Frequently Asked Questions
Take solar to the next level with Elevation’s unique Whole-Home Solution. We offer more ways to help your customers save money on energy and more opportunities for you to earn.
Solar Energy
Energy Efficiency
Whole Home Solution
Batteries
Solar Energy
Solar energy slows climate change, eliminates dependence on nonrenewable resources, saves water, reduces air pollution, decreases hazardous waste, and more!
That varies from home to home based on energy usage, solar exposure, and the size of the home, alongside a few other factors. For a quick estimate of your particular need, check out our Online Estimate.
Having solar panels on your home does not entirely get rid of your electric bill. Your home will still remain connected to the electric grid, and you will receive a monthly bill from your electric company. With most utilities, there is a fixed connection or service charge on your monthly statement that you will pay regardless of how little electricity you use. You will also be charged for any power pulled from the grid when your system is not producing.
If your solar system was recently installed, you may need to wait a few months to see the impact on your utility statement because utility bills are billed retroactively.
Solar access laws prevent HOAs from prohibiting solar panel installations however, HOAs can make certain requests about a system design.
Energy Efficiency
The cheapest energy is the energy not used. Reducing the amount of air that leaks in and out of your home is a cost-effective way to cut heating and cooling costs, improve durability, increase comfort, and create a healthier indoor environment.
Insulation levels are specified by R-Value. R-value is a measure of the insulation’s ability to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effectiveness. The recommended level for most attics is to insulate to R-38 or about 10 to 14 inches.
Since most home’s HVAC systems usually don’t extend into the garage, insulating this area does little to change the cost of running the system. Insulating the attic above the garage may help keep temperatures in the garage a bit more stable, but it won’t have any appreciable effect on energy bills.
If you have gaps or openings in your ducts, instead of air being blown into your attic, air will be sucked out of your attic. A normal attic can be filled with dust, dirt, insulation and other air contaminants that you don’t want circulating throughout your home.
Whole Home Solution
A fully Elevated Home equips your home for the future. It not only produces new, clean energy, but it is smarter too: reducing the overall energy needed.
Curb monitors everything going on inside your home as well as your solar system. Curb shows you where your energy is being used and how much is being generated, in real time and for less money than traditional solar monitoring systems.
An energy efficiency audit can help find out where your home is leaking energy and eliminate that loss for fast savings. Energy efficient homes need 2-5 less panels, which can result in $1,000s less on your total system price.
Batteries
When solar panels are paired with a battery, the excess electricity produced goes into the battery instead of going to the grid. When the sun goes down and your panels aren’t producing electricity anymore, you can use the energy you have stored in your battery - instead of paying for electricity from the utility.
Solar batteries connect directly to the power grid. Rather than creating electricity, they store energy from your solar system. During a power outage, the battery automatically disconnects from the power grid, creating a self-sustaining, personal grid that powers appliances throughout the home with stored energy.
For most homes, electricity from a single battery will not fully power your whole home. Many homes have high energy consumption appliances (such as a dishwasher, dryer, A/C) that would require more electricity than is provided from one battery. When we install a battery, we will map your battery to your critical loads - your most needed lights and appliances - so you will be able to get power to those when needed.
Your solar and battery system is grid-connected when the power is up and running. During a power outage, the battery will take over to temporarily run a select number of appliances but as soon as the utility restores power, your home is grid-connected once again.
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