Renewable energy generation, efficiency upgrades & equipment for farms & businesses can now qualify for 40% grants 

In 2023, solar energy projects that power businesses and farms can be eligible to get back 40% of the cost of equipment and installation under new grant guidelines of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) program. Grant levels shot up this year from 25% to 40% of project costs, giving small farm and business owners a big boost in adding solar power to their operations.

mtvSolar is excited to see this jump in grant support for solar projects, which will put solar within reach for many more rural entrepreneurs. We know it makes a difference because we’ve already helped many customers qualify for REAP grants to make the step into solar energy. 

Mike Studholme, our Senior Solar PV and Battery Consultant, has worked with a wide variety of customers who harnessed the REAP grants to add sustainable power to their small business or farm.

Successful applications have added solar panels to river outfitters, small farm operations, a car wash, chiropractic clinic and a substance use recovery center.

Mike said most small businesses in West Virginia, and many across mtvSolar’s service area, qualify as “rural” on the USDA map. 

The great news is that REAP grants can be used along with tax credits and depreciation schedules to finance a solar project. Those combined resources can cover the majority cost of a solar power installation, creating a substantial return on investment over the life of the system.

If you’ve been considering adding solar panels, battery systems or looking for ways to ramp up your energy efficiency, now is the time. We know the process, and are here to help you reduce the cost of your project and meet your energy goals. Here are some things to know:

What energy projects can qualify? Grants can be used for small and large solar generation, geothermal systems, and other renewable energy forms. 

Who can get the grants? Small business owners who get 50% of the gross income from farm or business activities in eligible rural areas.

When do we apply? The first round of grant applications for REAP are due March 31 for this fiscal year. Because the process takes several steps, get in touch with us now to talk about your solar project. mtvSolar knows the REAP process, and can walk customers through the application process. Smaller projects may be eligible for remaining grants, under an October grant deadline.

How much will the grants fund? Renewable Energy System grants range from a minimum of $2,500 to a max of $1 million. Energy Efficiency Grants range from $1,500 to $500,000.

Farm and business owners can also apply for guaranteed loans for up to 75% of project costs under the federal energy program.

Rural Energy for America Program has been key to making renewable energy projects possible for entrepreneurs and farmers. We’ve seen it for our customers and watched the impact on their electric bills and in their communities. REAP is there to support rural economic growth, energy independence and a cleaner future.

Equipment Specification

(1) Schneider SW4048 Inverter

(1) Schneider 60-150 MPPT Charge Controller

(1) Schneider InsightHome Gateway

(12) DEKA 8G27 Lead-Acid Gel Batteries

(9) 320w REC Solar Modules (2.88kW)

(2) 320w REC Solar Modules for R&D

(1) Midea 8000BTU Inverter A/C Model MAW08V1QWT

(4) LED Garage Lights 150W, 15000lm

The 16×20 structure was designed to have a 100% south facing roof for the solar modules:

The power system consists of a low-frequency Schneider SW4048, which can deliver 3.8kW continuously, with a 7kW surge rating.  The low frequency design enables it to start induction loads with ease, such as power tools.  It delivers 120/240 split phase AC true-sine power.

The 9 320w solar modules are connected in 3 strings of 3 to a Schneider 60-150 MPPT charge controller, which charges a bank of 12 DEKA 8G27 GEL batteries wired in 3P4S configuration for a usable capacity of roughly 6kWh at C/20 rate and 50% depth of discharge.  It is a 48vdc system.

The building is insulated, with an insulated roll-up garage door, standard entry door, and a window.

The window contains the Midea inverter window air conditioner.  This AC is exceedingly efficient, drawing around 350w at full power and having zero surge.  Much like a mini-split, it ramps up and down smoothly and maintains the temperature at 75f even on a 95 degree day.

The base load, including the A/C in June, consumes an average of 1.87kWh per day.  The 2.88kW of PV can produce up to 6.85kWh on the shortest winter day.  In the event of insufficient power due to extra loads or lack of sun, a generator inlet can be connected to supplemental power from the grid or a portable genset.

Heating in winter is supplied via a propane garage heater.

The real-time monitoring via Schneider Conext Insight supplies plenty of data:

Winchester, VA – Mountain View Solar’s (mtvSolar) installation team arrived early Saturday morning to begin installing an array of 87 solar panels at the Kids Clubs of Northern Shenandoah Valley. Mountain View Solar completed the installation for free as part of their Community Giveback Program to non-profit organizations.

“We are proud to help out an organization that has such a tremendous impact on the Winchester community,” said Mountain View Solar Founder and CEO Mike McKechnie. “Our installation in 2020 was just the beginning and we’re so glad to complete this project to help the Kids Clubs reduce their energy expenses.”

The Kids Clubs of Northern Shenandoah Valley offers after-school programming and summer camps for children ranging from elementary school through high school. Many of the children that attend the Kids Clubs live below the poverty line.

“This has been a dream of ours for a long time and it’s amazing to complete this project,” said Sarah Bradley, Director of Development and Marketing for the Kids Clubs of Northern Shenandoah Valley. “It also gives us a great opportunity to engage the kids with lessons on renewable energy and solar power. We’re looking forward to using the savings that we will receive as a teaching tool.”

Mountain View Solar is a regional solar and battery provider based in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia with satellite offices located in Winchester and Charles Town, West Virginia. Mountain View Solar has served the region by providing customized energy solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, government, and non-profits since 1995.

“The resources that are being saved for the Kids Clubs will allow them to provide more services for the kids,” said Winchester Mayor John David Smith Jr. “The City of Winchester recently adjusted our zoning laws so we can allow more permissible solar energy on buildings and that is an achievement that I am very proud of.”

Mountain View Solar’s Community Giveback Program operates on an “Install One, Get One” model in which every time a homeowner or business goes solar, they can donate one or more panels at no cost to a participating non-profit organization. The Community Giveback Program supports non-profit organizations who want to demonstrate clean energy and reduce their operating costs. Mountain View Solar is slated to continue the Community Giveback Program with other non-profit organizations this summer.

“This 35-kilowatt system is designed to cover 100% of the electricity usage by the Kids Club,” said Mountain View Solar’s Sales and Market Development Director, Danny Chiotos. “The reason why Mountain View Solar partners with the Kids Club is because of the rising prices in electricity, childcare, and family resource needs. The Community Giveback Program is our way of helping a local non-profit that has such a great impact on the community.”

The partnership began in 2019 when Mountain View Solar donated $14,000 worth of the solar panels to the Kids Clubs of Northern Shenandoah Valley. In September 2020, Mountain View Solar installed 23 solar panels for the Kids Clubs of Northern Shenandoah Valley. By increasing the non-profit’s solar array to 110 panels, Mountain View Solar will help eliminate the Kids Clubs’ electric bills in order focus all their resources on programming.

“Getting the Kids Clubs to net-zero means the money can go back into the programs for the kids who are more than deserving of this,” said Kerry Allden-Collis, Mountain View Solar’s Inside Sales Manager. “My children are members of the Kids Clubs and the impact that this will have on the community is a legacy that will last for over thirty years.”

For more information on the Kids Clubs of Northern Shenandoah Valley, please visit https://www.thekidsclubs.org/.

Most hardworking Americans would agree that in a perfect world, the cost of living would always remain low. However, with predicted hikes in electricity rates, customers need a plan of action to combat higher costs and keep more of what they’ve earned in their pockets. As such, solar power is emerging as a viable solution for customers to save money on energy costs and save for their futures. With solar, customers can make the switch from being dependent on other sources of energy to instead becoming the administrators of their own energy supply and a more comfortable way of living.

What’s Happening?

The following sources outline some of the projected changes in electricity rates:

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pennsylvania-electric-generation-costs-increasing-june-1/

“West Penn Power consumers will see a 23.7% increase, up from 7.7569 cents to 9.592 cents per kilowatt hour. Penn Power’s cost will go from 7.082 cents to 8.694 cents per kilowatt hour, an increase of 22.7%, according to the commission.”

https://www.wsaz.com/2022/04/20/appalachian-power-requests-energy-cost-adjustment-psc/

“Currently, the monthly bill for an Appalachian Power residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours is $155.66. If approved as filed, the adjustment would add $18.41 to that amount. The PSC said ENEC can be reviewed every year and often makes up one-third of a customer’s power bill. This request represents an additional 12% on Appalachian Power bills.”

https://www.wdbj7.com/2022/05/03/some-virginia-electric-rates-going-up/

“Beginning May 1, ODEC increased its costs to all its 11 cooperatives by $2.32 per megawatt hour (MWh), or 0.232 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). For a typical residential household that uses 1,000 kWh of electricity monthly, according to the SEC, there will be an increase of close to $2.32.”

Reasons for the Proposed Increases

There are several factors contributing to the need for a rate increase.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission expressed that “higher wholesale market prices for electricity are fueled in part by shifts in supply and demand for natural gas, increasing purchasing costs for electric distribution companies and driving up the price to compare, which accounts for about half of a total utility bill.”

Similarly, Virginia’s Old Dominion Electric Cooperative said “As a result of rising natural gas prices, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) has implemented a rate increase to cover the higher generation costs resulting primarily from those natural gas price increases, according to Southside Electric Cooperative (SEC).”

Power companies are struggling to keep up with the push and pull of supply and demand shifts. Additionally, power generation costs are higher due to the increase in purchasing costs during the production period. These factors combine to create higher utility costs for the consumer.

Escalating utility costs don’t just happen once. As rates continue to climb due to a variety of factors, alternative energy sources become more attractive to home and business owners. If you’re a frustrated consumer paying more for electricity due to increases beyond your control, consider going solar. The return-on-investment is gradual, and over time it produces significant savings for your home or business.

Benefits of Going Solar

With Mountain View Solar, understanding how solar works is made easy thanks to our highly experienced staff. We’ll show you how making the transition to solar power provides you with energy independence and how it results in economic and environmental benefits, such as:

Energy Independence:

• Owning your own energy source
• Reduced dependency on fossil fuels
• Reduction of the nation’s dependency on imported fuels

Economic Benefits:

• The Return-on-Investment (ROI) is typically 10-12 years
• Free energy once the ROI is realized with expected system lifetime of 40+     years
• Reduced uncertainty in energy costs

Environmental Impact:

Zero greenhouse emissions—To put this in perspective, a 5-kilowatt system installed in WV can offset the annual greenhouse gas emissions of one vehicle.

Mountain View Solar Can Help!

Choosing the best solar option for your home or business is easier than you think, thanks to our helpful and professional staff. We provide custom free estimates, and we can also provide you with financing information. Our financing options include $0 down options where you own your system. These financed systems can be cash positive from year 1 and are paid for it through fixed monthly payments which are often less than your electric savings + solar renewable energy credit income.

Take Note: Be cautious of companies encouraging solar system leases—you could end up with a 20-year contract or possibly a lien on your home. Solar leases can also greatly affect the sale of a home. At the end of the day, leasing does little to save you money and can result in you losing control over your own roof.

At Mountain View Solar, you can feel safe with the knowledge that you get:

• Quality solar PV system with a 25-year panel warranty
• Professional installation by our experienced, local, in-house team
• A 26 percent Federal tax credit
• SREC income that you keep
• Added value to your home (Pearl Certification)

It is our mission to enable people throughout the region to utilize solar energy to experience energy independence and environmental stewardship. We also believe strongly in education and community outreach. Over the course of our 13 years, we’ve assisted businesses both small and large and helped owners of homes of all sizes. You’ll find the same dedicated level of Mountain View Solar customer service no matter the size of your home or business.

Solar energy is here, it’s exciting, and it benefits you and the environment. At Mountain View Solar, we make sure that we provide you with a free estimate that is easy to understand. And, we’re always open to and available for questions or concerns—something you don’t always find with utility and solar leasing companies.

If you’re ready to take control of your energy costs, contact us today. Life is busy enough—the rate increase you battle today will most likely reappear as utility companies struggle for financial footing. Not only does going solar improve your ROI in the long run, with the installation of batteries it provides invaluable peace-of-mind in the event of a power outage.

Mountain View Solar is a family-owned company based in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. We are also licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Let us help you decide upon the best solar option for your home or business. By investing now, you’ll be on the right path to a strong ROI and, best of all, energy independence you can rely on! It’s a win-win!

Choosing your solar contractor is as important as that of any other major home improvement.  Solar energy systems require specialist knowledge, especially if batteries and generators are involved.  Mountain View Solar has been operating purely as a solar installation company since 2009 (previously, we built green homes as Mountain View Builders).  During your sales visit, there are questions that you can ask to help ensure that the company you’re dealing with is reliable and can be trusted to do the job properly.

Solar is an electrical job.  The system must be installed according to the current National Electric Code (NEC), and by experienced workers to be safe.  The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) was established specifically to ensure that installers have the knowledge to do the work properly.  There are various NABCEP certifications, but the one you’ll want to see associated with the installation team is “NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional”.

We know there may be other contractors fighting for your business.  To help you make a sound decision, here is a list of questions to ask a potential contractor for your project:

• Who will install my system?
• Are those involved with my project employees of the company? If not, are all subcontracted laborers fully licensed and insured?
• Do members of your installation team hold a NABCEP Installer certification?

• Do you have a local business location?
• How long have you been in business?

• Do you hold all applicable local and state licenses?
• Can you provide a certificate of insurance showing me as additionally insured for the period of time you will be working at my property?  Contractors should hold valid general liability, automobile, and workers compensation coverage.
• Do you handle all the permitting, inspections and interconnection paperwork and fees?

• What happens if something goes wrong with my system?
• Do you handle warranty claims with the manufacturer?
• Do you have a dedicated service team?

• What does your installation portfolio look like?
• Can I inspect some real examples of your work?
• Can I talk to previous customers?

• Do I get to keep the tax credit and SREC income from my project?

• How do you support the local community where you operate?

There is no way around it, maintaining a home is a massive undertaking. It takes patience, hard work, and considerable planning. However, if certain aspects of home upkeep are handled routinely, significant advantages can be seen at the time of sale. This can include everything from getting regular maintenance, such as power washing or repainting, to obtaining efficiency certifications, such as Pearl. Some of these upgrades not only improve efficiency, but can actually generate profit in avoided utility costs, as solar does. This often increases the value of the home by a significant percentage and when it comes time to sell, you’re one step ahead in the market. We will be focusing on the PEARL Solar Certification in the following pages.

What Is Pearl Certification?

Pearl Certification is a national firm that provides third-party certification of high-performing homes: homes with “performance assets” that make them healthy, safe, comfortable, energy and water efficient. Pearl Home Certification, which has raised more than $4.5 million from private and institutional investors, was accepted into the prestigious National Association of Realtors Reach Accelerator program in 2017.

The certification is highly regarded for two main reasons. The first is the partnership that it has with the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. Pearl is the only private certification firm to sponsor the program. The second reason is the strong partnerships that the certification holds, including with ENERGY STAR, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Building Performance Institute, the National Association of Realtors, the Appraisal Institute, and Efficiency First.

How Does The Pearl Certification Work?

Pearl focuses on a few specific areas of the home, including the building shell, heating and cooling, electrical baseload, home management, and of course, solar. A homeowner can apply for certification on their own, or a contractor making an upgrade can apply as a value added service, as mtvSolar intends to do upon request for new solar installations in the West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania service area.

If you as a homeowner want to apply for certification, prior to starting the process, Pearl suggests that homeowners take the pre-qualification survey. This brief assessment helps to identify whether a home will likely qualify for the certification or not. In other words, it saves both the assessor and the homeowner time. It asks questions about when the home was built, its heating fuel, if it has a solar energy system, and whether it was built to a higher standard (i.e. ENERGY STAR, HERS Index Score, etc.). At the moment, one of the reasons that Pearl Certification may not be able to certify a home is because of the state it is located in. Although Pearl is able to serve more than 100 million homes across America, there are still some states that the firm is expanding into. Pearl is available, however, in all states in which mtvSolar operates.

Once the pre-qualification survey is passed, homeowners can schedule a certification visit. During the visit, a professional awards a set number of points for every high-performing asset in the home. These assets include smart thermostats, solar power systems, ENERGY STAR appliances, insulation in the walls and attic, and heating and cooling systems.

The certification is very precise in terms of how it awards points. It does not view all high-performing equipment equally. The assets that are higher quality and more efficient are given more points. For example, double-pane windows do get some points, but double-pane low-e windows are awarded more, and triple-pane are awarded even further. Every type of asset has a similar weighting system.

Once the points are awarded and added up, there are three levels of certification possible. The lowest level sits at 700 points. Homes that receive this many points are called Pearl Silver Certified. These homes need to either have insulation or strong heating and cooling features. The next level of certification is Pearl Gold, at 825 points. These homes are often more modern and have very good heating and cooling, as well as a good building shell/insulation. The top level is Pearl Platinum at 975 points. These homes will go beyond qualifying as Pearl Gold by also having efficient and smart appliances, lighting, monitoring devices and solar panels.

mtvSolar will apply for the Pearl Solar Certification on every customer’s behalf if requested during contract negotiations. The Pearl Solar Certification will be listed with Pearl as a Pearl Certified Asset, covering the solar panels, inverters, EV chargers and batteries if applicable.

The Benefits Of Pearl Certification

Pearl Certification is about much more than a slip of paper that states just how efficient and safe a home is. It allows for more clarity and understanding, both for the homeowner and for any potential home buyers. There are a handful of other benefits that can be associated with the certification as well.

1. Increased Home Value

While certification proving the efficiency of a home will always assist in the valuation process, Pearl Certified homes are regularly valued higher. In fact, a recent study found that when a home is Pearl Certified, it sells for 5% more. In the end, this means that a homeowner can walk away with thousands of extra dollars in their pocket. Your Pearl solar certification will come with an accompanying letter for an appraiser, assisting them in the understanding of how solar has a tangible value. Without this letter and Pearl certification, many appraisers don’t understand the value of solar and can’t consider it in the final number.

2. Increased Home Performance

When an assessor reviews a home for certification, it is very similar to an energy audit—just on a much broader scale. It not only looks at the home’s energy performance, but also how healthy, comfortable, and safe it is. This comprehensive review allows the assessor to provide feedback to the homeowner. Not only will they provide an accurate score, but they can also let the homeowner know about additional improvements that they could make. These improvements will both help the home earn more points needed to reach a higher Pearl Certified level and also end up saving the homeowner money by making the home more efficient and more salable.

3. Easily Combined With Home Improvement Upgrades

Pearl has partnered with the best contractors around the country to combine services. Pearl handpicks a handful of elite professionals in each city to be a part of its Advantage Network. These contractors are stringently screened for their customer engagement processes, consumer ratings, quality control processes, and professional training.

In the end, using a Pearl Advantage Contractor allows consumers to rest easy, knowing that they are getting the best and most reliable product available from a reputable contractor. Additionally, after the contractor has completed installation, they provide a Pearl Certification report and documentation for appraisal as an extra benefit to the client.

Mountain View Solar is your local Pearl Advantage Contractor. With the installation of any solar power or energy storage system, customers will receive a Pearl Solar Certification for their array. Not only are they getting enhanced efficiency for their home from a contractor that they can trust, but they are also getting documentation that will enhance the value of their home.

For more information on the Pearl Certification, the Pearl Solar Certification, or Mountain View Solar, please contact us today! Our team of zero-pressure consultants can answer any questions that you may have and conduct a free site evaluation.

Here is an authentic Pearl Certification Report (personal info redacted):

Click here to get your FREE ESTIMATE today !!

Even during an outage!

With the meteoric rise in costs of gasoline being fueled by current world events, the time has never been better to consider a shift from fossil fuels to electricity for transportation.

The popularity of electric cars has skyrocketed; news outlets love to track the rapid rise of Tesla and its luxury vehicles. In addition to purely electric cars, there are many varieties of plug-in hybrid cars that are reducing dependency on gasoline and diesel such as the Toyota Prius and Chevy Volt.  Aside from Tesla, all major automobile manufacturers now have at least one electric vehicle offering to choose from, including sedans, SUVs and pickup trucks.

While it’s true that even coal-fired power plants generate power more efficiently than a single combustion engine, electric cars still rely on energy that produces greenhouse gasses in most areas. If you are powering your car via a home outlet rather than the gas pump, those watts still cost money, though much less per mile than traditional fuel would, and still cleaner than burning gasoline or diesel.

One of the ways to truly get the most sustainability and financial benefit from your electric car is to install a solar photovoltaic energy system on your home or office building alongside the EV (electric vehicle) chargers.

Powering an electric car with your home or office PV system will speed up the ROI, and projects to pay for itself within 7 to 10 years, according to EnergySage, despite the extra cost for solar panels. Given that mtvSolar’s quality solar panels will produce usable power for over 40 years, there will be many years in which this system is paid off and generating extra benefits.

As more electric cars are added to the roads, solar-powered electric car charging stations are cropping up, sometimes free for public use. Large businesses are adding EV chargers to encourage their employees to drive to work with an electric car. As these items grow more and more common, they further reduce the cost to an electric car owner.  mtvSolar has installed a few such chargers around our service area.

With a grid-tie system, even when not using all the electricity generated for the home and electric car, one can be putting energy back into the utility grid for others to use, adding to the savings. Net metering gives a special benefit to solar energy producers.

Generally speaking, one needs to charge their car after work, at night, when the sun is down. Even so, an electric car can be powered by the sun.

In West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, the laws are such that residents who produce solar power during the day at their homes can get back the excess during the night at a 1-to-1 ratio. “Net metering” refers to measuring how much energy left the grid and entered the grid from a particular home over the course of a month and finding the net change. This means a customer is only charged for the total extra energy pulled from the grid. In the event of overproduction, the owner is given an energy credit to be used later.

The bottom line is that even though the exact same electrons an array produced during the day aren’t the same ones charging the car at night, the utility acts like a giant battery, effectively storing the daytime solar energy for use at night.

When you upsize your solar capacity enough to accommodate one or two electric cars, you do incur additional costs, but you also cut the gasoline or public electric-charge costs, generating a steady stream of savings. Electric vehicles provide other benefits, including requiring much less maintenance, and solar energy systems also qualify for valuable tax credits that make your money back even faster.

A solar power system and an electric car are investments, but they are investments that compound the positive returns for each other.  Let’s take a look at an example on how the typical American can gain vehicle energy independence.

On average, electric cars consume 34.6kWh to travel 100 miles, or 0.346kWh to travel 1 mile.  The typical driver drives around 13,500 miles per year.  The total kWh then needed to charge a commuter’s electric car is 4,671kWh annually based on that 34.6kWh per 100 miles average.  A solar array of around 3.5kW will produce enough power to recharge the car for free over the course of a year.  And since the quality solar modules installed by mtvSolar are warrantied for 25 years and expected to last decades longer, your clean energy source will outlive the life of the typical car a few times over.

But what happens when the power goes out?  Modern solar technologies such as SolarEdge EnergyHub or Tesla PowerWall can charge your car during an outage.  The SolarEdge solution is the most leading edge of all current technologies, allowing direct conversion of solar energy to power for the car charger, without drawing down house batteries or being converted by the inverter.  mtvSolar has extensive experience installing solar powered electric car chargers that can operate during an outage.

Maintenance costs on electric cars are minimal, with costs for oil changes, spark plugs, exhaust system, and fan belts non-existent. This means less money spent on maintenance, and also means less materials used in total to operate your car, furthering your reduction of your carbon footprint. Even brakes last much longer as modern electric cars use a system known as regenerative braking, feeding energy back into the battery each time you stop. And last, once the car battery packs are past their useful life, they can have a second life as stationary storage or be recycled.  In fact, mtvSolar is installing systems right now that use recycled EV batteries for stationery purposes.

Want to know more about how to combine solar and an electric car charger? We install quality solar modules, car chargers, and home batteries regularly, using the safest technology on the market.  Contact us today for a FREE consultation: https://mtvsolar.com/site-evaluation/