At StraightUp we live by our CLEARE values:

• Community First
• Lead the Solar Tribe
• Educate the Solar Lesson
• Advocate Always
• Respect Others & The Environment
• Excellence in All We Do

From St. Louis to Africa – Creating a Sustainable World

We recently confirmed our vision statement:  “To inspire a solar tribe to create a sustainable world.”  We had the conversation that while “world” can sound somewhat vague and trite, the world is indeed the community that we’re interacting with and advocating for.  Importantly, it starts with our local community and expands out from there.

Our current example is our work with Mehlville Schools and SolarAid.  We’re proud to proclaim that together, our local community (our tribe), has reached our goal of providing solar lighting to a school in Africa!

We had the idea that if solar benefits our local community and school district (Mehlville, in this case), then it can, and should, benefit a community a bit farther out in our shared world – Africa.

We partnered with Mehlville Schools.  They raised half of the approximately $1,600.  We then partnered with our local tribe through direct donations as well as Facebook “likes” (for each new “like” we received over a couple of weeks we donated $5 to SolarAid’s program) to raise the rest of the money.

In addition, the two different solar projects, for the schools across the globe, provide a wonderful demonstration of one of solar’s greatest strengths – it’s modularity.  Solar works here in St. Louis with five 25 kW grid-tied systems that reduce coal dependency, and it works in Africa through smaller, stand-alone solar arrays that replace harmful kerosene lanterns.  Confirming, that solar power can, and should be, available to us all.

Dane Glueck; President

StraightUp Solar

Most of our customers in the St. Louis region are already connected to the grid.  That means that you’re eligible for net-metering of a grid-tied solar array.  This allows for a 1-to-1 credit (your meter spins backwards), during a billing cycle, when your solar array produces more than your home or business is using at that point.  In this case, many customers like the fact that the grid is effectively storing the excess energy – at no extra cost and no loss of the energy -

In comparison, battery storage systems often increase the solar cost by 20% to 30%.  In addition, the batteries can decrease the production (due to losses through the batteries) by about 10%.  Batteries typically have a shorter life than the rest of the components (approximately 5 – 10 years), compared to other components in the system (solar panels for over 25 years).  For a select group of customers, the benefits of solar battery back-up may be worth the 30 – 40% differential compared to a standard grid-tied system. 

However, for many, especially those that live in areas with reasonably good utility reliability, grid-tied only systems are the optimal choice.  For our customers in Ameren territory, with a $2 / watt rebate, it may make even more sense to invest in grid-tied solar without batteries since the incentive is tied to system size rather than battery storage.  Pictured above is Outback – the leading manufacturer for battery back-up systems.

As you may know, solar panels produce power with a direct current but our homes use an alternating current. This arrangement is generally safer and more efficient for the consumer when it comes to powering our electric grid. However, it poses the problem of how to convert the DC solar power into AC power for your home. In the past, either larger inverters or micro-inverters were required but with the advent of AC panels this has all been taken care of in one unit.

New in 2013: For every installation StraightUp completes, we donate a solar light for Africa via Solar-Aid.org.

• Community First - Leave the world better than we found it
• Lead the Solar Tribe - We lead when our members lead
• Educate the Solar Lesson - Improve ourselves & the community
• Advocate Always - Grow the Tribe
• Respect Others & The Environment - Live by the Golden Rule
• Excellence in All We Do - Exceed expectations

Crossroads College Prep

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Mehlville School District

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St. Louis Suburban Journal

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Civil Life / Urban Chestnut Brewing Company

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StraightUp Solar Coverage

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St. Louis Small Business Monthly

This means that StraightUp installs and maintains the systems, but Mehlville benefits from lower energy bills. Without any out-of-pocket expenses, Mehlville begins saving money on their electric bill immediately.

“By realizing an estimated $130,000 in energy savings over the next 20 years, we’re not only being good stewards of our taxpayers’ dollars, but good stewards of our environment too,” said Superintendent Dr. Eric Knost.

Each of the five systems consist of 104 U.S. made panels and will prevent the consumption of 3.3 million pounds of coal over the 20-year lease.

In addition to the cost savings and cleaner air, StraightUp Solar has set up a kiosk in each of the five buildings where students and teachers can track the electricity production and the environmental offsets of the solar panels.  Plus, the web-based monitoring gives our clients peace of mind that the system is producing each day as expected.

The price of solar panels has dropped dramatically just as electric rates in Ameren Missouri territory have risen 25% in the last five years.

More and more people are realizing that solar is a great investment which has substantial financial benefits. StraightUp has seen a rapid uptick in the number of people pursuing solar for their homes, businesses, schools, and churches.

Fox2Now coverage of Solar Installation at Mehlville Schools