MC4 Connector System consists of male and female connectors. This type of connector system is easy to install and uses a “snap-in” type of safety locking clips to lock the two mating connectors, thereby avoiding unintentional disconnection. Also, the mating contacts are sealed against ingress of dust and water. Specifications are as follows. There are many free photovoltaic software for PC that can be downloaded for free. You can choose among the softwares listed here. SKELION (2) Skelion, is a Sketchup's plugin to insert solar photovoltaics and thermal components in a surface.

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If you’ve been shopping around for a solar panel system, you’ve probably heard at least one company advertise ‘free solar panels’ – that they will install a solar energy system on your roof for free. But, much as with anything, remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch (or a free solar panel).

What do companies mean when they say free solar panels?

Decoding the sales pitch: The term ‘free solar panels’ is sometimes used to advertise solar lease or solar power purchase agreements (PPAs). Under both types of arrangements, a company will put solar panels on your roof for no money up-front but will charge you for the electricity that they produce. Most offers will save you money but not all of them, so make sure you’ve thoroughly compared all your options. Also consider buying the solar panels or financing them with a zero-down solar loan.

So what do a company’s marketers and salespeople mean when they say ‘free solar panels’? Usually, they are referring to solar leases and power purchase agreements (PPA’s). Under these solar financing arrangements, a solar company will put a solar system on your roof at no up-front cost to you. This sounds great – you get to say that your home is powered by clean energy, and can even point to the solar panels on your roof to prove it.

But the reality is that you do not technically own the system, and the solar energy the panels produce is not free. Under solar lease agreements, ownership is retained by the solar company, and you pay for the electricity it produces. In essence, the company has built a small power plant on your roof and is selling you the electricity.

Will free solar panels save you money?

You may have various reasons for going solar. If you’re like most people, saving money, eliminating your utility bills and/or reducing your carbon footprint are probably at the top. The environmental benefits of going solar are more or less the same regardless of who installs your system, so it’s key to focus on the financial benefits.

Regardless of its ‘do-good’ image, the solar industry is an industry like any other: the companies offering products are looking to turn a profit. Providers of solar leases make their money by selling you electricity, usually at a lower rate than what you pay your utility.

Although companies like SolarCity once dominated the market for solar leases, countless other players have since entered the space and begun competing with each other. Some solar leases will save you more money than others. You as a solar shopper can now take your pick of company based on the attractiveness of their offering. So even if financial gain is secondary to environmental considerations for you, you should still shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Interested in learning about your local solar options? By shopping on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace you can compare not only solar lease options, but also purchase and solar loan options. Sign up today to get quotes from solar installers in your area.

Looking for free solar panels? Try financing your system with a solar loan instead

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The revolutionary thing about solar leases was that they made it possible for virtually anyone with a roof to go solar, regardless of whether they had cash in the bank to purchase a system. Solar leases were crucial in removing barriers to entry back when solar system prices were prohibitively high.

But times have changed substantially since solar leases were introduced. Solar systems are now more affordable than ever, and that financing options other than solar leases have become viable. The most important of these is the solar loan, which combines the ‘zero-down’ aspect of the solar lease with the benefits of system ownership (‘the best of both worlds‘).

The falling cost of solar

So before you sign up for the first ‘free solar panel’ deal that comes your way, make sure you understand what you’re being offered and that you’ve considered all of your other options. In other words, be a smart solar shopper.

cost/savings content

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CLAIM: You can get free solar panels installed on your roof!

FACT: Some companies offer solar panel installation for no money down, but it’s not exactly free—you’ll be renting the panels, monthly, for the term of the lease, which is usually 20 years.

CUB RECOMMENDS: Explore all of your options. While leasing may make sense for some homeowners, buying your solar system outright could end up being much more cost-effective.

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For several months now, we’ve been getting reports of door-to-door salespeople pitching “free” or “no money down” solar panels to homeowners all over Chicagoland. Sounds great! But are these offers legit?

In general, any company that says they’ll install “free solar panels” on your roof is actually offering a solar lease.

Yes, the solar panels will be installed on your home for no money down, but you will have to pay the leasing company every month to lease the panels, and those leases typically last 20 years. Leases we’ve seen also include a provision allowing the company to raise the lease rate by 2.9% every year.

If you lease your solar panels, you are not eligible for the Federal Tax Credit or Illinois Shines Ummet ozcan genesis vst download. incentive programs.

Combined, these two credits can help you pay off up to 60% of your installation cost within one year of your panels being connected to the grid. In many cases this reduces the payback time to five to seven years. Ableton orchestral woodwinds download. Within that time frame, your monthly electricity bill savings will have recouped the remaining cost of the panels.

With a solar lease, you will never see a return on investment, and do not see the full benefit of the monthly energy savings. Most people will pay more over the lifetime of a solar lease than if they purchased and financed a system.

Install Solar System For Free Without

There are many low interest loans available to help you finance the upfront cost of solar. Check Energy Sage’s explanation of solar loans, and list of providers for more information.

The most active solar leasing company in Illinois right now is Sunrun, an outfit out of California that has been selling and leasing solar panels for several years.

Sunrun peddles its leases door-to-door, often through third-party companies like Chicago Clean Energy Authority and Sun N Us. They’re also at Costco stores, and have even partnered with Comcast to market their offer to Xfinity customers.

We’ve also heard of another company, called Vivint, marketing solar leases in the area. There are likely more.

So is leasing a good deal? Well, it depends.

Back when solar panels cost more, and there weren’t state and federal incentives available to make rooftop solar systems more affordable, solar leasing was often a homeowner’s only feasible option.

But now the price of solar panels is less than half of what it was 10 years ago. Plus, as we point out above, a combination of federal and state incentives can reduce the cost of a solar system on your property by up to two-thirds.

Before you sign a solar lease, find out how much it would cost to buy your system outright, and, if necessary, finance it. Many of the leasing companies themselves provide this option, but CUB recommends getting quotes from at least two different installers.

You can find solar installers near you by visiting the Illinois Solar Energy Association website.