A Touch of Sun
December 2023SVEC Tools Can Help You Decide if Solar Is Right for You
Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEC) wants to be a resource for our consumer-members who are interested in installing a solar energy system in their home.
Installing solar panels is a major investment and may not make sense for every home. That’s why SVEC provides helpful tools on our website that can guide your decision-making. Just go to the Solar Energy page.
There, you can find information about our monthly energy credit, look up tax incentives, get answers to some common questions, and even use our Solar Calculator to learn about the generation potential of your home, as well as the estimated time in which you can expect to see a return on your investment. The calculator which was developed by CLEAResult, a leader in energy efficiency solutions, can even be used to evaluate proposals received from solar contractors.
If you have more questions, you can always reach out to one of our friendly member service representatives at 800-447-4509 for all the information you need before starting a project.
Monthly Energy Credit
All solar energy generated and delivered to SVEC’s electric grid during a billing cycle will be credited by an amount equal to the product of:
- The energy that is generated and delivered to the electric grid by the consumer-member, and
- The base cost of power provided to SVEC by Seminole Electric Cooperative plus the applicable Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA) factor for the month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is My Home Suitable For Solar Panels?
Solar panels are built to work in all climates, but some rooftops may not be suitable for solar systems due to age or tree cover. If there are trees near your home that excessively shade your roof, rooftop panels may not be the best option. The size, shape, and slope of your roof are also important factors to consider.
Will I Save Money By Going Solar?
The amount of money you can save with solar depends upon multiple factors — how much electricity you consume, the size of your solar energy system if you choose to buy or lease your system, and how much power it is able to generate given the direction your roof faces and how much sunlight hits it.
Can I install Solar Myself?
Right now, the best way to install solar is through a qualified professional who holds a certification to do so and works with high-quality solar panels. The industry-standard certification is awarded through the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners.
Thinking of Installing Solar?
Here’s What You Should Know
As with any other major home purchase, you should try to get quotes for your solar project from at least three contractors. SVEC recommends selecting a contractor who is licensed and insured. A great place to find reputable solar contractors is the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association.
In preparing their quotes, contractors should review your past electricity consumption before sizing your solar system. SVEC members can view and print copies of past bills using the co-op’s SmartHub account management tool. The contractor should provide a detailed cost breakdown, realistic figures on the amount of energy your system will produce, and an estimated payback period.
Remember, if a contractor’s offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Solar panels do not produce power at night or during afternoon thunderstorms which are frequent in our area during the hot summer months. Fortunately, SVEC can provide power to your home during those times.
Also, ask the contractor about a maintenance schedule, and be aware that if it’s hard to get a contractor to come to your home to give you a quote, it will be even harder to get them to fix a problem.
It’s important to know that during an outage, interconnected solar systems without a battery backup are inoperable. This is a necessary safety precaution to stop power from being backed from solar systems onto SVEC lines and injuring or killing co-op workers. That’s why SVEC requires members installing solar systems to enter into an interconnection agreement, which requires that industry and government standards for the manufacture and safe installation of solar equipment are met.
For more information, see the Interconnection Agreement for Customer-Owned Renewable Generation Systems form in the Energy Efficiency section of our website.
Finally, to help avoid potential errors or delays in the installation/interconnection process, SVEC highly recommends that you first speak with one of our member service representatives at (800) 447-4509.
