A home improvement that pays for itself

Dear Heather,

I thought your article last week about preparing to use an alternative energy source was great. Now can you tell me a bit more about what’s involved with installation and what to consider in Bermuda?

Going Solar Too

Dear Going Solar Too,

Due to my limited experience with solar energy, I’ve had to turn to Stratton Hatfield at BE Solar for advice, just as I did last week. First of all, it’s important for you to establish your energy goals, ie would you like to reduce your electricity bill by 25 per cent or go all out and reduce it by 100 per cent?

Ultimately a solar company should design a system based on the property’s energy consumption as it really goes back to energy usage. Let’s take a $500-a-month electricity bill as an example.

To cut this in half you should budget approximately $25,000. Depending on your energy consumption, this system would take between six and eight years to pay for itself. You can expect, roughly, $250 a month in savings depending on the orientation and pitch of the solar photovoltaic panels.

If you are at home most of the day, cooking, doing laundry, running a pool pump and air conditioning for example, the solar energy would go directly to these appliances or devices. If you are working all day, the energy would be consumed by any devices on the property and any excess would be sent back to the Belco grid. As per the agreement with Belco and the Regulatory Authority of Bermuda, Belco pays you back for any kilowatts received on the grid under their current feed-in tariff model. Essentially, you build up a dollar credit during the day and then deduct from this credit in the evening when you are drawing off Belco.

Some things to consider when installing solar PV electric panels:

Most solar panels are “solar electric” meaning they produce electricity, but there are some that just provide hot water. Prices of solar electric panels are now significantly lower than they were when they were introduced to the market.

The optimal solar orientation is 30 degrees facing south but panels can be installed on eastern and western-facing roof lines, just not north. Do you have roof planes that could accommodate solar? They can also be installed on the ground if you have the land or space.

Do you have spare breakers on your electricity panel or would you need to install more to accommodate for solar? Typically you need two breaker slots for 16 solar PV panels.

Is the property “listed”? If it is, installation will need to be carefully designed and you will need to get further approval from the Department of Planning. All solar PV panels require planning approval. However, a good solar company will do this on their client’s behalf as they are knowledgeable on what codes need to be met.

Most solar electric systems are modular, meaning you can add additional panels over a span of time.

One of the most asked questions is whether the panels will stay put in a hurricane. BE Solar uses high-quality stainless steel hangar bolts on their installations. These hanger bolts are installed into the rafter beams of the house and fitted with fibre-reinforced concrete. This concrete is painted white and formed into a half-sphere shape so that rain water runs around the installation instead of over it. BE Solar has done over 16,000 roof penetrations in Bermuda without any leaks reported.

Brackets are attached to the bolts and the panels are attached to the brackets with another extremely strong bolt system. This method is designed to withstand winds of up to 150 miles per hour. None of BE Solar’s panels have blown off in a hurricane to date, which is really impressive.

Before you start any installation, your roof should, ideally, be freshly cleaned and painted. Panels can be easily removed by a team of professionals (do not try this yourself), and removal is recommended every other time you paint and/or clean your roof.

Panels used at BE Solar undergo stringent testing in real-world conditions. Do ask your company where their panels are sourced as the ones that come from the Asian Pacific region aren’t quite as sturdy.

A good panel should last 30 years.

Does installing solar panels add value to your home? In truth, it’s too early to have reliable data. However, we are seeing that energy-efficient homes are increasingly popular with purchasers. It is also one of the few improvements you can do to your home that provides a guaranteed return on investment.

BE Solar is just one of the many solar choices on the island. I would recommend doing your own research before proceeding.

•Heather Chilvers is among Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty’s leading sales representatives. She has been working in real estate for nearly 30 years. Contact her at hchilvers@brcl.bm or 332-1793. All questions will be treated in confidence. Look for Ask Heather Real Estate on Facebook

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