Cooperative Living June 2018 - 29

will need to determine the size of the
system, which will depend on several
factors, including:
* Your current and anticipated
electricity needs;
* Roof area, orientation and pitch
(15 to 40 degrees is ideal);
* The amount of sunlight your
home receives per year;
Before hiring a solar contractor, make
sure they are accredited through the
North American Board of Certified
Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).
that are certified with the North
American Board of Certified Energy
Practitioners (NABCEP).
When you call contractors, they
will typically ask several questions to
determine if your home is a good
candidate for solar. If it is, they will likely
be able to provide an estimate. In order
to complete an estimate, the contractor
* The amount of shade, dust, snow
and/or other factors that can
block sunlight.
If your roof will need replacing in
the next few years, you'll want to do
that before installing solar panels, so
be sure to include that expense when
calculating the overall cost.
There may be federal, state and utility
tax credits and rebates available to offset
the price of the equipment and
installation. You can find links to these
resources on the website at
www.collaborativeefficiency.com.
If the estimate you receive includes
all the factors we've mentioned in this
article, it should give you a fairly
accurate idea of your return on
investment. It's also a good idea to get
multiple estimates if you can, and to
review the estimate with your electric
co-op to ensure the electric rate and
metering arrangements are correct.
Before you make a final decision,
consider how the investment in a
PV system compares to upgrading
the energy efficiency of your home.
Efficiency upgrades can sometimes
yield more bang for your buck and
make your home more comfortable.
A home-energy audit can help you
answer this question.
Investment in solar systems or energyefficiency
upgrades to your home can
help increase the resale value. Recent
reports show that the presence of a PV
system can raise a home's resale value
as much as $15,000.
I hope these tips help you determine
if a PV system is right for your home. 
This column was co-written by Pat
Keegan and Brad Thiessen of Collaborative
Efficiency. For more information on solar
energy for your home, please visit:
www.collaborativeefficiency.com/energytips.
The Energy-Saving
Tips 2019 Calendar
wants your images!
This free calendar features images
taken by cooperative members
such as you at locations around
cooperative service territory
and published at the end of the
year. If you would like to submit
an image for the 2019 calendar,
please email us at:
EnergyTips@odec.com
Submissions: Images in high resolution from
dedicated digital cameras are preferred.
In general, smart phone images are not
acceptable. Images must be in landscape
mode (wider than tall) and should be at least
3000 pixels wide. Please, no enhancements
or watermarks. Full credit is given to the
photographer. Submission deadline is
08/31/2018.
www.co-opliving.com
June 2018 | Cooperative Living | 27
http://www.collaborativeefficiency.com http://www.collaborativeefficiency.com/energytips http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living June 2018

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