Our Process SES is a Full Service Solar Energy Company

Step 1:

Free Energy Consultation

Upon contacting us, we will arrange for a site visit to come review the site to determine its applicability for solar photovoltaic power generation. We will bring our Solar Pathfinder, a device which allows us to examine the solar horizon (track the sun across the sky during the various months of the year to determine the total solar energy available at the site). We will look at roof and ground-mounted options, evaluate the condition of the roof if a roof-mounted option is being considered, and discuss the merits of various mounting systems, such as fixed mounting vs. solar trackers.

In the US most of the systems will be grid-tied systems, which will feed excess, unused power back to the power grid. This power fed back into the grid will offset the energy that we draw from the grid when you need the power and the sun is not shining. The power company will bill you for the difference between the amount of power you use and the amount that you sell back, or the “net” amount of energy purchased—hence the term “Net Metering”. Thus we will also want to receive a copy of your power bill in order to determine the value of the energy being offset by the solar energy. Ideally we will design the maximum output of the system to be 80-90% of the total energy used across the year. The system can be sized under this maximum output.

We will bring this data back and run it through our program software to determine array sizing available by the roof or ground layout and appropriate for the client’s budget. We will provide pricing and estimate the return on investment (ROI) and internal rate of return (IRR) for these investments.

Step 2:

Design & Contract Options

Upon the evaluation of these design options—roof, ground mounting, tracking, pitch angle options. We will provide cost proposals which will optimize the return on these installations. We will then discuss purchase and lease options.

The individual can purchase the systems outright, claiming the savings to offset their utility bills and provide the return-on-investment over time and taking advantage of the tax credits to accelerate the return-on-investment.

Alternatively, Pickering Energy Solutions can purchase, install and own the systems. The power produced by the solar energy system will offset the energy purchased from the power company, and the building owner pays either PES or the Power Company for the power generated. The building owner gets to claim that they use renewable energy systems, and may have the option to eventually purchase the power system at a discounted price in the future.

Step 3:

Installation

Once an agreement is made to install a PV system, PES will work through Davis Pickering for the installation. This process includes completing the design, getting the Power Company’s approval, obtaining a building permit, ordering the materials, evaluating (and if necessary reinforcing) the roof or other mounting structure, completing the design, getting the installation inspected by the local inspection authority and commissioned by the Power Company.

The complete installation will be designed by Professional Engineers (Pickering Associates) and installed by a Licensed Electrical Contractor (Davis, Pickering & Co., Inc.). Our design and installation will be supervised by a NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) Certified Solar Photovoltaic Installer, the highest certification available in the Solar Photovoltaic Industry.