Sound Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Solar’ Category

The Benefits of Going Solar in Bellevue

Friday, May 9th, 2014

Solar power used to run a home once existed only in science fiction. But the technology is here, today, and more accessible than you may believe. More homes have joined in the solar energy revolution and reaped the enormous benefits this power source provides.

To schedule solar installation in Bellevue, WA you only have to reach as far as the phone: call Sound Heating, where we take pride in the variety of solar power services we provide—from installation to maintenance to repair. We are committed to helping the environment and helping you reduce the amount you pay to power your home.

The Advantages of Using Solar Power In Your Home

  • Rock-bottom energy bills: Solar power systems change the radiant energy of the sun into electricity to power a home; the systems themselves use only a small amount of external electricity from the power company (and some use none at all). The energy of the sun itself is free, so aside from the minimal amount of electricity from the power grid, you won’t pay anything to run your home. Even though a solar energy set-up costs more to install for a home than standard electrical one, it soon pays for itself. Nothing beats free when it comes to energy.
  • Increase your home’s value: The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conducted a study of homes using solar power and found that when a home adds a solar power system, it increases the home’s resale value by $5.50 per watt on average, and sometimes going as high as $6.40 per watt. This means that a home’s solar power system of 3.1kW can add $17,000 to the value of the house. Other studies have found that homes with solar energy induce buyers: homes sell 15% faster on average than homes with standard power systems.
  • Clean, renewable energy: Not only is the power from the sun free, you can never use it up. As long as the sun burns at the center of our solar system, we will have its power available to us. Solar power reduces our dependency on limited energy resources like fossil fuels. Solar power also reduces greenhouse gases. The average U.S. home generates 7.4 tons of carbon dioxide each year; solar power generates almost none.

If you don’t think you are ready for a major solar installation, you can start small with a less expensive and space-consuming appliance like a solar water heater. But we think that once you discover the benefits of a single solar power system, you will want to expand your use of the sun’s free energy.

Talk to our Bellevue, WA solar installation professionals at Sound Heating today. They will find the best way to hook up your home to harness the clean and efficient energy of the sun.

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How to Prevent Solar Repair Sessions

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

Continual advances in solar technology have made the free power of the sun available to more and more homeowners. Solar power isn’t perfect, however. For all their major benefits, the photovalic cells of solar energy systems can sustain damage and require repairs or replacements. They need less repair work than systems with extensive mechanical parts, such as furnaces, but any problems they encounter need to be taken seriously with professional repair work.

We’ll show you some ways you can prevent needing to call for repairs for your solar energy system. But in the event that you do need solar repair service in Puyallup, WA, you can count on Sound Heating to come to your rescue. We have 24-hour emergency service available for your peace of mind.

How to keep your solar panels from needing repairs

The major concern with solar energy systems are the solar panels on the roof. Although built for durability (the cells contain no moving parts and most have an expected lifespan of more than 20 years according the U.S. Department of Energy), these panels can still suffer damage from weather conditions an aging. Heavy rain is a particular concern in the Puget Sound Area. The best way to make sure that the cells will not sustain water damage is with regular maintenance from solar energy professionals. It’s important to have a yearly inspection to discover places where cracking is occurring in the glass covering the cells (which can sometimes suffer damage due to hail or debris blown from high winds) that will allow rain water inside.

Maintenance will also look for dust and dirt that might interfere with the electrical relays from the panels. The Department of Energy estimates that solar energy systems for homes require about 16 hours per year of maintenance to keep them from breaking down. Although you could try some of the maintenance on your own, most of this will consist of basic cleaning of the glass surfaces. Have professionals take care of a good chunk of the time needed each year to keep the cells in their best shape and out of danger of needing serious repairs.

Maintenance is the key

You can’t do more to protect your solar cells that wouldn’t involve covering them up, which would destroy their effectiveness. To keep away repair needs, you should instead rely on regular professional maintenance. An annual maintenance job is not expensive, and it costs much less than the price of replacing damaged solar cells. You should still do some basic cleaning as well, but leave the rest to the experts.

Contact Sound Heating to schedule your annual visit for maintenance so you won’t need to later make an emergency call for solar repair in Puyallup, WA.

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Reasons to go Solar in Puyallup

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

We don’t usually think of solar technology as a viable option here in Washington. Cloud cover is a way of life, and in the past, that often meant that solar panels just weren’t viable as an energy source. But that’s not the case today. Technological advancements mean that local homeowners can take full advantage of the benefits offered by solar technology, and here in Puyallup, solar installation companies are standing by to help you. Here are a few great reasons to go solar in Puyallup.

Solar installation is one of the staples of our business, and we have the knowledge and experience to do the job right. Give us a call today to discuss your options and we’ll show you what we can do!

Why Go Solar?

  • Inexpensive electricity. Once installed, solar panels can generate power much more cheaply and efficiently than getting electricity off the grid. In fact, you may even be able to sell electricity back to the grid when you have a surplus, putting money back in your pocket. All of that can seriously help offset the cost of installation.
  • Fewer repairs. Because there are very few moving parts, solar panels rarely need repairs or upgrades. That helps set your mind at ease, as well as ensuring that your inexpensive electrical costs don’t take a sudden and unexpected hit.
  • Home resale value. Solar panels can significantly improve the resale value of your home. Should you ever decide to sell, it will help bump the price up a good deal.
  • Environmental impact. Solar panels require very few fossil fuels or other environmentally unfriendly sources of power: generating clean and reliable energy from a perpetually renewable source. They create no pollution and can reduce your carbon footprint to almost nothing depending on your usage.
  • Remote usage. Rural households may not be able to get connected to the electrical grid, requiring alternate means of power such as generator. Solar power is a safer and easier alternative to such options.

For more reasons to go solar in Puyallup, or to schedule an installation, the professionals at Sound Heating are standing by.

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Maintenance Steps for Your Solar Panels

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014

Solar panel installation could be one of the smartest things you ever do, decreasing your dependence on costly heating systems and helping create a greener environment in the process. But like anything else, solar panels require maintenance to function as they should. Before contacting a qualified service representative to install your new panel, you should talk about maintenance steps for your solar panels with them. Here in Olympia, solar repair services are available from the same company that installs your panels, but the more maintenance you can do for yourself, the better your system will function over time.

When the time comes to conduct repairs on your solar panels, we’ll be there with an eye on your complete satisfaction every step of the way. Give us a call today and let us show you what we can do. You’ll be glad you did!

Here’s a quick rundown of maintenance steps

Most maintenance sessions should involve cleaning the panels off. You can buy a solar panel cleaning kit, though a car cleaning kit will do in a pinch if you need it to. Mix the soap in a bucket of warm water according to instructions and apply it gently to the solar panels using a hand-held brush, then “squeegee” the excess liquid off. You should do this every six months or so, ideally at the beginning and end of the summer. If you just need a touch-up or want to wash off a recent bit of dirt, you can use a simple garden hose, though be careful not to apply cold water to the panels on a hot day.

That, in essence, is the only maintenance step for your solar panels, since they have no moving parts and don’t require much attention. If you detect something wrong with your system, then you should call a repair service, of course, and you may wish to schedule professional maintenance if you don’t wish to scramble around on the roof yourself. In Olympia, solar repair services are provided by Sound Heating & Air Conditioning Inc., and we pride ourselves on doing the job right the first time, every time. We can explain any further maintenance steps for your solar panels, or perform them ourselves if you’d rather leave it to the experts.

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3 Things to Think About with Solar Installation

Tuesday, April 1st, 2014

Solar panels make a lot of sense from a number of different perspectives. Even in cloudy towns like Olympia, solar installation has proven an effective and environmentally friendly way to provide electricity to your home. It can help you stay self-sufficient during a disaster and help helps pay for itself by letting you sell energy back to the grid. But like anything else, solar installation requires proper preparation and planning. Here are 3 things to think about with solar installation.

  • Think about sunlight exposure. Solar panels are strong enough to pick up plenty of sunlight even on cloudy days. (And we certainly have our share of hose.) But they don’t work as well when there’s a lot of tree cover, building cover and similar shadows falling over your home. In order for the panels to work as well as they should, you need them to be exposed to the open sky as much as possible during the day. This may require adjusting your home’s layout, trimming trees and taking a careful approach to where you place the panels.
  • Consider your rooftop. Solar panels are usually installed on the roof, though you can use yard space if your property is large enough. Rooftops come in all shapes and sizes, and some of them prove more difficult for solar panels than others. A good installation company should be able to install panels on most every roof, but you should expect some planning to go into it, especially if you have a sloping roof, Spanish tile or something similar.
  • Expect an up-front cost. Solar installation is not inexpensive and making the leap to solar energy will require an initial investment. You will start seeing returns on that investment over time as you reap considerable energy savings (and increase the resale value of your house to boot), but you need to expect a little patience and look for savings to accrue over time instead of arriving right away.

If you’re thinking about solar installation, call upon the experts at Sound Heating to help. We work in Olympia, solar installation is a specialty of ours, and we can prepare for the things to think about with solar installation before setting up your new system with courtesy and care. Call us today and let us show you what we can do!

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Use Solar Heating to Warm Your Home

Wednesday, March 19th, 2014

Here is what’s great about solar energy: the power of the sun is free. Instead of paying for natural gas, electricity, oil, propane, etc., you won’t have to shell out a single cent for the energy that radiates from the star at the center of our solar system. Once you’ve paid for the installation of a solar-powered heating and cooling system, the only money you will need to pay to keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter is for regular maintenance and occasional repairs. (And solar powered systems have few moving parts, so they rarely require extensive repairs.) And if you go solar, you’ll help the planet because you’ll be using a renewable energy source.

Solar power is still underutilized, but at Sound Heating we hope to change that. We want to help you benefit from solar in Puyallup, WA. Contact us today to talk about installation of a solar heating and cooling system for your home, as well as other solar-powered systems.

A few things to consider with solar heating

Solar power does tend to be more expensive to install than systems that use electricity or natural gas. However, the long-term benefits outweigh the initial costs. It only requires a few years for solar energy to pay back its installation price, and after that point you’ll save money every month that you have your system working.

Homeowners are often worried about the space requirements for solar panels. You should have a technician experienced with solar power take a look at your property so you know about the potential for your home to harness the sun’s energy. You don’t necessarily need an enormous amount of roof space, since panels can now be installed on posts in the yard.

Something else to keep in mind: If you feel a bit hesitant about hooking up a full solar-powered heat pump, you can start smaller with a solar-powered water heater, one of the easiest units to install. It’s not difficult from there to start to add on more solar panels as you expand your home’s use of the energy of the sun.

Find out more about solar power and your home

Contact Sound Heating and set up an appointment with our Puyallup, WA solar specialists. We can tell you about the options available for using solar power to heat and cool your home, and then arrange to look over your house and property and see where you can start saving money with sun power. We are happy to answer any questions you might have, and we hope that’ll you decide to invest in solar heating for your future and for the planet’s.

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Signs Your Solar Panels Need Repair

Wednesday, March 5th, 2014

Our customers at Sound Heating are often looking for ways to reduce their energy bills as well their impact on the environment. The best way to do both is the choose to have a photovalic (PV) solar panel system installed on their roof or other part of their property to harness the free energy of the sun. Solar panels will soon pay back their installation cost through their highly energy-efficient performance.

A solar panel operating with repair needs, however, won’t give you the savings you want—or the power. But it can be difficult to tell when PV panels need repairs because they do not use mechanical parts and show no display outwardly that they are working at all. Here are some things to look for to tell that you may need solar repair service in Olympia, WA for your PV panels.

Watch for these signs that your solar panels need repairs

  • Broken glass casing: Solar panels are built to withstand most weather conditions, but can still sustain damage from debris, such as falling trees, stones hurled in the wind, and hail. If you notice any cracks in your solar panels, from small factures to a web of shattered glass, don’t ignore it or hesitate with calling for repairs. Water getting inside the panels can cause fogging and eventually other serious damage to the panels.
  • Power from the cells cuts in and out: An issue that can afflict solar panels is loose solder connections or other problems with the wiring such as corrosion and oxidation, which can lead to the panels cutting in and out when they are heating and cooling. If you rap your hand against the panels and their power cuts in or out, then you should call for repairs to fix the connections and locate any other panels that may have similar problems.
  • Drop in power production: You should keep close track on the power meter for your solar system to see how it performs on average (measured in killowatts per day) as compared to the manufacturer’s expected average. If drops occur that you cannot account for because of weather conditions such as clouds or rain, then the panels may be losing their capacity for some reason and will need repairs.  
  • Error message on the inverter: Check the inverter once a week to see that it is operating correctly or displaying an error message. The problem may actually be with the inverter itself, but it could also be a problem with the panels. Record the error code on the inverter and then call professionals to see what can be done.

Solar panels need precision repairs, and you can only get this through experts in solar power technology. Trust to the solar repair experts in Olympia, WA at Sound Heating to take care of your sun-powered needs.

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Solar Heating Tip: What to Consider Before Installing a Solar Heating System

Monday, February 18th, 2013

At Sound Heating & Air Conditioning, we offer solar heating installation in Tacoma, WA and surrounding areas. There are many factors to consider before installing a solar heating system in your home. We have provided a list of those factors in this post to help you decide whether or not solar heating is the most cost-effective choice for your home. Call us if you have further questions or would like to set up a consultation.

Location of the Home

The location of your home is an important factor to consider. While you can choose either a passive or active solar heating system, they will only be effective if certain conditions are in place. Ask yourself a few questions before you discuss your options with a Tacoma solar expert.

  1. Is your home located in a shady area?
  2. How many windows are in the home?
  3. What direction does your home face?
  4. How expensive is gas and electricity in your area?

Insulation and Air Sealing

In addition to location, how well your home is insulated and sealed is another important factor in helping you decide if a solar heating system is the most cost-effective solution for your needs. Homes that are not properly insulated won’t get as much benefit from either passive or active solar heating systems.

Hot Water Needs

If you have an older hot water heater, you can add a solar water heater to your solar heating system to efficiently meet your hot water needs. Be sure to speak with a contractor about all of your options. You may decide to install one system at a time, or all at once, depending on your needs and energy-saving goals.

Call the Tacoma, WA solar heating experts at Sound Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. for all your solar heating and solar hot water heater needs. Contact Sound Heating & Air Conditioning today!

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Can Solar Heating Really Heat My Home That Well In The Middle of Winter?

Monday, February 11th, 2013

For homeowners that are looking to reduce the amount of energy that they have to buy to heat their home, solar heaters are a great option. But some homeowners are skeptical because of the weather that we get in the Tacoma, WA area. There are some differing opinions on the matter but at Sound Heating and Air Conditioning we’ve been providing complete solar services in Tacoma, WA for many years. We thought it would be helpful if we put together some information for our customers in the area.

Solar Heating in Tacoma WA and Cloud Climates

One of the obvious weaknesses of using solar panels in cloudy climates like Tacoma, WA is that it needs sunshine. Since we often have cloudy weather many homeowners are hesitant to use solar panels. However, there are a huge range of options for you that can help you reduce your energy consumption.

First, just because we have cloudy weather doesn’t mean that you won’t benefit from a solar array. There are many days of sunshine during which your solar system can help you reduce the amount of energy that you use. Using highly efficient appliances and a large battery storage system you could potentially reduce your energy consumption by quite a lot. However, you most likely will need a good back-up heating system like a wood burning stove or a furnace.

Solar Water Heating in Tacoma WA

The water heater in your home gets used every day. While solar photovoltaic systems are designed to produce electricity from sunlight, solar water heaters operate in a completely different way. Instead, they use heat from the sun to heat your water. These types of systems can work even when it’s cloudy because they don’t require sunshine—just heat. So even when it’s cloudy, a solar water heater in Tacoma, WA can still provide some heat for your home’s water. When used in conjunction with a traditional water heart, your solar water heater could offer significant energy savings.

For all your solar services in Tacoma, WA call the technicians at Sound Heating and Air Conditioning. Contact Sound Heating and Air Conditioning today!

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Heating Tip: Preventing the Need for Solar Repair Service

Monday, February 4th, 2013

As more and more homeowners in Tacoma, WA are attempting to make their homes more environmentally friendly many are turning to solar power. The sun is up there in the sky, after all, giving off an awful lot of energy. It only makes sense to harness that energy and make use of it inside your home. With the installation of a solar heating system in Tacoma you can keep your home warm with a clean, dependable and sustainable energy source. Keep your solar heating system working properly and effectively with these tips from the Tacoma solar pros at Sound Heating & Air.

No home heating system is perfect. Every mechanical system experiences problems in operation at some point, and a solar heating system is no different. There are plenty of steps that you can take, though, to prevent the need for solar repair in Tacoma.

First of all, your solar heating system must receive a professional installation by a qualified Tacoma solar heating technician. This technology is too complex and requires too many components to trust anyone other than a qualified professional. Your system must be properly sized to ensure that it is capable of heating your home as efficiently and effectively as possible. If it is too large it will short cycle frequent, incurring unnecessary wear and tear and heightening the likelihood of system damages. If it is too small it will work too hard to reach temperatures it simply is not capable of attaining. This too increases the likelihood of damage to your system. Call us today to find out more about professional solar installation in Tacoma.

By far the best measure that you can take to minimize solar heating system repair in Tacoma is to schedule professional maintenance service. By having your solar heating system routinely inspected and tuned up you can enjoy reliable, efficient heating service throughout the heating season. Schedule professional maintenance today to keep your solar heating system operating properly.

For more information about solar heating in Tacoma or to schedule an installation or maintenance service, contact Sound Heating & Air. We can help you heat your home more efficiently than ever before. Contact us today to learn more about keeping your solar heating system in prime working condition.

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