one of the easiest. Solar is the only home improvement that not only pays for itself but can generate revenue. Solar is a safe investment but a little research is a good idea. I think the best customer is an informed customer.

How Much Does Solar Cost?

The price will vary based on system size, panel choice, and applicable incentives. Most systems run between $15,000–$35,000 before incentives, or $9,000–$22,000 after state rebates and federal tax credits. The “turn-key” price we quote you covers all aspects of designing and installing your system. Yes, that sounds like a lot. But how much will you spend on electricity over the next 10 years? By going solar, you can take an existing bill and turn it into an asset by building equity in your energy source. While some customers pay cash for their system, the vast majority finance it instead. The monthly payment for the solar system is less than they pay to their utility company! In other words, it’s more expensive to not make the switch to solar.

Why is Solar a Good investment?

IT PAYS FOR ITSELF How many other products can you buy that reliably save you money? Most homeowners recover their entire solar investment in 6-10 years, compared to 20+ years from just a few years ago.

How does solar pay for itself? The money you invest upfront is recovered through Electric bill saving and The federal income tax credit, IT STABILIZES YOUR ELECTRICITY RATE Solar reduces your electric bills. It also lowers the unit price you pay for electricity. When you consider what you pay for your solar energy power, and how much electricity it will generate in its lifetime, the price per kWh is much lower than what you pay the electric company. After going solar, you’ll never be subject to utility rate increases again. Plus, after the initial payback period, all of your generated electricity is free for the remaining life of the system!

Solar return on investment is often 100%, according to a report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Compare that to other home energy improvements such as a new heating system or central air that provide… well, no ROI, just a lot of air! We also provide multiple warranties to give you peace of mind. For example, Blue Raven Solar offers a workmanship warranty, a roof warranty, and even a production guarantee. And let’s not forget the intangible returns, which are priceless—the satisfaction on your kids’ faces when they tell their friends you’re helping the planet and reducing your carbon footprint; the feel-good factor of opening your first electric bill; or the thrill you get every time you see your net meter “spin backward.”

Watts, Kilowatts, and Kilowatt-Hours.

Watts and kilowatt-hours are the most familiar units of electricity we use - but what do they measure, and how do they relate to solar panels? Watts (W) measures the amount of power an appliance consumes or produces - for example, an LED lightbulb typically uses 10 W of electricity. On average solar panels range from 180-360 W, which refers to the electricity produced when sitting directly in the sun.

We track electricity consumption and production over time in Watt-hours (Wh), which measure one W(watt) of consumption over one hour. So, if you left that 10 W LED bulb on for 4 hours, it would consume 40 Wh, and a 300 W solar panel would produce 1200 Wh if it were soaking up the sun for 4 hours.

As you can imagine, those Wh can add up quickly in most homes, so your electricity bill uses kilowatt-hours (kWh) (1,000 Watt-hours) to measure your electricity consumption over the course of a month - as well as your electricity production when you get solar panels for your home.

Determining the Best Direction to Place Your Panels

An important factor in determining the output of your solar system is the direction that the panels are facing. Here in Minnesota, the sun is always in the southern sky, so the ideal placement for solar panels is towards the south. The direction the panels are towards is called azimuth(az-a-mith) and is measured in degrees, 0 degrees is due north, 90 degrees is due east, 180 degrees is due south, and 270 degrees is due west.
Because the sun is always in the southern part of the sky in Minnesota, the ideal azimuth is 180 degrees. You’ll want to place solar panels on whichever roof plane is closest to the south is ideal. Using WE sides (West and East) is generally still good for solar. We want to always avoid using any northern-facing roof planes.

Solar Panel Tilt.

The tilt of the solar system also plays a role in the quality of production. Your tilt will be determined by the pitch of the roof planes that the panels will be installed on. Tilt can range from 0 to 90 degrees, 0 degrees is laying flat and 90 degrees is standing straight up. The ideal tilt for a solar system depends on geographic latitude. In Minnesota typically the best angle is 45º.

Amount of Sun Hitting Panels.

The amount of sunlight that reaches the panels is the most important factor in energy production. If your panels are obstructed by the sun they will not be able to produce as much or any electricity per panel covered.
Clouds will not completely block sunlight from reaching the solar panels, a tree will cast almost perfect shade on the area directly below it. When looking for potential sites for solar panels, we always include the tree coverage in our production guarantee. Ask about getting a tax credit for tree removal during your consultation.

Determining Your Offset.

First of all, what does offset mean? Your offset is the amount of power your solar panels can produce compared to how much you are using on a yearly basis. This means that if you used 8000 KWH per year and your system produced half of that you would be at 50% offset. At Blue Raven, we always try and get you as close to 100% offset. Unfortunately, most homes only get around 50% - 75%. Which will still leave you saving thousands. Let's see what yours is!

Solar has Massive Potential in the U.S.

Google’s Project Sunroof, an initiative joining data from Google Earth and Google Maps with 3D modeling and AI, has estimated that a whopping 79% of all homes in America have rooftops that are viable for solar - meaning that they have quality roof space to receive a quality amount of sun.
A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimated that we could produce almost 40% of all the electricity we need if solar were installed on all the roofs in America.
So, the most important thing to understand about solar is that it’s here, today, and it’s a huge opportunity for households and companies across America to save on electricity while also helping save the world from pollution.

Solar Facts

How Much Does Solar Cost?

Why is Solar a Good investment?

Watts, Kilowatts, and Kilowatt-Hours.

Determining the Best Direction to Place Your Panels

Solar Panel Tilt.

Amount of Sun Hitting Panels.

Determining Your Offset.

Solar has Massive Potential in the U.S.

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