Solar electric systems are beautifully simple in operation. They are noiseless, have no moving parts, and require no maintenance. You will enjoy solar electricity without changes to your home or your lifestyle.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells convert sunlight into electricity through the photovoltaic effect. They are made of semi-conducting materials including silicon, which is the second most abundant element on the planet. Solar PV technology has been commercially used since the 1950s in applications ranging from calculators to satellites. Now you can harness the power of the sun for your own home.

Namasté Solar uses solar PV components from the highest quality manufacturers -- proven companies that we trust to honor their warranties. We will work with you to choose the components that meet your needs at the best value possible.

Namasté Solar uses solar PV components from the highest quality manufacturers in the business. We will work with you to choose the components that meet your needs at the best value possible.

MODULES

Sharp modules provide excellent value and come in a variety of aesthetic options. They also

have the option of a low-profile Sharp OnEnergy System that integrates seamlessly with the

modules and your roof. Sharp systems have been installed by Google, the San Francisco Giants, and Denver International Airport.

SunPower Corporation, based in San Jose, California, manufactures the highest efficiency

modules available. SunPower modules also have a sleek, all-black appearance for superior

aesthetics. If you are trying to maximize the solar production on your roof, SunPower is the

best choice. SunPower systems have been installed by companies such as FedEx,

Johnson & Johnson, and Target.

Kyocera, based in Kyoto, Japan, manufactures high quality polycrystalline modules that provide a balance of efficiency and value. If you have somewhat more roof space to work with or are primarily concerned with the cost per watt of your system, Kyocera may be the best choice for you. Kyocera systems have been installed by companies such as Gatorade and Qualcomm and are used in the solar roof of the Toyota Prius.

Suntech produces industry-leading solar products for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility applications with proven performance and an industry-leading warranty. Suntech's pioneering R&D creates customer-centric innovations that are driving solar to grid parity against fossil fuels. 

MOUNTING

In addition to the OnEnergy system used with Sharp modules, we use the most well known name in the business for mounting components: Unirac. Unirac manufactures a complete line of mounting components for roof and ground-mounted solar PV systems.

INVERTERS

In addition to your solar PV modules, we will install an inverter which converts the direct current (DC) electricity created by your modules to the alternating current (AC) electricity usable by your home. The type of inverter that will work best for your system is typically determined by the type of modules and the size of your system. Namasté Solar installs inverters from the most reliable and respected manufacturers in the world: SunPower, Fronius, and SMA. All three of these inverter options carry industry-leading, 10-year warranties and will ensure that your system communicates seamlessly with the utility grid and your home.

NET-METERING

Finally, we will connect the system to your existing electrical service. Your utility will then exchange your current electricity meter with a new net meter. Utilities offer a process called “net metering,” which allows the electric meter to move forward when electricity flows from the grid into the home and backward when power flows from the solar system back into the utility grid. Grid-tied solar photovoltaic systems interface seamlessly with the utility grid, powering your home from the sun during the day and from the utility at night.

MONITORING

We also install optional internet based monitoring so you can track your solar production from anywhere in the world. Our monitoring systems display your solar production and home consumption simultaneously, helping you to reduce your carbon footprint even further.  (Note:  The monitoring system included with SunRun systems is different from that shown and does not include home consumption monitoring).

Chances are, your home is a great fit for solar.

Your solar electric system can be installed flush to the south, east or west-facing plane of your sloped roof or tilted to the south on your flat roof. Often it is possible to design around shading caused by chimneys, dormers, or trees. 

   Flush Mount System              Awning Mount System            Tilt Mount System           Ground Mount System

Perhaps you have a south-facing patio or windows that could also benefit from shade. If so, an awning system can be an excellent choice to provide the dual benefit of passive shading and active electricity generation.

If not enough sunny roof or awning space is available but land is more abundant, a ground mount solar electric system might be the best choice. A Namasté Solar consultant will provide you with an honest and thorough assessment of the viability of your site and will design your solar electric system to meet your priorities.

Most solar PV systems installed today are grid-tied, meaning the utility grid serves as the back-up power for the home. Rather than storing any excess solar electricity in batteries, your solar electric system will first feed any loads that are in use in your home, and then send the excess electricity out to the utility grid to be used by your neighbors. A mechanism called “net metering” keeps track of how much electricity has been sent to the grid and creates a credit on your account called your “solar bank.”

Any time your home needs more electricity than your solar electric system is producing, you will draw some or all of your electricity from the grid and spend some of the excess you have built up in your “solar bank.” A grid-tied system can also be installed with battery back-up. In the event of a utility grid outage, the system will provide continuous power for your home’s most important appliances. For stand-alone or “off-grid” homes, batteries are charged by the solar panels during the day and then provide power overnight. Battery-based systems require careful design consideration to ensure there is enough battery storage to meet the needs of the home.

Design Considerations of a Solar Home

• Q) Why should I install a solar electric system on my home or business?
• A)

  Here are 5 good reasons to "Go Solar:"

   

  • 1) Utility incentive programs and federal tax credits can reduce the cost of a solar electric system by as much as 50%-60%.
  • 2) Solar power is a renewable resource. Your electricity consumption won’t contribute to resource scarcity for your children and grandchildren.
  • 3) Solar electricity is clean and non-polluting, producing no greenhouse gas emissions. Help combat global warming one roof at a time.
  • 4) Diversify your investment portfolio with a wise, low-risk investment in solar electricity that pays better than CDs and is safer than the stock market.
  • 5) Solar electricity is produced locally and reduces the need for new transmission infrastructure, huge mining operations, nuclear waste storage and fossil fuel resources from abroad.
• Q) Why should I choose to work with Namaste Solar?
• A)

  Here are some good reasons for choosing to work with us

   

  • Experience:
  • Namasté Solar has installed over 1700 solar PV systems in Colorado since 2005, more than any other company.
  • Employee-Ownership: 
  • We are a Colorado-based, 100% employee-owned company. Everyone – from the sales team to the install crew – thinks and acts like an owner, ensuring that your experience with us will be handled with professionalism and care.
  • Values:
  • We are driven by strong values and a deep passion for all that we do. We practice what we preach, maintain democracy in our workplace, and donate 20% of our profits each year to non-profit community organizations in the form of solar PV systems.
  • Quality:
  • We custom-design and install each system for optimal performance, durability, and aesthetics. Our commitment to quality has contributed to us being the #1 solar company in Colorado since 2006.
  • Economics:
  • Our systems are always competitively priced and are designed to be sensible and affordable investments. The value we provide to our customers is second-to-none.
  • Warranty:
  • We provide a 10-year warranty on all residential installations. Our equipment manufacturers provide warranties of 25 years for solar panels and 10 years for inverters and racking systems.
  • Customer Service:
  • We are committed to forging long-term relationships, including lifetime telephone assistance with all of our systems.
  • We Deliver on our Promise:
  • 99.8% of our customers would recommend Namaste Solar to their friends and family (based on over 550 respondents to our Customer Post-Project Surveys January 2006 - December 2011 with an overall 35% response rate).
• Q) What financial incentives are currently available in the state of Colorado?
• A)

  Colorado residents and businesses can benefit from both Federal and State financial incentives:

   

  • 1) The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 provides a 30% federal tax credit for solar electric systems installed on homes and businesses through December 31, 2016;
  • 2) Colorado's Amendment 37 (A37) and House Bill 1281 (HB1281) call for Colorado’s investor-owned utilities to provide financial incentives in the form of cash rebates. Xcel Energy, for example, currently provides a total of .50 per watt of installed system capacity.

  Click here for more information about rebates, tax credits and incentive programs.

• Q) What does an average solar electric system cost?
• A)

  Most residential solar PV systems cost between  $10,000 - $20,000 (after rebates and tax incentives) which includes the cost of all materials, installation, freight, permit fees and sales tax. Now you can also go solar for a minimal upfront payment with the SunRun Power Plan.

• Q) What is the size of an average solar electric system?
• A)

  Averages won't help in sizing a solar system for your specific home or business any more than an “average” shoe size will help you find a comfortably fitting shoe.

  Sizing a solar PV system involves careful consideration of three main factors:

   

  • (1) project budget,
  • (2) a customer's electricity consumption; and
  • (3) available sunny space where a system can be installed.
• Q) Can you determine the cost of a solar system based on the square footage of my home?
• A)

  Electricity consumption is much more dependent on the number and type of home appliances, number of people living in the house, and usage habits than square footage. At Namasté Solar, we custom-design all of our systems based on each individual customer's specific site, energy needs and budget.

• Q) So how do you estimate the cost of a solar electric system for my home or business?
• A) We start by analyzing your recent utility bills to determine how much electricity you consume on an annual basis. We then factor in specific issues that are unique to your home or business such as available roof area and shading from trees or other buildings. We'll then be able to show you the investment required to produce as much as 100%, or even as little as 10%, of your electrical power needs.
• Q) What is "net-metering?"
• A)

  For solar electric systems installed on a home or business that is connected to the grid (i.e. "grid-tied") net metering allows you to have only one electric meter which can spin forwards or backwards at the same rate. When the sun is shining, your solar system is producing electricity that can be directly used by your home or business, thereby offsetting the amount of electricity being purchased from the utility company. However, if the electricity is not immediately used, where does it go?

   

  For example, many homes are empty during the day while everyone is away at work or school, etc. During these times, the electricity is actually sold back to the utility company, causing your electric meter to spin backwards to give you retail credit. Your electric meter may spin backwards and forwards on a daily basis, but you'll only be billed according to the "net" reading on your meter at the end of each month.

  In this way, net metering allows you to take advantage of, and get retail credit for, every unit of electricity that your solar electric system produces. If you produce more power than you use each month, the credits will carry over for later use for up to 12 months. If you still have a credit leftover at the end of the year, the utility may pay you for the excess power you produced, or you may elect to carry credits forward indefinitely for future usage.

• Q) What modifications would be necessary for my house to run on solar electricity?
• A)

  Very little, if any. Solar panels are relatively lightweight, so there are rarely any structural modifications required. Conduit and wire must be installed from the solar panels to the electrical service panel. Typical installations take only 2-3 days, with only 1 hour without power.

• Q) Would I need to rewire my house before installing a solar system?
• A)

  Not at all. Grid tie systems simply feed into a breaker in your main service panel. Adding back-up power capability requires the installation of a sub-panel to isolate your emergency loads (refrigerator, well pump, furnace blower etc), but this work is common and simple.

• Q) Would I need to use different appliances? Do I need to use DC appliances if the solar panels only produce DC electricity?
• A) No, the solar panels feed DC electricity to a device called an inverter. The inverter changes the solar electricity into utility-grade AC electricity so that it can be used by your home or fed back into the grid, thereby making your utility meter spin backwards.
• Q) Do I need batteries in my solar electric system?
• A)

  Batteries are only necessary if you are

   

  • (a) living "off-the-grid"; or
  • (b) living in an area with a high occurrence of power outages. Most solar electric systems in urban areas, where grid connections already exist, forgo batteries and effectively use the utility grid as a battery. Not having batteries in a system will reduce the overall cost and virtually eliminates maintenance.
• Q) But if I don't have batteries, how will I get electricity during the night or when the sun isn't shining?
• A)

  If you're tied to the grid, then you simply take electricity from the utility. This happens whenever you are consuming more electricity than your solar system is producing - such as at night or during cloudy weather. When the sun is shining, however, and you are producing more power than you're consuming, then the solar system will feed the excess electricity back into the grid, causing your meter to spin backwards. Each month, your utility meter may spin backwards and forwards on a daily basis, but your monthly utility bill will only show the "net" usage that occurred.

   

  This is called "net metering" and it allows you to achieve a "net zero" bill by selling back the power that you use at a retail rate. If you produce more power than you use each month, the credits will carry over for later use for up to 12 months. Afterwards, if you still have a credit leftover, the utility may pay you for the excess power you produced, or you may elect to carry credits forward indefinitely for future usage.

• Q) What happens if it's cloudy or rainy for several days in a row?
• A)

  Your solar electric system would produce less electricity, but you wouldn't notice the difference inside your home. Grid-tied solar systems never "run out" of electricity. Although solar panels only produce their maximum output in full, unobstructed sunlight, they will still produce power on cloudy or rainy days - albeit less than normal.

   

  During these times, you end up buying more power from the utility company to make up the "deficit." When we design systems ,we take into account regional weather patterns and can accurately estimate monthly and annual solar electricity production.

• Q) Can I heat my home with a solar electric system?
• A) Yes, it is possible, but it's usually not the most cost effective method for heating your home. In general, using electricity to generate heat requires a huge amount of electrical power. A better investment would be to minimize your home's need for heat by installing additional insulation, high quality windows and window coverings, and possibly a solar thermal heating system.
• Q) How long do solar panels last?
• A)

  For a long time: solar panels carry 25 year warranties, with life expectancies of 40+ years.

• Q) How efficient are solar panels? How much power can they produce per square foot?
• A)

  Typical solar panels have efficiencies ranging from 13%-15% and produce about 10-13 watts per square foot. High-efficiency panels such as SunPower, reach up to 19% efficiency and produce about 17 watts per square foot. Although efficiencies can reach up to 30% or more, the cost is usually prohibitive except for military or space applications.

• Q) How much do solar electric systems weigh?
• A) In general, solar electric systems weigh less than 4 pounds per square foot, which is comparable to the weight of a layer of asphalt shingles. Almost all roof structures can accomodate the additional weight of a solar system.
• Q) What if there's a hailstorm? Can the solar panels withstand hail?
• A) Solar electric panels are built with high-impact tempered glass. The solar industry standard dictates that panels should be able to withstand 3/4" hail at 60 mph. If your solar panels do suffer any hail damage, you can claim the damage via your homeowner's insurance policy.
• Q) Will I have to pay more for or make any changes to my homeowner's insurance policy?
• A) We recommend that you contact your insurance agent to determine if additional coverage is needed to insure the solar electric system. Typically, any increase in premium is only to cover the replacement cost of the system as opposed to the system being viewed as a liability by the insurance company.
• Q) How are solar panel prices expected to change in the near future?
• A) Starting in early 2005, the rapid growth of the PV and semiconductor industries began to outpace the global capacity to refine silicon, leading to the first price increases in the PV industry in decades. Solar panel prices increased by 15-20% from 2005-2007 and then leveled off in 2008. The silicon shortage ended in late 2008, and solar panel prices decreased as much as 33% in 2009 largely due to decreased demand resulting from the global economic crisis. Please contact us for further details and to learn the latest news about solar panel supply, demand, and pricing trends.
• Q) How can I learn more about Xcel Energy's solar rebate program?
• A)

  By contacting us and/or checking Xcel's solar rebate program website: Xcel Solar Rebate Program Here you'll find useful information about their solar rebate program and application process. We encourage you to contact us at any time for further details and program updates.

• Q) How can I maximize my solar energy investment? And how else can I make a difference?
• A)

  Use your electricity as efficiently as possible. Appliance upgrades to EnergyStar-rated models can make a huge impact.

  An EnergyStar refrigerator or clothes washer purchased today will use half the energy of a standard model that's just 5 years old. Improvements to your home's lighting, insulation, windows, appliances, etc., can all reduce your electrical demand with relatively small investments.

  Not only are energy efficiency improvements the "low hanging fruit," they are also the most effective way to make a difference - from both an economic and environmental perspective. When you are ready to install a solar electric system, it will be able to offset a larger percentage (or all) of your home's electricity consumption.

  We also install energy monitoring systems which give you 24-hour visibility of your home energy usage and solar production.

• Q) What is a Renewable Energy Credit (REC)?
• A)

  We like the explanation of RECs given by the Union of Concerned Scientists:

  "Renewable energy credits (RECs) correct the bias against renewable energy in the electricity market by making sure that renewable generation companies receive payment for the public benefits they produce. The fact that environmental and other benefits are not recognized in the cost of power is the starting point for creating a new commodity that represents those benefits. That commodity is the renewable energy credit. When a fossil fuel or nuclear power plant operates, it is really creating many products: the electricity itself and all the byproducts, like air and water pollution, hazardous and radioactive waste, the risk of meltdown, and so on.

   

  Customers only pay for the electricity. Society pays for the byproducts through a host of unacknowledged costs: health problems, environmental degradation, subsidies for oil and gas production, limits on liability for nuclear power plant operators, and many others. When a renewable power plant runs, like conventional plants it creates electricity, but unlike them it also creates a reduction of pollution, waste, and risk. The "byproducts" are cleaner air and water, less waste, reduced fuel imports, and lower risk of catastrophic accidents. When customers buy electricity generated from renewable sources, they pay only for the power and society pays nothing.

   

  Renewable energy generators sell cleaner power, but are paid only for power. RECs represent all of the renewable energy benefits that electricity markets ignore, including environmental and energy security benefits. The table below (where is this table?) outlines the "value" of a renewable energy credit, listing many of the benefits of renewable power that are "free" to society, because nobody is paying for them. But unless someone starts paying for them, many of these generators will go out of business and the benefits will be lost. By turning the value of renewable energy into a commodity traded separately from energy, RECs make that value clearly evident.

   

  The renewables premium is no longer hidden in the overall price of a renewable kilowatt hour. Every unit of renewable energy generated and sold would create one renewable energy credit. A REC could take the form of a piece of paper, like a currency. It would list the number of kilowatt-hours, the year and state of origin, and the type of generation (solar, wind, etc.).

  Since renewable generation companies produce the power, they would be the original owners of RECs. Electricity providers could purchase these RECs to fulfill their compliance requirements. RECs could also be traded electronically, like stock. The success of the sulfur dioxide emissions-trading program, instituted by the Clean Air Act, has shown that a systems of allowance and credit trading can be effective, easy to administer, and cheap.

   

  The sulfur-trading system works like this: every power generator must meet a certain cap on emissions of sulfur dioxide, a key source of acid rain. To meet the cap, generators can either invest in pollution-control devices (like scrubbers), buy cleaner coal, or buy credits from other generators. If they "overcomply" with the cap-that is, if they stay well under the cap, they can sell their extra credits to generators that would find meeting the cap too expensive."