Winchester Mayor David Smith with Kim Herbstritt, Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity
Winchester, Va. city officials and affordable housing advocates celebrated the start of a project this week to add solar panels to five newly-constructed Habitat for Humanity homes in the downtown area. Winchester Mayor David Smith said the renewable energy addition to the two-story homes is exactly what the city’s planners have in mind for the future. The Winchester Star reported on the gathering on Wednesday.
Kim Herbstritt of Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity welcomed visitors on Tuesday, March 19 to see the homes and watch mtvSolar installation crews work to prepare the solar installations. High winds on Tuesday kept the crews from attaching solar panels to the first of five homes, but the rails to hold the panels are installed and ready. Five panels will go on each home to start.
Homeowners are expected to reduce their energy bills to somewhere around $20 per month once the panels are connected and feeding their electric supply. More Habitat for Humanity homes in the Blue Ridge area will get solar panels in the near future, with mtvSolar as the trusted solar installation partner.
mtvSolar President Mike McKechnie talks as installation crews worked to prepare a roof for solar panels.
mtvSolar Mike McKechnie talked about the importance of making homes affordable for residents over the long term by fixing their energy costs. Installing solar panels essentially locks in electric costs, which normally rise steadily over the life of a home, Mike said. When mtvSolar began as a construction company, his crews donated their labor and time to help build Habitat for Humanity homes in the area. Mike McKechnie said 20 years later, mtvSolar is still an advocate for affordable housing and is excited by the movement toward more energy efficient homes. The company continues to support the mission of Habitat for Humanity through direct donations, community give-back partnerships and reduced-price work. mtvSolar customers can choose to give a panel to community projects like Habitat for Humanity when they purchase their own solar energy system.
Jeff Heie ofGiveSolar, headquartered in Harrisonburg, said charitable donors have made it possible to add solar energy systems to Habitat for Humanity homes throughout Virginia, adding another level of sustainability both to affordable housing and the environment. Additional solar energy projects are in the planning stages.
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!
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.
The world’s full of uncertainties. From monster storms to surprise grid hacks, you deserve power on demand. Forget scrambling in the dark – mtvSolar builds ultimate backup systems, crafted for your peace of mind.
No outages, no worries:
Stay grid-connected: Enjoy solar power with seamless backup during dips and blackouts.
Go fully off-grid: Ditch the grid entirely and embrace independent energy freedom.
Fuel for all seasons: An auto-start propane generator can kick in when sunlight is limited and the batteries need a boost, only sipping fuel as needed.
Control without being online: We design systems that thrive even without internet reliance.
Tailored to you: We craft the perfect backup solution for your needs and budget.
Don’t wait for the lights to go out.Embrace your power today.
Get a free consultation and secure your bright future with Mountain View Solar.
This week, we put the SolarEdge Smart Home load controller to the test! Our team trained with SolarEdge on site to install the controller in one of our own homes — letting us see how this new component can fit into residential settings and work with existing solar components. We liked what we saw!
Take control of your home energy like never before!
The SolarEdge Smart Load Controller is a game-changer. It gives homeowners an easy way to manage what gets power during an outage, and for how long. Here’s what else:
Maximize your solar self-consumption: Use more of the clean energy your panels produce, reducing your reliance on the grid and saving you money.
Extend your backup battery power: Prioritize essential appliances during outages, keeping your lights on and your family comfortable.
Schedule and control your heavy hitters: Run appliances like pool pumps, air conditioners, and electric vehicle chargers on your own terms, using smart scheduling and remote control.
Track your energy in real-time: Monitor your solar production, consumption, and savings with the user-friendly mySolarEdge app.
Our field-tests of the controller, with company reps and our top electricians working side by side, gave us a real-life look at whether this new component is suitable for our customers. The answer — it is.
The SolarEdge Smart Load Controller is available NOW from mtvSolar! Want to know more? Let’s chat!
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.
Electric vehicles (EVs) continue to evolve and claim a larger share of the automotive market. Luckily, their rise is in tandem with the increased availability and decreased cost of solar energy generation systems.
Homeowners and businesses that put solar panels to work for their electric needs see an even bigger return on their solar investment when they drive and charge electric vehicles off their system.
mtvSolar’s Director of Technology & Design Lydian Miles-Monaghan has been tracking the payback from her EV since October 2022, along with the savings from her property’s solar generation system since 2017.
“I have driven about 7,000 miles in my EV since I got it in October 2022. I’ve used 1,821 kWh for charging, which if I had to pay for it would be $218 or so. But my car has been 100% solar charged and cost me nothing,” she reports.
Seen here, the energy of the sun is directly fueling her car:
The gas version of her Kona gets roughly 32 miles per gallon. At the average cost of $3.30 per gallon, she figures she would have burnt 219 gallons of gas, at a cost of $722.
Getting an EV and charging it on a regular electric grid charger would reduce travel costs to less than a third of the gasoline average, with the added savings of having no oil changes. In her case, the charging happens off solar-generated electricity, so the power costs nothing extra.
“The energy of the sun is directly fueling my car,” she notes. “My EV will break-even on the ‘electric premium’ vs regular Kona at around 6 years, then it’s nearly free driving with 4 years of battery warranty left. But EV batteries often go over 200k miles, which is a lot of nearly free miles.”
As for the solar energy system, it has mostly paid for itself already before the EV. Here’s how she breaks it down:
Since 2017:
Not paid utility: $17,100
MD SRECs: $7,302
Tax credits: $11,808
=$36,210 saved in 6 years
Going forward:
Avoided utility cost over next 25 years: ~$90,000
Maryland SRECs ($40 est) : ~$30,000
All assuming MD utility rates do not increase above 0.12c per kWh !
With more Federal incentives available to help pay for solar energy upgrades to homes, farms and small businesses, a solar investment now will pay for itself in a shorter time period. The benefits of owning and using renewable energy – the reduction in CO2 emissions and a reliable electric source – keep pace with the financial return and stretch out far beyond the last dollar recouped. Add an EV to the mix, and ROI drops even further.
Electric companies all over the country are taking stock of their ability to deliver power to customers and key infrastructure through and after severe weather events. Energy resilience — how electric providers can recover from events that disrupt the flow of electricity — is a natioal project and a local priority for our customers.
Summer heat and storms place a predictable strain on electric grids, and one that power companies plan for. Recent heat waves in Texas and across the south have highlighted the extreme energy demands when millions of customers need to cool off, all at the same time.
Potomac Edison, which serves customers in mtvSolar’s service region of western Maryland and West Virginia, says their crews are doing proactive inspections, maintenance and tree clearing to make sure power keeps flowing.
One thing that contributes to preserving the capacity of the power grid is for individual customers to manage their own energy use. Reducing demands for power at home helps the electric company and saves customers money. These steps can be as simple as unplugging appliances that aren’t used continuously and turning a thermostat up a degree or two.
Other tips:
Use fans – moving air cools skin faster, resulting in greater comfort on hot days.
During sunny weather, close drapes or blinds on windows facing the sun.
Use a programmable or smart thermostat to keep temperatures higher when no one is home and reduce the temperature when people are coming home.
Seal any leaks with caulk or weather stripping to prevent hot air from sneaking into your home.
Check air conditioner and furnace fan filters. Clogged filters force HVAC systems to work harder than necessary.
Avoid using heat-producing appliances during the hottest hours of the day.
Many of our solar customers choose to add battery storage to their solar generation systems to weather power outages when they do happen. Peak solar energy production of summer days can be captured and stored in a home battery system.
When power goes out, the battery system keeps the basics running — well pumps to supply water, refrigerators to keep food from spoiling, alarm and security systems to protect the home and even some home medical devices. These battery systems aren’t noisy and don’t require the fuel that generators do. New technology will soon let electric vehicles (EV) work as an onsite battery that can direct its energy back into the home during outages, too.
Just like major power companies, homeowners and businesses can and should plan how they will stay resilient when unplanned events shut the power off.
Mike Studholme’s rising career in the solar industry began, in his words, with one Thanksgiving conversation with his uncle. Mike was going to community college in Northern Virginia for a degree in business administration and his uncle, John Christensen, was working for Mountain View Solar. The company was putting up a windmill at the time, and the two talked over the project.
“Uncle JB” mentioned that Hagerstown Community College (Md.) had a renewable energy program, and Mike’s interest was hooked. John offered for his nephew to live with him, just a short distance from the college, while he completed the program. Mike said he hesitated because he wouldn’t be earning enough to pay his uncle rent. JB proposed a deal — Mike would cover his uncle’s electric bill in lieu of rent. They agreed, and Mike soon learned his first lesson in residential solar.
“He had 40 solar panels on his house. The electric bill was like $5 per month,” Mike recalled, laughing.
While he finished his degree, Mike interned with mtvSolar once a week, and then moved into a full-time internship in 2013, helping the company do whatever needed to be done. His first solar installation was a ground mount. Back at the Berkeley Springs office, he took care of the company’s recycling and entered data in the sales program. That’s where he learned about the tax credits that helped customers afford to solar to their homes and businesses.
In May of 2014, Mike started with the company full-time, taking phone calls, processing return authorizations for equipment replacements, helping with permitting and learning to do lead qualifications. All the while, Mike was helping with solar installations, and working toward one of the company’s first energy certifications – the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).
“I took it and passed it the first time,” Mike said of the rigorous testing. “In order to take the test, you have to show your hours and level of involvement and study in the field.”
The certification was just one of the many thresholds Mike crossed on his journey to become mtvSolar’s Senior Solar PV and Battery Consultant. He went on to become the lead for the installation crew, which he led for several years, primarily in residential solar. Then mtvSolar took on remote power services for FAA lights on top of large power transmission structures, and Mike became foreman of that project.
“That’s the cool thing about solar – every day is different,” Mike said. “It felt like I was wearing five hats at a time.”
With so many aspects of the company’s technical work under his belt, Mike asked management if he might have an opportunity to join the sales team. His friends told him he had a talent for pitching projects, and Mike had already been working with the team at home shows, talking about mtvSolar’s capabilities and offerings.
In 2016, Mike stepped into sales at the company. He didn’t leave his other roles entirely, though.
“Some of the early jobs I sold, I also installed,” he said.
Solar installations weren’t so mainstream then, and panels were more expensive than they have become in today’s energy market. In the years since, Mike Studholme has seen access to solar energy equipment open up immensely.
“I think the adoption of solar is going to explode,” he predicts. “Solar’s one of those things – once you have it, you’re never not going to have solar.”
Mike and Samantha Studholme with their children in front of their solar-powered home in West Virginia.
Mike’s own home solar generation system has grown along with his career and his family. Mike married his wife Samantha in May of 2018. Samantha works for the American Heart Association, and is a “social butterfly” who enjoys music and books, says Mike. The couple have a daughter Mila, and younger son Jack, who turned 10 months old just shy of the Studholme’s fifth wedding anniversary. The couple celebrated their anniversary at the Nestled Inn in Bluemont – one of Mike’s solar clients.
Every month, Mike is reminded of the value of powering his family home with the sun.
“It helps me feel like I’m making an impact, but silently. I see it every month in the electric bill and in how many carbon pounds I’ve offset,” he said. “It’s just a great investment.”
Mike’s own deep knowledge of solar – through every step of the process – continues to grow as he enters his second decade with mtvSolar.
“It’s been such an awesome ride. Mike and Kelly have always been supportive of me growing in the company,” he said.
Over the years, Mike Studholme has come to understand what his customers are looking for, and what they value in going solar.
“The sentiment of taking ownership of your power needs instead of renting it monthly from the utility resonates well with people,” he said. Fixing or lowering a monthly electricity expense over many decades just adds up.
“People are adding a tangible asset at the same time they’re making a global impact on our carbon footprint,” Mike explained. “It’s an investment that people never regret making.”
