1) Customer is tired of paying high utility BIUS average monthly BIU =$210.00
2) Customers would like to offset as close to 100% of their electric BIU as possible.
3) Utility company = Utility = IOU (Investor Owned Utility)
All IOUs in Massachusetts are required to offer net metering
4)Roof is mostly shaded-free according to the customer. The ground mount is not possible, a small yard, is not a desirable opinion.
5) More interested in a cash purchase or low-interest clean energy loan than a lease.
6) Customers budget is = $30,000
7) Customer has tax liability and can take advantage of the 30% Federal ITC (Investment Tax Credit)

MASSACHUSETTS INCENTIVES
30% Fed. Tax Credit
15% State Tax Credit up to $100
SREC program
No sales Tax on renewable energy systems property tax exemption for 20 years.
Scenario:
After a brief phone conversation with the Townsend home owner you've qualified him/her as a potential customer and schedule a site visit to collect the information you'll need to do an initial system design and put together a proposal.
During your site visit you collected data, took measurements, took a number of photographs, performed a shading analysis, and obtained a copy of their most recent electric bill (witch shows the last 12 months of usage for the home).This information is collected in the document "Townsend Project Site Info" (attached as part of this Graded Assignment).

Now you're back in your office and sit down to evaluate the information you've collected.

Step 1: Utility Bill Analysis
Let's start by doing a utility Bill Analysis to determine the annual Energy Usage (KWh) of the home. It's also important at this stage to do research on the local utility company to determine utility type [municipal light company (muni), co-operative light company (co-op) or investor-owned utility (IOU)], rate structure [basic fixed, tiered, time of use (TOU), demand charges], utility rate (cost per KWh), net metering rules (or lack thereof), interconnection rules possible rebates, etc. These factors can have a big impact on the economics of a solar installation. The other piece of information that is important to research upfront is the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). This is typically the building department where you will need to submit building and electrical permit plans in order to obtain the necessary permits. Local requirements and permitting costs can vary significantly from one AHJ to another.

Use the utility bill obtained from the customer and notes taken during the initial phone interview (in the Townsend Project Site Info document) to answer the following questions:
a)Is the utility company a municipal light company (muni) a co-operative light company (co-op) or an investor-owned utility (IOU)?

b)Does the utility offer net metering?

c)What are the total current EL charges (Electric service/delivery charges) shown on the current bill?

d)What are the total current SS changes (Electric supplier service/generation) shown on the current bill?

e)What is the total amount of the current bill?

f)How many KWh were used in this billing cycle?

g)What is the rate per kWh calculated based on the total amount of the bill? Round to the nearest cent and show your work below (take the total amount due for the billing period and divide it by the metered usage for the billing period):
STEP 2 SOLAR SITE ANALYSIS FORM
Next, enter all relevant information collected during the phone interview and site into the "SEI Solar Site Analysis Form " below.
a) Utility:
b) Annual household energy usage in kWh:
c) Rate plan:
d) Electric Service Type and size:
e) Location of Utility Meter and Main AC Service Panel;
f) Customer Desired System Type: Grid-direct Multimode Stand-alone
g) Roof Angle:
h) Roof Azimuth:
j) Roof Condition: Excellent Okay Poor
j) Roof Age
k)Roof Covering Type
Asphalt shingle Asphalt sheet Spanish tile Concrete tile Metal pans Metal standing seam Metal corrugated Rubber membrane (on foam substrate)
Rubber membrane (on the hard substrate) Sealed on from Tar Other (please describe):
m) Roof construction: (rafters, metal purlins, etc) and spacing (on-center measurements of the rafters/trusses)
n) Roof Notes and Acces Description of possible issues, obstacles, and how to get on roof (staircase, scaffolding, 30 ft ladder...)
o) Wind Exposure
Protected - buildings or forests surround the site
open - 1/2 mile or so of open terrain surrounds the site
Extreme - wide open expanses with high winds (water, flat fields, etc.)
p) Proposed Mounting Type:
Roof Ground Pole Tracker Awning Shade structure
q) Describe the best location for the inverter Hint: think about the best environmental conditions for the inverter, access, wire runs, and ease of performance
r) Describe the wire run and total lengths:( 50 ft in the attic, 100 ft outside wall, 50 ft in the trench)
s) Why is it important to determine the home's electrical service type and size?

t)Why is it important to note the location of the utility meter and main AC service panel?

u)Why is it important to note roof angle (tilt), and roof Azimuth (orientation and shading?

v)Why is it important to note the roof condition and roof covering type?

w)Why is it important to note the roof construction and spacing of rafters or trusses?

x)Why is it important to describe wire run locations and total lengths?

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

A a The utility company is an investorowned utility IOU b Yes the utility offers net metering c The total current EL charges Electric servicedelivery ... View the full answer