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On-grid, grid-connected or grid-tied refers to systems that are connected to your utility provider’s electrical grid. Off-grid refers to
systems that are NOT connected to the utility electrical grid. Off-grid systems are for those who depend completely on their system to fill all their power needs. Bland Family Solar & Electric designs both grid-tied and off-grid systems.

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Absolutely! But don’t worry: the professionals at Bland Family Solar and Electric know how to obtain all the necessary permits. We’re also well versed in all the installation policies and procedures to ensure you’re in total compliance with both local and national standards.

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By design, the inverters will turn themselves off, even during daylight hours. Therefore, no electricity is produced during outages.

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By design, the inverters will turn themselves off, even during daylight hours. Therefore, no electricity is produced during outages.

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Actually, that’s an entirely different system involving thermal panels and water circulating through tubes which the sun then heats. Our solar modules are designed specifically to convert sunlight into usable electric current to operate appliances, motors, pumps and other electrical devices.

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Simply put: these are individualized, comprehensive code-compliant systems that allow you to generate your own electricity at home.
The systems designed by Bland Family Solar & Electric interconnect with your existing utility service. Our systems vary slightly depending on specific individual needs and feature solar modules, interconnection wiring, power electronics and mounting hardware configured to perfectly match varying roof types for flawless installation.

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You’ve probably seen those smooth, reflective panels on the roofs of house. These are solar cells, which convert sunlight directly into DC power. A component called an inverter then converts this DC power into usable AC power. Since the system is interconnected with your utility, during the day, if your solar system produces more electricity than your home uses, your utility may allow net metering, or crediting of your utility account for the excess power generated that’s being returned to the grid. At night, your utility would provide power as usual. The same process applies if your power consumption exceeds the production of your solar system during the day. Systems are also available with a battery backup. Part of the power produced by your solar system during the day is used to charge the batteries, which in turn provides power for critical loads in the even to a power outage.

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Think of Photovoltaics (PV) as direct current (DC) generators powered by the sun. When light photons of sufficient energy strike a solar cell, they ‘knock’ electrons free in the silicon crystal structure, forcing them through an external circuit, such as a battery or direct DC load. They are then returned to the other side of the solar cell to repeat the process.
The voltage output from a single crystalline solar cell is about 0.5V with an amperage output that is directly proportional to cell’s surface area (approximately 7A for a 6 inch square multi-crystalline solar cell). Typically 30-36 cells are wired in series (+ to -) in each solar module. This produces a solar module with a 12V nominal output (~17V at peak power) that can then be wired in series and/or parallel with other solar modules to form a complete solar array to charge a 12, 24 or 48-volt battery bank. (Don’t worry: the pros at Bland Family Solar and Electric understand all this!)

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The amount of power produced by a system is predicated on the size of the system, your geographic location and climate and whether or not the system has a battery backup.

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First, it’s important to know that a solar electric system doesn’t have to provide all of the electricity you need to provide serious savings. Consider this: a small system that displaces an average of ¼ to ½ of your average demand reduces your electric bill. Add in the convenience of battery backup and your system delivers uninterrupted power to critical loads during utility outages for days or weeks. Can we provide you with a system that supplies ALL your electricity needs? Yes we can, and we’re happy to do so. But cutting your electricity by 40 or 50 percent is typically the most cost-efficient approach for home solar power.

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With a custom designed system from Bland Family Solar and Electric, you could become totally independent when it comes to electrical power. Contact us to learn more.

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Net metering measures the difference between the electricity you buy from your utility company and the electricity produced by your solar energy system. Under net metering, any excess electricity produced by your solar energy system is delivered back into the utility grid, effectively spinning your meter backwards. Your meter spends forward when your solar energy system isn’t producing all of the electricity you’re currently using. Your electric meter keeps track of this net difference as you generate electricity and take electricity from the utility grid.

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Here’s the good news: solar electric power works for most homes. Our systems are engineered to work with most roof materials in most locations where sunlight is readily available. There are a few requirements: your roof must be free of obstructions such as trees or shading caused by neighboring buildings or structures. An adequate amount of open roof space (at least 120 square feet, or 11 square meters) is needed to mount your solar panels to produce the desired kilowatt-hours.

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: It’s simply a matter of space requirement. Each solar module is approximately 5-feet (1.5 meters) long and 2 ½ feet (0.75 meters) wide. The modules are always grouped in a set of four. Our smallest system requires a minimum of twelve modules. So we need an area of at least 120 square feet (11 sq. meters).

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If a roof-mounted system proves impractical, ground-mount, trellis or pergola applications are excellent options.

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Sorry, but you have to own the property to have a solar electric system installed. The property owner must enter a contractual agreement that includes a potential property (mechanics) lien. But if you have a forward-thinking landlord who might be interested in solar power, have them give us a call!

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Then you’re in the best possible position to have solar installed! Before laying the roof, you can install flashable mounting brackets that provide the highest level of protection from leakage.

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Yes, but Bland Family Solar and Electric will obtain all necessary permits.

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Your homeowner’s association may have specific rules regarding the installation of anything on your roof or grounds. Of course, the rules vary greatly from one association to another. Consult your covenants and speak with your homeowners associations for details.

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The key to solar power is the sun, so when the sun goes down, the modules don’t absorb any sunlight. During nighttime, your power is drawn from your utility provider.

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Your modules will still absorb sunlight, although the amount of energy produced is less than that produced on a clear, sunny day.

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Due to the specific wiring design of a solar module, each individual solar cell on a module must receive full sunlight to work properly. If any portion of the module is shaded, the entire module power output (even sections that are still exposed to direct sunlight) is lowered.

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The panels are supported by our roofer-designed mounting system, which works on most any type of roofing material. This system has been tested under sever conditions and can withstand 125 mile-per-hour winds and one-inch hailstones at 50 miles per hour.

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: Bland Family Solar and Electric uses the best products available to ensure you get the most out of your system for many, many years. Since there are no moving parts and the construction is of inert materials, our solar modules and related system components should last for many years with no concerns. The batteries in residential systems may need replacement every five to ten years.

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Other than doing a routine system check once a year, there’s really no required maintenance. Hosing off the modules two to three times a year is a good idea, if it’s convenient to do so. Again, the batteries in residential systems may need replaced every five to ten years. It’s really a trouble-free, no-hassle solar power solution.

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Grid-tied systems are inherently simpler than either grid-tie with battery back-up or stand-alone solar systems. Other than safety discon-
nects, mounting structures and wiring, a grid-tie system is simply solar modules and a grid-tie inverter. Today’s sophisticated grid-tie invert-
ers incorporate most of the necessary components to convert direct current from the modules to alternating current, tracking the maxi-
mum power point of the modules to operate the system at peak efficiency and terminate grid connection should power become inter-
rupted from the utility.

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The quick answer is many. Actually, there’s 4 main items: solar modules, charge controller(s), batteries and inverter(s). The solar modules are physically mounted on a mount structure and the DC power they produce is then wired through a charge controller before being routed onto the battery bank where it is stored.
A charge controller serves two main functions: prevent the battery from being overcharged and eliminate any reverse current flow from the batteries to the solar modules at night. The battery bank stores the energy produced by the solar array during the day for day or nighttime use. Batteries come in a wide variety of sizes and grades. The inverter takes the DC energy stored in the battery bank and inverts it to usable 120 VAC to run your electrical appliances.

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: Bland Family Solar and Electric approaches each and every project individually. We’ve found that providing the best possible solution and service requires us to give you our full attention, from estimating to completion. We’ll be happy to give you an estimate based on a set of plans, such as architectural drawings, or based on our findings after a personalized site evaluation. Our goal is to maintain the highest level of customer satisfaction; therefore, we simply cannot provide a quote over the phone.

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Yes! State agencies and municipal utilities offer rebates and incentive programs for homeowners and small businesses to promote the installation of renewable energy equipment such as the solar systems provided by Bland Family Solar and Electric. Incentives can cut the cost of your system in half, saving you thousands of dollars.

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