By Shaul Korning�(For a FREE solar quote please TEXT your address to 609-831-2125 OR EMAIL your Address to [email protected])

One of the fastest growing industries in New Jersey and New York is solar. WIth very generous�government incentives coupled with sizable private investment; solar is a very viable energy�solution. I wanted to find out more so I went for a visit to PowerLutions Solar, a solar�installation company headquartered in Lakewood with offices in Spring Valley, New York.

I met with Chaim, Yerucham and Shmuel. Chaim is head of Sales, Yerucham is head of�Engineering & Operations and Shmuel heads up the installation department.

Can you tell us a little about PowerLutions Solar?
Chaim: Sure, we�ve been around for 8 years–

Yerucham: Going on 9 years now.

Chaim: Right! Our focus has always been to bring the best value to the customer, while�delivering the best possible solution to save the most money from their solar system. We are�very focused on customer satisfaction and we always stand behind our product.

What�s the first thing I need to know about solar?
Chaim: �Well the first thing I would say is to differentiate between residential and commercial.�

Let�s focus on Residential Solar, why should I put solar on my home?
Chaim: �OK, that�s a good question!� <laughs> �Solar will reduce the amount of electricity you�use from your electric company since it produces electricity from the sun that you can use in�your home.�

How does the sun produce electricity?
Yerucham: �On a basic level, the radiation from the sun causes the electrons on the panels to�be excited and move, which generates energy and is converted to electricity.�

What about at night, or when it�s cloudy, how does the home still have electricity?
Chaim: �You are always attached to the electric grid, so you always have a flow of electricity.�

Yerucham: �That�s actually a two part question. When it�s cloudy it�s still possible to have some�electricity produced, albeit a lower amount. In terms of the nightly question; in New Jersey and�New York, and in many States, there is something called �Net Metering� which basically means�that you get the full value of solar electricity. If you are not home and the sun is out and a�minimal amount of electricity is being used, your meter will, effectively, go backwards. When�you come home at night it will go forward again. You get the full value of the solar electricity�and the grid is acting as a battery for the electricity produced that you are not using at that time.�

Doesn�t it cost a lot of money to install solar panels on my home?
Chaim: �Yes and no. You can purchase it yourself and have it installed on your home, but there�are different government incentives that lower the cost and allow you to recoup your investment�at a much faster rate.

We also offer great financing options with no money out of pocket and you can save money�right away!

In addition, PowerLutions offers solar lease and PPA programs. It costs you $0 to install and�you would enjoy a very low rate on the electricity produced by the solar system. This option is�also no money out of pocket and offers you to save a lot of money right away.�

What is the rate for the lease program?
Yerucham: �That depends on different factors, including: the pitch of the roof, position of the roof towards the sun, shade etc.�

Chaim: �The rate includes the Delivery and Generation portion of your bill so it can bring your�utility bill down to a couple of dollars.�

What are your financing options?
Chaim: �We have several different options and terms. We have great no-money down options that allow you to save money Year 1. We have terms from 5 to 25 years. The financing allows the system to be paid for 100%, including the amount of the tax credit.�

Tax Credit?
Chaim: �Yes, when you purchase a solar PV system you get a Federal Income Tax Credit for�30% of the system cost. The financing option allows the tax credit portion to be paid for and,�the idea is, you pay the financing company back when you get your tax credit payment, if you�withhold, or save on paying the government the amount you would owe.�

What if I don�t have a need for tax credits or I don�t want to be involved in dealing with a�tax credit?
Chaim: �The lease and PPA program is perfect for you! The leasing company takes advantage�of the tax incentives and they, in turn, give you a great rate on the solar electricity. This allows�you to utilize their ability to use the tax incentives and you save thousands of dollars!��OK, so let�s say you convinced me to go solar on my home. Aren�t you ruining my roof?

Shmuel: No, we do not damage the roof. We use industry best practices to ensure a quality�installation. We only use top quality components with our experienced installers taking extreme�care to ensure the installation is blemish-free. All penetrations are sealed and flashed utilizing�the same methods that a roofer would use if he needed to penetrate the roof.

Yerucham: All roofs are reviewed and inspected by an architect or engineer in order to confirm�that we are able to go ahead with the installation. We also procure all the required permits and�approvals from the municipality and State, including all inspections.

If there is a blackout can I still get electricity from the panels?
Yerucham: Not in the traditional sense but we can install a special unit that comes with an outlet�that can power up to 2,500 watts of power when the sun is out. It can be useful for charging�various electronics. It has a limited production value but it can go a long way when you need it.

What are some reasons that people would NOT go solar on their home?
Chaim: <laughs> We get that question a lot by people who are incredulous about how great the�deal sounds and they wonder why EVERYONE doesn�t do it!

Yes, that did occur to me as a possible Part B to my question.
Chaim: Well, there are different reasons. One reason is their roof won�t support it, either�because it�s too old or too much shade around the roof and they don�t want to trim anything.�Another reason is they don�t like the look of it, although as more people are going solar we hear�much less of that reason. It has become much more acceptable as more people do it.

Yerucham: We usually use upgraded all-black panels that are more visually pleasing.

If a person�s roof is 15 to 20 years old and it�s not old enough to replace the roof yet,�what options do they have?
Chaim: They can request a one time removal and reinstallation so, when they get to the point of�replacing their roof, PowerLutions will come and remove the system before the roof is replaced�and reinstall it when the roof work is done.�You also mentioned tree trimming.

Shmuel: Yes, we can have the tree, or trees, trimmed or removed, depending on what the�customer wants and the solar system needs.

What if they don�t want to remove or cut any trees, does that make solar impossible?
Yerucham: Depending how much shade the trees are causing. If it�s only minimal to moderate�we can put solar, it will just affect the production.

Do you mind taking a look at my house to see if it�s good for solar?
Yerucham: <laughing> Sure, I can take a look at the satellite imagery to get a preliminary idea�pretty quickly!

Thank you and thank you for your time!
Chaim: Thank you. You can reach PowerLutions Solar at 732-987- 3939, 888-SUN- 4-ENERGY,�[email protected] or www.powerlutions.com. A great way to get a solar quote is to TEXT�your address, directly from your cell phone, to 609-831- 2125 and we will contact you ASAP with�the next steps!