Frequently Asked Questions
Commonly Asked Questions
Snow loads: Our panels are engineered to handle any type of weather and extreme snow conditions.
The panels will be located on the south-facing side of your roof, the place that receives the most sun.
Located directly under the ridgeline of your house, the snow falls and melts from the top of the roof,
quickly revealing the panels in a way similar to an aluminum roof.
ROI: The average break-even point is 7 years, and as low as 3 years, which can vary based on the size
of your system. Solar panels are warranteed to 25 years but actually have average lifespans of 40 years.
If you are wondering about your ROI, call for an estimate and we can crunch the numbers for you.
Commercial applications that use photovoltaics to reduce their peak power usage will see their utility bill
reduced significantly. In Colorado, we have the strongest sun available for conversion into electricity. In
addition, commercial systems can depreciate the rest of the cost of the system over five years as a capital
equipment investment.
Incentives: In 2008 a cap of $2,000 was lifted off of a 30% federal tax credit. The State of Colorado is
offering a limited-time-only flat $3,750 rebate for small residential systems that is paid in CASH! LPEA is
offering 50 cents per watt up to 10kW, for a maximum CASH rebate in 2011 of up to $5,000. On many
systems, the incentives are more than 60% of the cost!
Electricity prices: Rising utility costs are a great reason to go solar - theyʼve risen 68% in Colorado in
the past ten years (DOE), and are only going up. With new power plants scheduled to be built out of
state to meet new demand here, ratepayers will foot the bill. As prices go up, you only have more to
save!
Environmental impact: Over the life of an average system, you will prevent more than 100 tons of
carbon dioxide from entering our atmosphere. The Four Corners area is home to several coal fired power
plants, but the most sun in the country. Not only will you be reducing your carbon emissions, but you will
also be eliminating other harmful emissions such as nitrogen and sulfur compounds and ozone, which
contribute to asthma, respiratory diseases, and acid rain.
Adjusting my Lifestyle: There are solar installation packages to fit any level of need, which can be
integrated seamlessly into your electrical system and your lifestyle. Call us for a creative solution. You
will forget your panels are even up on your roof powering your energy needs and you will be able to just
sit back, relax, and let the sun shine.
Nighttime power: On grid-tied systems, the panels will generate more electricity than you use during the
day, supplying energy back to the grid. During the night, you will draw energy back from the grid into your
home, using the grid like a battery. Your energy bills will still be zero or close to zero and you wonʼt have
to worry about battery back-ups or losing power at night. The benefit of the grid-tied system is that you
receive the safety of not having to be attached to a battery.
Economic impact: The solar energy industry is one of the largest job sectors in Colorado. Solar
businesses support experts from a wide range of skill levels and backgrounds: manufacturing,
distribution, transportation, marketing, sales, construction, electrical, design, accounting, web design,
graphic design, customer service, plumbing, engineering, law, and printing. The solar industry is rapidly
growing in the USA and bringing a lot of talented individuals along with it.