A Superior Solar Experience
That’s the Photon Brother’s Promise
That’s the Photon Brother’s Promise
Our quality technology, attention to detail, expert knowledge, aggressive financing and white-glove treatment set us apart from other local installers. Photon Brothers has a passion for installing solar panels that look good and work great.
One of the hardest decisions to make when considering going solar is whether to have rooftop-mount solar panels or ground-mount solar panels. Here at Photon Brothers, we are experts in ground-mount solar panels. We use iron ridge racking systems to ensure optimal energy production.
Ground-mounted solar panels are a great alternative to rooftop-mounted solar panels. There is a lot of flexibility in where they can be located, which is incredibly useful if your roof is not equipped for solar panels.
Ground-mounted solar panels are very efficient. Since they can be installed anywhere on your property, they can produce more energy compared to rooftop-mounted solar panels and require less maintenance.
When it comes to rooftop installations, Photon Brothers has you covered. For some, the biggest concern regarding a solar investment is whether there will be holes in your roof or not. Here at Photon Brothers, one of our main priorities is getting you effective panels, without needing to drill through your roof. For this reason, we always use non-penetrating roof systems to protect the integrity and structure of your home.
A very common and effective installation to avoid this problem is ballasted racking systems. With ballasted installs, concrete blocks are fastened throughout the roof in order to better stabilize the panels that are placed on top of them. Ballasted installs ensure the same production of energy, all while causing no harm to your roof.
Generally, ballasted installations are the most beneficial for flat roofs. However, Photon Brothers carefully designs each solar system differently, providing the most efficient and stable system we have to offer.
Net metering, also known as net energy metering, is a solar incentive practice that allows you to store energy in the electric grid. When your solar panels produce excess power throughout the day, that energy is directed to the grid-like a savings account. When your system is under-producing energy, like during nighttime, you can pull that saved up energy from your savings account in the grid.
With the right sized solar energy system, you can produce enough electricity to match your home’s electricity use for an entire year. Make note though, the amount of electricity your solar panels produce will vary throughout the year as the seasons change. Net metering helps you account for these differences during those low-sunlight days by crediting you for the excess electricity your panels produce so you can use it later. Just like a savings account, you can dip into that saved up energy when the weather is bad or there’s not enough sunny days in a row to match your electricity needs. It’s as simple as that!
Continuous Rollover Credits
Any excess generated energy from your net-metered PV system will be rolled over month‐to‐month, year‐to‐year and held in what we call a Solar Bank. The credits will never run out so you can use them whenever your consumption or energy exceeds that day’s generation of energy. Just like a fuel reserve, when you don’t produce enough during a day you can cash in that saved up extra energy from your bank. However, you cannot cash out your Solar Bank, and no credit will be given if you move or stop service. To further explain, credits cannot be transferred between Xcel Energy accounts or to a new homeowner if a customer moves away from that home. Once “Rollover” has been elected, you cannot change to the “Waive” option with your bank of energy.
Thinking about switching to solar, but worried about the cost? Besides making a positive impact on the earth and lessening your monthly utility bill, companies such as Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy offer solar rewards programs based on your solar system’s performance. These solar rewards are incentives that are paid to the owner of the solar system, depending on the system’s energy production. For a specific number of years (depending on your utility company), you earn a solar reward for every kilowatt-hour (cents/kWh) you put through your system, on top of reducing your solar bill.
The performance-based incentive for Black Hills Energy varies depending on the size of your system. A system that is .5kW to 30kW receives an incentive of $0.045/kWh. Systems that are 30.1kW to 500kW receive an incentive of $0.075/kWh.
Xcel Energy also offers performance-based incentive programs for their solar systems. Their small solar rewards program offers $0.005/kWh and their medium solar rewards program offers $0.0425/kWh.
Colorado Springs Utilities offers a Renewable Energy Program for Photovoltaics that also gives back to solar users. Business and residential customers are eligible for a $0.20 per watt rebate. Depending on the installation, up to 40 percent of the total system cost could be covered by rebates and tax credits.
Fort Collins Utilities Solar Rebate Program supports customers generating their own renewable energy, providing incentives and guidance to help make sure each solar project is a success. Depending on the size of your solar system, residential homes can get up to $1,500* in rebates and commercial buildings up to $100,000*.
There are many benefits of solar energy panel installations at your Colorado home. We are here to make the process as simple and painless as possible for your family. Contact Colorado’s best solar power installation company today for more information. The Photon Brothers are here to serve you!