How to fit solar into new home construction

Building a new home comes with hundreds of decisions, large and small. What’s the square footage? What material is the exterior? What’s the roofline look like? Throughout the process, homeowners have to pick bedroom sizes, window styles, flooring and appliances. One of the most basic decisions can have the biggest impact over the life of the structure – what will power the home?

Many of today’s new homes are all electric – an approach that takes fossil fuels out of the home energy landscape and creates energy savings. Indoor air quality and safety also benefit from the removal of various fuels from a residence. 

But what supplies the electricity? In most cases, a residential connection to the power grid is one of the first utilities to be brought to a house under construction. So what do you do if you want solar energy or battery storage to be part of your home energy supply? At what point in the construction process can those systems be brought into the planning and design?

Mike Studholme.

This blog will explore how you can bring solar into the early stages of planning your dream home to create a residence that can generate its own energy for the decades ahead. 

So when is the right time to bring solar into the construction conversation? As early as possible, says Mike Studholme, Senior PV and Battery Consultant with mtvSolar.

“Orientation is key. Make sure the roof is going to be oriented properly from the start,” said Studholme. How a new house will sit on the site, what kind of clearance the site has and the pitch of the roof all affect the viability of solar panel systems.

If a builder doesn’t offer a solar package among their services, ask if they have worked with a solar installer they trust. Well-established solar companies like mtvSolar have a track record of working with multiple contracting companies in an area, making the coordination of building and installation much smoother. 

And if a builder doesn’t have “a solar guy,” a homeowner can bring a solar company into the process themselves.

Solar + home batteries for EV charging works well.

“You can contact us directly and we can talk with your builder, do a design and give them a proposal they can build into the project costs,” said Studholme. 

Solar proposals for a brand new home can come from house plans, with a few added details – what appliances the homeowner expects to have and other electrical demands in the home like an EV charger, heated pool or hot tub.

“We can take a plan set and design a solar array. It can take place very early in the process,” said Mike.

Starting the solar conversation early in a construction project can pay off in multiple ways:

  • Ensuring the home and roof are oriented for maximum solar production
  • Adding solar costs to construction contract for integrated financing
  • Reducing extra costs by incorporating trenching and electrical work into initial build
  • Starting energy production and banking solar credits DURING construction
  • Streamlining permits

Getting a builder and a solar installer talking together with the homeowner early in the process helps everyone – whether solar panels will be part of the main construction process or will be added after the new home is complete. 

“Our production and sales team, builder and homeowner come together on a call where we all agree to a plan. We’ll coordinate with the builder as to when it’s the ideal time for us to come install,” Mike said.

Once the solar plan is in place, construction will follow its normal path, with a few minimal preparations for a future array. A designated “solar conduit chase” from the attic to the electrical room clears the path for solar connections after walls are closed in, for example.

Mike Studholme said as with all solar projects, mtvSolar works with each homeowner to design and install a system that will meet their needs best and fit into their energy budget. For a brand-new home, that personal approach extends to collaborating with contractors all along the way.

“We’re very experienced with how to coordinate with builders,” said Mike. “Communication along the way makes all the difference.”

If you’re wondering, could your dream home power itself? And your vehicles? With the right kind of building site, some forward planning and an experienced solar installer, the answer is likely a sunny Yes!

A system that paid for itself in one storm

Like most solar owners, John Snyder calculated how long it would take for his solar panel array and battery backup system to pay for itself from the initial upfront cost. That calculation prepared he and his wife for a 7-year return on investment. But their solar and battery payoff came much sooner than that. Their 45-panel, 10 kW system was installed by mtvSolar at their Summersville, W.Va. farm in 2011. In June of 2012, a freak derecho storm hit West Virginia, knocking out power to most of the state for 12 days in sweltering temperatures.

“The battery backup system paid for itself in that derecho,” said Snyder. He and his wife watched people lined up at gas stations trying to get gasoline to power their generators to keep refrigerators cool, fans running and supply electricity to essentials.

“We never lost power,” he said. Their solar and battery backup saved two freezers full of expensive meats and specialty products that would have been near impossible to replace. “It paid for itself in one storm,” Snyder said.

Shortly after, Super Storm Sandy knocked power out for another seven days. He and his wife never lost electricity.

Nearly a dozen years later, operating a rare breed chicken farm with multiple coops and pens, the Snyders have an even bigger solar array and slightly different battery backup, all paying for itself in self-generation.

For 10 months of the year, their electric bill is around $5.

Back when the couple started looking for a solar contractor, there were very few choices in West Virginia. He found a number for mtvSolar and called to see if the Berkeley Springs company would travel to Summersville, several hours away, to install a system. A salesman said yes, drove down to see their farm and talk about the possibilities.

Snyder said one thing in particular made an impression on him.

He and his wife had started thinking about a combination of solar panels and wind, thinking one of their fields would be a good candidate for a windmill. The mtvSolar salesman didn’t recommend it. The location would have required a 150-ft. mast and the equipment would have been expensive to repair if anything malfunctioned.

“He could have said, ‘Okay, we’ll sell it to you’ but he didn’t,” Snyder said. That honest approach impressed him, and kicked off a long customer relationship, including added solar panels and battery upgrades.

“We have recommended mtvSolar to anyone who’s looking at solar,” said Snyder.

Solar & batteries: A key to energy resilience during winter weather

As winter approaches, North America faces another season of power reliability challenges. Extreme weather events, such as ice storms and snowstorms, can knock out power grids, leaving millions of people without electricity for days or even weeks.

Solar and battery storage systems can provide a critical source of energy during winter weather events. Solar panels generate electricity even on cloudy days, and batteries can store that electricity for use when the grid goes down. This is especially important when temperatures are low and daylight hours are shorter.

Solar and batteries improve energy resilience during winter weather in a few ways:

  • Reduce reliance on natural gas. Natural gas is a major source of electricity generation in many parts of North America. But natural gas pipelines can freeze during extreme cold weather, cutting off the fuel supply to power plants. Solar and battery storage systems reduce reliance on natural gas by providing a reliable source of backup power.
  • Provide continuous power during outages. When the grid goes down, solar and battery storage systems can provide continuous power to homes and businesses. They can keep critical infrastructure up and running, such as hospitals, water treatment plants, and communication networks.
  • Extend the reach of the grid. Solar and battery storage systems can provide power to remote areas that aren’t reached by the traditional grid, improving energy access and resilience in underserved communities.

How solar and batteries work together

Solar panels generate electricity during the day, which can be used to power homes and businesses directly. Any excess electricity can be stored in batteries for use later. When the sun goes down or the grid goes down, batteries can provide backup power.

Solar and battery storage systems can be used to create a microgrid, which is a small, self-contained power system that can operate independently of the grid. Microgrids can be used to provide power to homes, businesses, and communities during emergencies.

Real-life ways that solar & batteries help

There are a number of examples of solar and battery storage systems being used to improve energy resilience during winter weather events. For example:

  • In Texas, a microgrid powered by solar and batteries provided power to a hospital during the February 2021 winter storm.
  • In New York, a solar and battery storage system at a grocery store provided power to the store and its surrounding neighborhood during a power outage.
  • In California, a microgrid powered by solar and batteries is being used to provide power to a community of low-income residents who are often affected by power outages.

Solar and batteries combined with a generator creates a hybrid power source

  • Batteries can store excess electricity generated by solar panels for use later. This can help to bridge the gap between when the sun goes down and when the generator is used to power homes and businesses.
  • With certain system designs, the generator can be used to top off the batteries when they are low. This can help to extend the life of the batteries, reduce the number of times that the generator needs to be used, and cut down on gas consumption.

By combining solar panels, batteries, and a generator, homeowners and businesses can create a hybrid power system that can provide reliable power even during winter weather events.

Solar and battery storage systems can play a critical role in improving energy resilience during winter weather events. By reducing reliance on natural gas, providing continuous power during outages, and extending the reach of the grid, solar and batteries can help to keep people and businesses safe and connected.