Frequently Asked Questions
The timeline between executing an installation agreement and having your solar PV system fully commissioned and online with HECO billing can typically range from 2-4 months. SolarTech Industries provides a complete timeline for you as we guide the process through the design, engineering, permitting, application, installation, and commissioning stages.
Depending on the quality of components that are selected you may currently expect to find Solar PV prices fall between $3.75/kWh and $4.50/kWh for completely installed systems. If/when adding solar battery storage prices will be higher than this rate, depending on how much battery storage you decide to purchase.
Solar Hot Water is an ‘energy savings’ solution while Solar PV is an ‘energy producing’ solution. In a Solar Hot Water system, solar panels sometimes referred to as ‘collectors’ are placed on the roof to heat up water that is pumped into them from the water tank. That heated water is stored in the water tank and is used to supply the hot water ‘load’ in the home. The electrical heater in the water tank is only used if/when there is not enough ‘solar heated’ water available to satisfy the load. This solution typically results in much lower consumption of electricity and therefore allows you to experience ‘energy savings’. Solar PV panels are directly converting solar radiation into Direct Current (DC), power. When converted from DC into AC (through an inverter), this ‘energy producing’ technology provides power directly to your home.
The big difference is that a solar panel installation with micro inverters will have the same number of micro inverters as there are solar panels. A string inverter functions in a series circuit with there usually being 6-10 individual solar panels in what is known as a “string”, on each inverter. SolarTech
SolarTech Industries offers the only true ‘grid agnostic’ solar PV solution here in Hawaii with Enphase, Ensemble. In most cases it is most convenient to retain connectivity with the grid. But with Ensemble, SolarTech can provide you with solar PV and solar powered battery solutions that form their own grid and do not require connectivity with HECO.
Yes. SolarTech can provide you with ‘whole-home’ or ‘partial-home’ battery back-up storage so that you will always have power, regardless of the status of the grid.
The primary difference between CGS+ and CSS is what happens with any unused solar production. With CGS+, you may receive a small credit (currently $0.10/kWh) for power that your solar system produces and that is NOT consumed by your home. This is sometimes refered to as ‘feedback’ to the grid. With CSS, there is NO ability to ‘feedback’ any power to the grid. We encourage you to read up on the different HECO programs that are available for solar PV here on Oahu.
Depending on the amount of hot water that your family uses, typically an 80 gallon tank is the right size for families of 2-7 people. Below 2 people you may be able to get by with a 40 gallon tank. Above 7 people you may wish to consider a 120 gallon tank.
The number and size of solar collectors for Solar Hot Water systems is decided by 2 primary factors: 1) The size of tank and 2) The amount of annual sun (solar radiation) that you get at your house. Typical sizes for solar collectors range from 3’x7′ to 4’x10′. Typically the number of collectors will range from 1-3. At SolarTech Industries, we will help you select the right sized components for Solar Hot Water system that is right for you home.
As part of a thorough evaluation of your home, SolarTech Industries will evaluate your existing meter and electrical service from HECO. Our electricians are credentialed and experienced in properly sizing the electrical components of each Solar PV system here in Hawaii. Sometimes this will require an upgraded meter and service from HECO, to comply with National Electric Code (NEC) and/or HECO requirements. If it is determined that a meter upgrade is necessary for your Hawaii home, prior to installing your Solar PV, SolarTech Industries will guide you through the steps and procedures and facilitate a turn-key solution by handling the entire process for you.
The first factor in determining what size of Solar PV system you will need is to consider the historical energy consumption of your household. This is typically easily found on one of your recent HECO bills. This consumption is expressed on your HECO bill in kWh (Kilowatt Hours) and letʻs us know how many PV panels will be needed to off-set that consumption. The second factor is to consider what Sun Zone your house is in. Each area of the Hawaiian islands has differing degrees of Solar Radiation (typically expressed in calories/cm2/day). This is often referred to as a ʻsun zoneʻ and had a direct impact on how many kWh that each solar panel will produce each day in that particular zone. In practical terms most of us are quite aware that there are more hours of sunshine each year in Waianae than in Kaneohe. The physics of this reality is calculated when we calculate the number of solar panels necessary for your home. The third primary factor is the technical specifications of each solar PV panel. Each solar PV panel is manufactured with a specific number of solar cells and an efficiency factor which equates to how many kWhʻs that it can produce each day. A 390w panel, for example will produce a lot more kWhʻs than a 290w panel. Finally, it is important to install solar PV panels on roofs that receive the maximum hours of sunshine each day. North facing roofs receive far less sun than south facing roofs. The amount of roof space that you have for panels that are facing primarily south will have an impact on the total number of solar panels that will be needed to produce the amount of power that your household has historically consumed.
At SolarTech Industries we are happy to work with you to ‘stage’ your deployment of Solar PV. If you decide to currently install a solar PV system that takes care of a percentage of your home’s electrical consumption, we help you strategize the options for deploying more solar PV in the future. Items to be considered include: What HECO programs are available, size of your HECO meter/service, potential increase in your future energy needs (i.e. adding AC in the future), and propertly locating solar PV panels and electrical components on your home.
Yes! Ensemble energy management technology is an autonomous system that automatically detects grid outages and transitions your home to backup power.
Please use the Enphase web-based system estimator tool here to get an estimate of the required system size for your home. At SolarTech we will review your energy needs and lifestyle to help determine the best system size for your home.
Absolutely! Thanks to the Encharge™ storage system and Enpower™ smart switch, your solar PV system is capable of generating power and providing backup during grid outages.
We recommend that you manage your energy consumption during an outage in order to reserve power for the most essential items in your home. The Enphase Enlighten™ mobile app will provide you with real-time energy availability and consumption monitoring to help you manage your energy usage during an outage. At SolarTech, we will help you with identifying the loads that need to be backed up and configuring the appropriate settings.
Yes! Enphase has designed and developed Ensemble technology to be extremely safe. Batteries used in Encharge™ storage systems are based on LFP chemistry (also known as lithium iron phosphate). Ensemble technology is an AC-coupled solution, which is inherently safer than high-voltage DC products
Components can be installed in your garage, basement or on the outside of your home, depending on various factors. At SolarTech we will work with you to help determine the best location in your home.
Unlike generators that require routine maintenance, Ensemble technology systems do not require regular maintenance.
Yes, we sure do. We welcome you to jump over to our SolarTech YouTube Channel as we continue to update video examples of solar projects that we have done and are doing here in our Hawaii home.
Be sure to Contact Us for a free and no-obligation site visit to discuss your desire to implement solar and start experiencing energy savings.
The Encharge™ storage system and Enpower™ smart switch are covered with a 10-year limited warranty. IQ™ microinverters are covered by a 25-year limited warranty. You’ll have the peace of mind knowing that every product is manufactured and protected by a single company, Enphase.