Answers to our most frequently asked questions

1. Where do I start?
StraightUp Solar recommends starting with your goals and your budget. We recommend an approach that first looks at your total energy use in your home or facility, and then helps you implement the best solar power option that works for your budget. We've listed Solar Steps here for a solar electric system. Please email or call us with your questions. We look forward to introducing you to solar living and to helping you achieve your solar goals.
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2. How does solar work?
In general, we use solar in two different ways: solar thermal and solar electric (photovoltaics).

Solar thermal utilizes the sun's energy as a heat source. In our applications, solar thermal technology is typically used to heat water and that heat is transferred into a solar storage tank. This can be used to heat a home or facility's water for standard uses such as showers, washing hands, etc. On a larger scale, the stored heat can be use for space heating a home or facility. In either domestic water heating or space heating, a back-up heat source (either electric or gas) will provide any additional energy to the system as needed. For example, on a cloudy day, the sun may provide 50% of the energy to heat the water and the remaining energy is supplied by the back-up source. Additionally, solar air heating with SolarSheat products provide another great application to provide supplemental heating to specific rooms or the entire house.

Photovoltaic systems use the sun's energy to create electricity. Solar modules convert the solar energy to electric energy when the solar energy displaces electrons within the solar modules. The displaced electrons are used to create direct current electricity. We then use an inverter to convert this direct current (DC) electricity to alternating current (AC) electricity that is used in most homes or businesses.
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3. What incentives are available?
There is a 30% federal tax credit for both solar electric and solar water heating systems. You can take the tax credit on both systems if you install both within the same year. A business can receive the tax credit as a grant through 2010.

Solar electric systems in Missouri in Ameren and KCP&L territory also qualify for a $2/watt rebate. For example, a 10,000 watt system would receive a $20,000 rebate. Businesses also qualify for a 5 year rapid depreciation of solar systems. Click here to learn more about solar incentives or visit www.dsireusa.org to see current incentives in your area.
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4. What do the systems cost?
It depends on the size of the system and your specific needs. A solar water heating system will typically cost between $6,000 and $8,000 before the tax credit, depending on the size of the family. An installed solar electric system starts in the range of $6-8/watt. In general, the larger the system, the less the system costs per watt installed.
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5. How do I know what size solar electric system I need?
Your best starting point is to look at your electric bill and determine your average daily usage in kilowatt hours. Most bills will have this displayed either as the total kilowatt hours used over the month. Most homes or facilities use more electricity at different times of the year, so an average over the year will give you your best estimate.

We can then estimate the size system you will need to produce a percentage of your building's energy. If a system has good southern exposure and no significant shading we know that we will average approximately 4 sun hours / day in our region - accounting for system losses. By multiplying the size of the system in kilowatts times the sun hours / day we can estimate the output of the system on a daily basis over the course of the year. For example, a 2 kilowatt system will produce approximately 8 kilowatt hours / day (2kw X 4 sun hours = 8 kilowatt hours / day). If your home uses 32 kilowatt hours a day, the 2 kW system in this example would eliminate 25% of your electric bill.

We recommend energy efficiency practices such as installing compact fluorescent light bulbs and increasing your insulation to decrease your energy usage. Furthermore, if your water heater is electric, a solar water heater can decrease your electric bill by 10-20%.
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6. Do the solar electric systems need batteries?
Batteries are not required for solar electric systems. Battery storage (off grid) systems are a good option if there is currently no electricity to a property and there would be increased costs to run electricity to the location. Batteries also allow people to achieve energy independence. However, batteries increase the complexity of the system and add approximately 20-30% additional cost to the system.

For many people, the best option is to be grid tied without battery storage. With a grid tied system you can think of the utility as your battery back-up. If your system were to produce more than the building is using, your meter will run backwards and give you credits to use at another time. This is called a net-metered system. For safety reasons the system will not produce power during a blackout. A grid connected system allows you to create your system on a modular basis, meaning that you don't have to power your entire home from the beginning (which can be relatively expensive). Rather, you can start with a system that aligns with your goals and budget and then add on later if you desire. In many cases you can still eliminate a significant portion of your energy bill.

Finally, in a solar water heating system, consider your storage tank as the equivalent of batteries. The storage tank will keep sun-heated water warm from the prior day to utilize on a following cloudy day. For this reason we recommend an 80 gallon tank (or even 120 gallon tank) in many cases -- to give you more solar storage and maximize the efficiency of your solar system.
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7. Do I have an acceptable location for solar?
In the majority of cases the answer is yes. We need a relatively south-facing area that gets sun from approximately 9am to 3pm. The systems work reasonably well even when facing west or east if that's your only option (decreased output is typically 15 - 20%). We can mount the systems on the majority of roof types including shingled or metal roofs. Systems can also be ground mounted. Please see our portfolio of work to see examples of how other customers integrated solar into their homes or businesses.

Finally, we perform on on-site evaluation of your location prior to an installation to ensure optimal production from your solar system and to be certain that the system design and location meets your expectations.
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8. Is there a back-up for the solar water heating systems?
Yes, solar water heating systems have a back-up source that is either gas or electric. In the gas option, a gas tank is plumbed in line with the solar storage tank and will provide the additional energy as needed. In the electric option, an electric element in the solar tank will provide the additional energy as needed. The back-up heat source will typically only need to work 25% of the time of a standard water heater.
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9. How does a solar water heater compare to a tankless water heater?
Tankless water heaters instantaneously heat the water which decreases standby losses in a storage tank. These more efficient systems decrease the energy to heat the water by 20-30% compared to a conventional tank. However, a solar water heater will both decrease standby losses and provide energy to heat the water. This will typically eliminate 75% of the energy to heat your water compared to 20-30% with a tankless water heater.
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10. What about preventing freezing in the solar water heating systems?
We accomplish this with either a drainback system or a glycol system. They both achieve freeze protection very well in our area. Drainback systems work by using gravity to drain the fluid from the collector into a drainback storage tank when the sun is not heating the water. Glycol systems work by circulating anti-freeze through the system to prevent freezing. Both systems work well and we can tailor the system to the needs of the location.
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11. Will my family have to change their habits with solar water heating or PV?
No. As we mentioned above, solar water heating systems always have a back-up heat source in case of multiple cloudy days. If your PV system is connected to the grid you'll always have the grid as your back-up energy source.
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12. How long do the systems work and how durable are they?
Both solar thermal and solar electric systems are expected to last more than 25 years. We design and install the systems for minimal if any maintenance and a long functioning life. Many systems (both thermal and electric) that were installed in the 1970's and 1980's are still functioning today. The solar electric panels have a 25 year warranty and the solar water heating panels have a 10 year warranty. They are both hail tested.
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13. What is the expected return on investment?
Solar water heating systems will pay for themselves within a 10 year range in most cases. Solar water heating will decrease your energy to heat your water by 75%. For many families that is equivalent to 15 - 20% of their energy bill. As energy prices rise, the return on investment will improve. When the solar water heating system cost is included in a home loan for new construction the savings will be immediate in most cases as you'll save more per month than the system costs.

The decreased cost of component and improved incentives for solar electric systems have significantly improved their return investment. A business can see a 10% ROI or better in many cases and homeowners can realize a 5% ROI or better in many cases. Given their longevity, the systems are expected to pay for themselves well within their lifetime while producing clean, green energy that benefits more than just the bottom line.
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14. What about heating my pool with the sun?
Solar pool heating is a great use of the sun's energy. The savings with pool heating can be quite significant with a system often paying for itself in less than 5 years. The system typically uses the pool's existing pump to circulate water through the collectors and heat the pool. The systems are sized based on the square footage of the pool. We typically recommend that the square footage of the collectors is equal to or greater the 1/2 the square footage of the pool. For example, a 20 foot by 40 foot pool would require 400+ square feet of collectors. A solar pool heating system allows you to extend your swimming season and significantly cut your energy costs to heat the pool.
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15. How much will I be helping the environment?
Solar is one of the best ways to help the environment and decrease your carbon footprint. The great thing about solar is that you can decrease your energy costs and do your part to save the world. For example, a solar water heater helps the environment as much as a hybrid car! A solar electric system will offset the energy to produce the modules in less than 3 years - that means truly clean energy for the remaining life of the system over the next 30 plus years!
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