We have recently added Photovoltaic(PV) Solar Systems to our product line. This allows us to offer options to customers that do not have the room for a wind turbine or have height restrictions at their site.
Offering PV systems also allows us to design systems that are a hybrid of wind and solar. One advantage of this type system is a balanced production throughout the day and year. On the hot, still days of summer a hybrid wind-solar system has similar production to the windy cloudy winter days. Another advantage is if the customer lives in an area with renewable rebates they can maximize the rebate amounts over two programs.
We will size a system for the customer's needs and budget, this is where a PV system has an advantage over wind. If the customer needs a 4 kW system but can only afford a 1.5 kW system we can install the basic system but design it to be expanded at a later date. Adding a couple of panels a year for a number of years can slowly build a system up to the needed size.
One example of a hybrid system that we have installed includes a Raum 3.5 kW wind turbine and a 3.6 kW ground mounted solar array. The customer qualified for $16,500 in rebates from the state of Colorado and they received the maximum rebate allowable for both wind and solar. If they would have just installed a 7 kW solar system they would have only received $9,000 due to the cap on rebates. This system will have a yearly total production close to 12,000 kW-hr which will free them from a monthly electric bill.
