The first step is to figure out if you have enough solar exposure for solar panels.

In Wisconsin, places that are unshaded from 9AM – 3PM throughout the year will have good solar exposure for a solar electric system.

Systems can be mounted to the roof of a structure or on a ground racking system if an existing structure isn’t ideal.

Yes, there are enough sunny days in northeast Wisconsin! Solar Works in Wisconsin!

Our general service area is a 1-hour radius of Appleton and the Door County peninsula.

Please reach out to see if we service your area.

Please visit our Contact Us page so we can gather information on how best to assist you.

Please review our FAQs to answer common questions and determine your project goals.

PV stands for Photovoltaic.

Solar Electric is synonymous with Photovoltaic.

On your utility bill there is a charge for the kilowatt hours (kWh) that you consume from the utility every month.

A solar electric system’s power production is measured in kilowatt hour (kWh) units.

As your power consumption fluctuates over the year, solar electric system power production also fluctuates. Solar power produced over the year will look like a bell curve, more power in the spring, summer, and fall, and less power in the winter.

It is important to know how much power you use throughout the year, so you understand how the solar electric system’s monthly power production will offset your bill.

Solar electric systems can be any size. Solar systems do NOT need to be sized to make all of your power usage. A customer can decide what percentage of their usage will be made with solar.

If you have the utility at your home, most people will try to make between 50-125% of their current usage because the utility can provide power when the solar system can’t make all the power a home uses.

If you have electric service at your home and are interested in having power when the utility fails, a solar + battery backup system will be suggested. Having extra solar panels to keep the batteries charged during a grid outage is ideal.

Systems are sized by the total wattage of the solar panels in DC kW. A 1,000 watt DC (1kW DC) system in Northeast Wisconsin should produce approximately 1,250 kWh in a year if placed in a good solar location (South facing with no shading.)

During a grid outage (day or night,) Grid-tied solar electric systems will ONLY provide power to the home when they are paired with equipment that will 1) disconnect the property from the grid and 2) instruct the solar equipment to continue operating. This is a safety requirement, so power does not go back to the grid while it’s being serviced.

A solar electric system “turns on” when there is enough ambient light. It shuts down at night when there isn’t enough light to keep the electrons “flowing”. Grid-tied systems do not need any interaction from the homeowner on a daily basis to make solar power.

A solar electric system is a collection of photovoltaic (PV) panels connected together to generate a desired size (wattage). For example, an array may be composed of ten, 410 watt solar panels creating a 4,100 watt (4.1 kW DC) system. Framed solar (PV) modules sit side-by-side on rails, and the wires from the individual modules are connected together (for central inverter systems) or connected to microinverters. The power runs to the balance of system components typically located within the home or near the utility meter.

Solar (PV) panels produce Direct Current (DC) power which, in a normal grid-tied application, is converted into Alternating Current (AC) power by an inverter (or microinverter) and flows to a utility meter or your load center (electrical service panel) to power the loads in the home. If more power is being produced by the solar electric system than consumed by the home’s loads, the excess power flows out to the utility’s grid. The utility credits the homeowner’s account for power the utility purchases in a relationship called net-metering.

Solar systems that are connected to the grid/utility are called Grid-tied. Grid-tied systems must follow utility requirements to send power to the utility and receive credit for that power. To sell power to the utility, the system owner enters into a power purchase agreement with the utility of which one option is net-metering. Utilities vary in how their net-metering policy works. Net-metering options are usually based on the size of the solar system (and battery components.) Some utilities offer a monthly true-up, some a yearly true-up, and some an instantaneous true-up. Please reach out to discuss how your utility can reimburse you for the solar power your system makes.

In Wisconsin, fixed solar panels work best when they are placed facing due South. When placed on fixed surfaces that are off of due South, a system will make less power than the same system facing due South. Unshaded South facing roofs can capture sunlight throughout the entire day.

East and West facing roofs are acceptable locations for solar panels. Power production from these orientations will be about 15-20% less than a South facing orientation. East or West roofs generate the majority of their power either early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Roof installations should coincide with ‘newer’ shingles. If you’re unsure how many years you have left on your shingles, please speak with a professional roofer for an assessment.

Roof installations allow for seamless integration of a solar system into the building structure. A roof can provide shelter and help power your home!

YES!

Benefits of a ground mounted solar array over a roof mounted array include:

• Solar panels will operate at a cooler temperature which improves power production.
• Some ground mounts offer the ability to change the pitch of panels to improve power production over the year.
• A ground mounted solar array allows for easier accessibility to the panels for:
  • removal of snow in the winter
  • any maintenance/troubleshooting of the solar array

Most systems are stationary since the panels are mounted to a roof structure or a stationary ground mount structure and aren’t manually adjustable.

Tracking systems are for ground mounted solar arrays and include mechanisms under the solar panel racking that move the solar panels to automatically follow the sun throughout the day. Single-axis (East to West) or dual-axis (East to West and more vertical to more horizontal) will make more power than fixed South facing panels. Trackers have motors which automatically turn the panels toward the sun throughout the day. These systems have moving parts, require maintenance, and have additional costs for the tracking mechanism and installation. Many homeowners prefer manually adjustable systems for the lower upfront and ongoing maintenance cost.

Trackers are uncommon in residential situations due to their added cost and required maintenance.

Most customers opt for adding more panels to a stationary ground mount system if more power production is desired.

Manually adjustable ground mount features are an option if increased power production is desired, and more panels are not an option. Manually adjustable ground mount equipment allows for seasonal adjustment of the panels’ pitch/tilt angle (more vertical in the winter, less vertical in the summer) which can increase power generation.

Solar can provide power in this situation.

With a detailed list of the appliances to be powered and the length of time and the time of year the appliances will operate, a robust off-grid system can be designed.

In Wisconsin, with snow and stretches of cloudy days, the number of solar panels will affect how quickly batteries can be recharged.

A generator is normally suggested for off grid systems if there are critical loads that must be powered.

EV stands for Electric Vehicle.

A solar system can provide the electricity your EV needs. Think of your EV as another “appliance” increasing your home’s demand for electricity. Solar systems provide your home with electricity. Your EV uses some of that electricity.

Backup systems provide your solar system with the ability to work when the grid is not present. Without the backup system, a solar system will not function when there is a grid outage even if it is sunny outside. A battery backup is not required if you have an EV. A battery backup is required if you wish for your home to have power when the grid fails and allow your solar system to keep functioning during daylight hours.

EV features are being developed to allow EVs to provide power to your home when the grid fails. Please reach out to discuss how your EV may be able to power your home.