Checking your Solar Array Production through Green Mountain Power’s Website

Once your solar array is installed, it is easy to forget about it until you receive your monthly utility bill, which now should be a much more pleasant experience thanks to the money you are saving with your solar panels. However, we recommend routinely monitoring your array’s production.  While most of the time your solar array will work as expected and you won’t experience any problems, occasionally glitches do happen. If you tend to only check your array when you look at your utility bill, an entire month may go by before you notice that your solar array is not producing or is under producing energy. Routinely checking how much power your array is producing and familiarizing yourself with monthly and daily averages throughout the year will enable you to spot potential problems quickly and easily. Responding quickly is the key to getting your solar array back up and running as soon as possible.

When monitoring your solar array’s energy production, you can use either your inverter manufacturer’s solar monitoring system or you can find the information through your electric provider using their online account platforms. The advantage of using the electric provider’s monitoring tools is that the kWh (kilowatt hours) they report are the exact numbers that you will be billed and credited for. Most of our customers have Green Mountain Power as their electric provider. Below we go step by step through the process of checking your solar array production using Green Mountain Power’s website. 

  1. Go to Green Mountain Power’s website – https://greenmountainpower.com
  2. Click on “My Account”
  3. Login using your Green Mountain Power login information. This step may not be necessary if you have remained logged in from previous sessions. Likewise, if you haven’t used GMP’s website before, GMP may prompt you to set up an account using your account # from your bill and the phone number used to set up your account.
  4. When the “My Account” page opens, you should see information about your account. If you scroll down the page a little bit you should see a chart that looks something like this:
This graph is showing your energy consumption, energy generation, and energy you returned to the grid for each of the last 12 months, plus the current month.

Chart Terms:

Consumed (Orange Bars) – The amount of energy your household or business pulled from the grid. This does not necessarily reflect how much energy was required to run your household during the given time period, as it does not count energy that you used from your array.

Generated (Dark Green Bars) – Total amount of energy produced by your solar array.

Returned (Light Green Bars) – The amount of energy produced by your solar array that was not consumed by your household, and therefore, was returned to the grid. This amount is recorded on your account as “excess generation.”

  1. Click on the bar for the current month and it will open a new graph that will look something like this:
This graph show the energy consumption, generation, and energy you returned to the grid for each day of the current month so far. (Please note there is at least a 24-hour delay on this data.)
  1. A few things to keep an eye out for are no production on days you know were sunny and if there is no production for several days in a row.

Keeping track of your production is the first step in ensuring that your solar array is producing clean energy year-round. If you notice a potential issue, call us. Same Sun of Vermont’s Solar ProFormance Services, LLC provides maintenance and repairs on existing solar arrays, servicing Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire. You can contact Solar ProFormance Services at (802) 775-7900. If you are outside of our servicing area, you can call the manufacturer of your inverter for a list of local solar companies that service your area.

Do I Have a Good Site for Solar?

In the wake of the current pandemic and the country switching to virtual meetings and contact-less delivery, you may be wondering why we can’t or won’t do virtual solar site evaluations. Like the rest of the world, we have had to adapt in response to our new reality and have made changes to ensure that our customers and our staff remain healthy. We only enter customer homes when necessary, we wear masks when in the vicinity of others, and have instituted new cleaning protocols. One thing we have not changed is the quality of service we offer. While we can, and do, gather a lot of information virtually, there is critical information we gather during a site evaluation. That critical information is what allows us to design the best solar array for your home or business. Here we look at what is involved during an in-person solar site evaluation.

During solar site evaluation we want to determine which areas on your property would make a “good” solar site. A “good” solar site is determined by a few factors. Generally, areas that experience minimal shading and face the equator (for us in Vermont, that is South), have the best solar resource.

To calculate these factors, we rely on a state-of-the-art tool called the SunEye 210. This SunEye 210, made by Solmetric, takes a series of measurements at each potential solar site, and provides us with much of the information we need in determining where we should build a solar array.

To do this, the SunEye takes a fisheye image of the skyline and superimposes a Sun Path Diagram to identify any shade-causing obstructions that would interfere with the amount of energy an array would be able to produce. Not only is the SunEye able to project the angle of the sun as it moves throughout the day, but it also projects the change in the sun’s location in the sky throughout the seasons.  The SunEye then instantly calculates how much the shading would impact the efficiency of the solar panels.

While you may think it easy to identify shading in an area, it can sometimes be quite tricky. For example, our Solar Consultant, Scott Stahler, described a time during a site evaluation when a house did not seem to have any shade in the vicinity to cause obstructions. Upon using the SunEye, he realized that the potential solar site had significant shading from nearby mountains during parts of the day and year! While a mountain is not an obstruction that could be removed, if shade is coming from nearby trees, the SunEye can help determine whether tree removal is worthwhile by simulating what the solar resource would be when they are gone.

If it turns out that your first-choice location for a future solar site is less than ideal, we can identify other potential sites. Often, people have ideal solar locations that they have not thought of. For example, perhaps there is an accessory building such as a barn, garage or guest house that can be used.

Or, you may have ideal land for a ground mount and not even realize it. We can help identify and evaluate multiple potential solar array locations.

We will also take roof and/or ground measurements to calculate the number of solar modules that can physically be installed. In this way, we can compare the size of the array and its anticipated generation with our evaluation of your current and future electricity consumption. For example, plans to install heat pumps or purchase an electric or hybrid vehicle will impact your usage. Look for a future blog post that will explain the methodology we use to design the array to fit your needs.

After we take all the measurements and gather the information we need, we will take some time to draw up a proposal for your future solar array. We custom design each system to meet your energy needs and ensure you will be happy with your array for years to come. If you have questions, or would like a solar evaluation done on your property, Contact Us today!

Summer Time and Going Solar is … Easy!

Are you interested in solar, but don’t know where to start?   Here are some of the ways we make going solar easy for you!

We make it personal!

  • It all starts with a phone call:  Simply call, or Contact Us through our website and we will call you.  A friendly advisor will ask you some questions, fill you in a bit about the process and how solar net metering works, and if it makes sense, schedule an in-person site visit. 
  • We will design a custom solar array to fit your needs:  One of our solar experts will meet you at your home or business, and gather the necessary information, including roof /ground measurements, sun and shade readings, and current and future energy needs. Following the site visit, we will design your custom array and present you with a proposal in no more than two days.  The price is always turnkey, so you will know exactly what your system will cost, and how it will offset your electric bill.
  • You will have access to everyone in our office:   This includes the owners, Philip and Marlene Allen, in the event you have concerns that are not being addressed.  Throughout the process, we are committed to you and are always available to answer technical, financial or other questions. Once your new solar system is installed, an executive from Same Sun will deliver all of your important documents and go over them with you, so you have everything you need in one place.

We do it all!

  • Filing all the documentation associated with solar can be a hassle: We file all the necessary paperwork, so you don’t have to. We handle everything from Net Metering Registrations and Building Permits to registering your products for Warranty Certificates.
  • We will be your advocate with your electricity provider:   We have years of experience working with Green Mountain Power and other utilities in navigating billing issues, advice for group allocation of solar credit, and scheduling any work that needs to be done, i.e. transformer upgrades.
  • We will minimize disruption to your life: Once you commit to a solar installation, we will schedule a Technical Site Visit with a Project Manager, who will not only verify the design and interconnection details, but work with you on aesthetics of the array and conduit, as well as best placement for both installed equipment and temporary lay-down/staging of components while we work.  After we’re done, our goal is to leave your property as we found it, i.e. thorough clean-up, re-seeding of lawn if necessary.

We’ll never leave you hanging!

  • We are committed to using quality products that stand the test of time:  We are constantly researching best practices and components that perform great and carry the best warranties.    
  • We have a dedicated Service Division:  In the case that anything ever does happen with your system, Solar ProFormance Services will be there to help.  This division of Same Sun is focused on solar panel repairs and replacements and is committed to keeping solar arrays in tip-top shape. More information on Solar Performance Services can be found here https://samesunvt.com/introducing-sps/

Going solar is one of the few major purchases you will make that pays for itself. After the initial investment, you will recoup the cost of the array and enjoy years of savings, money in your pocket – instead of the utility’s.  And if you buy in 2020, you may be eligible for the 26% Federal Tax Credit.

COVID-19 UPDATE:  Rest assured, we have modified all of our procedures – site visits, technical visits and installation practices – to ensure that they are safe.  We will minimize, or eliminate, the need to go inside your home wherever possible.   

Summer 2019 Promotion

Go Solar in 2019, Pay in 2021! Call now for a FREE site visit to reserve your custom solar installation. Enjoy no-payment, no-interest financing for 18 months; if your system is installed in the fall/winter of 2019, you will not have to pay until 2021. Take advantage of your tax credit and months of electric bill savings, before having to make any payment.

Front of Summer Promotion mailer
Back of Summer Promotion Mailer

Same Sun + Panasonic: A PREMIUM Partnership

We are proud to announce that Panasonic, the 109 year old technological giant, has named us a “Premium” Installer, the only company with the designation in Vermont, and one of only 39 in the country. 

Panasonic’s Solar HIT module has the highest rating of kWh
production in Vermont’s extreme temperatures. With the best
Performance Guarantee in the business — over 90% effective after 25
years, or replaced free of charge including labor.

To celebrate this partnership and our 8th year in business, we are offering $800 off all new installations using the Panasonic module.

Panasonic modules pair well with a Pika Energy battery, for a PREMIUM Solar + Storage system. Same Sun has a Panasonic + Pika backup system at our Rutland office, stop in to see it work!

FALL PROMOTION – ENTER TO WIN A $5,000 GIFT CERTIFICATE

Go SOLAR and win a $5,000 Gift Certificate. Everyone that signs a contract with Same Sun between October 15, 2018 and March 15th, 2019, will be entered into a lottery for a $5,000 discount on your array.

Drawing will be held on the first day of Spring: March 20th, 2019.

Join Us this Fall and Winter, Spring into Solar!

Contact Us to schedule a site evaluation to get in on this opportunity.