Frequently Asked Questions
about Solar Power

We at New Day Solar have been in the industry for a very long time.  When it comes to choosing our preferred equipment brands, warranties, company financial standings, reliability, price, history and customer service all play vital rolls in our selection process. Though we have used a variety of products in the past, the following list of equipment brands are the ones that have impressed us the most: LG, Qcells, Enphase Energy, SMA America, Neovolta, and Pro Solar.

Placement and orientation are very important in determining the amount of electricity that your array will produce. Rooftop installations are by far the most common type of installation and are affected less by shading from trees and other buildings. By being directly above your roof, the solar array will also shade your house making it slightly cooler during the summer months. It’s a win/win situation for saving energy. Although New Day Solar does install ground mounted systems, most homes don’t have the required square footage of non-shaded open land to support a solar electric system. However, if you do have the space available, ground mounted systems give you the ability to increase the size of the system that you install and provides an alternative if you prefer to avoid roof top penetrations.

In most cases, south facing modules tend to be the most efficient for the area of Southern California. However, climatic conditions may contribute to efficiency as well. For instance, modules are more productive when facing slightly westward along the coast due to early morning fog and desert regions may require a slightly eastern direction, in order to keep modules cooler during peak output. Therefore, microclimates should be considered when choosing the direction that your solar modules will be installed. However, the difference is minute and thus should not dramatically affect the efficiency. If the direction which provides the maximum efficiency cannot be obtained, we will gladly find the next best placement for your modules.

Your specific roof tilt, size and direction will also need to be considered accordingly at your consultation. Flat roofs will require tilted racking in order to improve production and decrease soiling of the module.

The size of solar electric system you need depends on a number of factors, which include your annual electricity usage, your future needs (for instance, will you be buying an electric vehicle or installing a pool in the near future), the amount of space available on your roof or property, and your budget. Our experienced estimator will survey your property, take a look at your past energy consumption, discuss your future needs, and make a recommendation based on all of the information available. We never take a “cookie cutter” or “one size fits all” approach.

With residential solar systems, the solar power your panels produce will vary, depending mostly on the season and number of hours in the day. Most of the dirt that gets on your solar modules won’t significantly impact solar production. If you notice that the solar modules are dirty and you see a significant drop in your solar production, you should hose off your solar modules, but only in the morning before the system comes on, or in the evening when the system has gone off for the day. This will prevent thermal shock to the solar modules. After rinsing the solar modules, you may see up to a 5% increase in production.

In California, the California Solar Rights Act and AB 2188 state that homeowner’s association’s (HOA’s), governments, and other organizations cannot prevent you from installing a solar electric system on your property. However, home owners’ associations (HOA’s) can ask you to modify the design and/or location for aesthetic reasons as long as the changes don’t significantly impact the solar electricity production (a decrease of more than 10%) or cost more than $1,000 total.

You will still be connected to the grid after your solar electric system is installed. The only way to be disconnected from the grid entirely is to install a battery back-up system. Battery back-up systems add to the cost of your system and require additional maintenance. The benefit of staying connected to the grid is to take advantage of net metering and the CA Solar Initiative rebate program.

Net metering allows you to earn positive credits when your solar electric system is producing more electricity than you are currently using. The extra power output is loaded back onto the grid in the form of credits. Think of the grid as a big battery bank, where you deposit electricity when you are generating more than you can use, and withdraw power when your system is off for the night or you are using more power than your system is producing.

We are with you from start to finish, we are also here to help service your equipment or answer questions, if the need should ever arise. When you decide to purchase a solar electric system through New Day Solar, we will work with you to professionally design a solar electric system that meets your specific energy needs. The system price includes expert design and installation, as well as the city/county permit. We will also process the net metering paperwork from your utility company and apply for the rebates.

We offer a free 10 year warranty, along with the solar module manufactures’ 25 year warranty. We take pride in our work and are confident in our installations. Therefore, we can easily assist you in designing a solar electric system that perfectly fits your energy needs!