What geographical area does Southern Energy Management serve?From our headquarters near Research Triangle Park and a regional office in Charlotte, SEM provides verification services for a wide variety of energy efficiency and green building programs for clients across North Carolina.
We install solar water heating and solar PV systems throughout NC, VA and SC.
We offer energy modelling and solar engineering services to clients nationally.
New Home Construction
I am building a new home and want it to be energy efficient. Where do I start?For baseline energy efficiency, the EPA's ENERGY STAR program is the best place to start. Energy Star verification involves a pre-construction plan review and multiple onsite quality control inspections. Once verified, ENERGY STAR homes qualify for a 5% discount from most major utilities for the LIFE of the home.
Of course, for those who want to delve deeper into green building and sustainable design, SEM offers a full range of services to support our clients' goals.
How do I sign up for Energy Star?SEM needs a set of plans and your home specifications. If you are unsure of some energy decisions we assist you in making good choices.
What other programs can SEM help me with?SEM can certify your home to any energy or green building programs. We consult and assist you in developing cost effective and appropriate measures to meet the needs of your new home.
Solar general
Is your company licensed or certified?Southern Energy Management's team of solar professionals includes licensed plumbers, electricians and professional engineers (PE).
In addition, we have staff certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practioners (NABCEP), Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED), and the National Association of Home Builders Green Building Initiative (NAHB - GBI) program, as well as specialized certifications from a number of equipment manufacturers.
What solar technology is most cost effective?Solar pool heating and solar hot water are most cost effective. Paybacks are frequently less than 5 years.
Solar PV when using NC Greenpower has paybacks in the 10 to 15 year range.
Is there a difference between a solar electric system and a solar hot water system?Yes, solar hot water and solar electric systems are separate technologies. Solar electric systems consist of photovoltaic modules that convert sunlight into electric current to operate appliances, motors, pumps and other devices. Solar hot water systems utilize solar thermal panels that involve water or another liquid medium circulating through tubes in the panels to be heated by the sun for domestic hot water use or swimming pool water heating.
Can I generate heat for my home using solar technology? Yes. Often a solar thermal system is a radiant heat system integrated with your solar hot water system. The professionals at SEM can assist you in assessing your needs and options for solar thermal.
Do I need approval from my homeowners’ association? Some homeowners’ associations have rules regarding the installation of anything on your roof or grounds. If you belong to a homeowners’ association, consult your covenants for details. Many states prohibit homeowners’ associations from restricting solar devices.
Solar Water Heating
What is a solar water heater?A solar water heater uses the sun's free energy rather than electricity or gas to heat water, thus reducing your monthly utility bill. Solar water heaters are more economical over the life of the system than heating water with electricity, natural gas or propane.
What size solar system do I need?For North Carolina residences with a dishwasher and an automatic clothes washer, a rough rule of thumb is 10-square-feet of collector area, per person, and 20 gallons of water storage, per person. Thus, for a family of four, 40-square-feet of collector(~2 ea.) and a total tank storage of 80 gallons are typical.
What is the proper orientation of the solar collector?Collectors should be mounted on an unshaded area of a south-facing roof. They can face up to 45 degrees east or west of south without a significant decrease in performance.
For all shingle and tile roofs in North Carolina that generally have pitches greater than 3 in 12 (i.e., 14 degrees), collectors should be mounted parallel to the roof. Collectors mounted in this manner are more aesthetically pleasing. However, for flat or very low-sloping roofs, collectors should be tilted at an angle (to the horizontal) that is approximately equal in degrees to the local latitude. North Carolina latitudes are ~36 degrees. Since the sun is lower on the horizon during the winter months, tilting the collector at an angle up to 15 degrees greater than latitude will increase winter performance, which is desirable in some cases.
Are solar water heating systems reliable?Our properly designed and installed systems should perform well for more than 20 years. Collectors should last over twenty years. Controllers, like other electronic devices, may require servicing during the life of the system, and the pump and hot water tank may have to be replaced after 10 years. Since conventional water heaters have the same expected lifetime, water tank replacement costs are not regarded as unique to solar energy systems.
Normal maintenance consists of checking pipe insulation, system pressure and hot water tank flushing. Hot water tank flushing is also recommended for conventional water heating systems, as is periodic replacement of the water heater sacrificial anode rod. Every five years we recommend you take a PH reading of the solar fluid.
We offer yearly maintenance checkups of our solar systems. These can be beneficial in extending the life of the system and ensuring optimum performance.
We install an indicator on your solar system showing that the system is working.
How much do I save?Your monthly savings will depend on the amount of hot water you use, storage tank size and type and price of fuel used for backup water heating. For a family of four, the typical hot water usage is ~100-gallons per day, thus using 7008-kilowatt-hours per year to heat the water electrically, or $526 per year worth of electricity at 7.5˘ per kilowatt hour.
A solar water heater should save between 75% and 85% of the hot water portion of the monthly utility bill, or $350 to $450 per year for a family of four.
A solar water heater can save even more if you turn off the backup and rely solely on the sun for your hot water. During summer months, when hot water demands are lower and the sun shines longer, most solar owners turn off the backup element circuit breaker, or switch. As electricity and other fuel prices go up, solar savings will increase accordingly.
What other ways are there to save on water heating bills?Besides simply using less hot water, and timing solar-heated water use to peak when the solar exposure is at its peak, the following strategies are suggested:
• Wash clothes in cold or warm rather than hot water.
• Wrap extra insulation around the tank and insulate a few feet of the hot water line near the tank.
• Install an automatic timer so that the heating element comes on only during certain hours of the day. This may be cost effective if hot water is needed only for a few hours per day.
How do I finance a solar water heating system?The best way to finance a solar energy system is to include it as part of your home mortgage. In long-term loans of 20 years or more, the monthly solar savings will normally be greater than the monthly mortgage payments for the solar system. Southern Energy Management offers a free analysis using your specific information.
If you are buying an existing home with a new mortgage, you may be able to include a new solar water heater in the mortgage. Check with your builder or lending office.
Photovoltaic (solar electric) systems
What is a residential solar electric system? Our standard residential solar electric system is a PV array connected to an inverter and battery backup system. We also supply direct grid tied systems with no battery backups.
Solar cells in the modules mounted on your roof convert sunlight directly into DC power. A component called an inverter converts this DC power into AC power that can be used in your home. The battery backup system is kept constantly charged and when the utility power is on, all the power generated by the solar system is sold back to NC Greenpower. This has the most economic benefit by far and in reality almost every bit of energy generated goes onto the power grid and your home then consumes it.
What happens at night? Sunlight must be present for your solar modules to produce power. At night, you draw power from your utility or batteries.
What happens during a power outage? When the utility power goes out an automatic transfer switch activates and turns on your emergency circuits to run off of the battery bank. When the utility power is off your PV panels charge up your battery bank. When the utility power is resumed the automatic transfer switch brings your home back onto utility power and you start selling power again.
How do I know if a residential solar electric system would work on my home? Solar electric power works for most homes. Many systems are engineered to work with most roofing materials, in most locations where direct sunlight is available, in almost every region of the United States. You need a sunny place on your roof about 120 square feet (10 by 12 feet) minimum, although some systems require as little as 150 square feet of mounting area or as much as 1,000 square feet, depending on the size system you purchase. A rule of thumb is that a square foot of single- or poly-crystalline PV module area produces 10 watts of power in bright sunlight. Therefore, a 1000-watt system requires about 100 to 200 square feet of roof area, depending on the type of PV module.
Shading from trees or other obstructions can reduce the practicality of a specific installation. A south-facing roof area is optimal, but solar electric panels can be mounted on west- or east- facing roofs and still produce better than 90 percent of the power of a true south roof mounting.
What size system do I need to produce enough electricity to run my house? Sizing your PV system depends on many factors, including your climate, roof angle, shading problems and average electrical usage. A good starting point is to determine your average annual electricity demand by examining your past electric bills. You could also contact your utility and request the total electricity demand, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), for your household or business over the last 12 months. If you want to meet 50 percent of your electricity needs with your PV system, you would choose a system sized to produce about half of your usual electricity demand.
Will a system produce enough energy to cover all of my electricity needs? It is important to understand that a solar electric system does not need to provide all of the electricity you need to be of great value. A small system that displaces an average of one-quarter to one-half of your average demand reduces your electric bill. With battery backup, it can deliver uninterrupted power to critical loads during utility outages for days or weeks. We are happy to provide you with a system that supplies 100 percent of your energy needs, but cutting your electricity by 40 to 50 percent is typically the most cost-efficient approach for home solar power. *resource GE power
How long will my solar power system last? With no moving parts and made of very inert materials, our solar modules are tough. Most of the related system components should also last for many years without problems. The batteries in our residential system may need replacement in five to 10 years.
How can I tell how my system is performing? We provide a power meter with the system. Located in your home, your power meter tells you exactly how much electricity you generate and use, and when you send power back to the utility grid. You will be able to manage your household usage like never before.
What maintenance does the system require?You should go years without problems. The batteries in our residential system may need replacement every five to 10 years. We recommend that the installer do a system check once a year, just to make sure everything is performing as it should. If it is convenient, you can hose off the modules two or three times a year.
Do I need a building permit? Yes. The professionals at SEM can assist you in obtaining the necessary permits from your local government.
Do I need permission from the local utility to connect my solar system to the grid? Yes. The local utility has rules and procedures that must be followed to connect any generator to the grid safely and legally. These rules are generally based on national standards with which our systems comply. Southern Energy Management will help you with the documentation and procedures.
Can I be totally independent from the utility?To be completely independent from the utility requires an in depth and accurate assessment of your energy needs and expectations. SEM can custom design off-grid systems and will be glad to assist you in assessing your energy needs.
How much does a residential solar electric system cost? Thanks to state and federal tax credits, it’s more economical than ever to generate your own power. Average paybacks are coming in at less than 10 years at today’s energy prices. Prices can vary greatly depending on size and type of system. Call SEM today for a customized economical analysis for your site.
What happens during a power outage? When the utility power goes out an automatic transfer switch activates and turns on your emergency circuits to run off of the battery bank. When the utility power is off your PV panels charge up your battery bank. When the utility power is resumed the automatic transfer switch brings your home back onto utility power and you start selling power again
What size system do I need to produce enough electricity to run my house? Sizing your PV system depends on many factors, including your climate, roof angle, shading problems and average electrical usage. A good starting point is to determine your average annual electricity demand by examining your past electric bills. You could also contact your utility and request the total electricity demand, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), for your household or business over the last 12 months. If you want to meet 50 percent of your electricity needs with your PV system, you would choose a system sized to produce about half of your usual electricity demand.
Is there a need to put a generator on systems as back up to the batteries, too?It depends. The battery backup will provide for basic necessities in the event of a power outage. If you want to heat and cool the house for example, then you would need an additional fuel fired generator. This would work totally independently from the battery backup system.
What are our insurance requirements for the Solar Thermal and PV? Do we need an umbrella policy?Solar PV systems will basically amount to the equivalent of large diamond rings on your home. You will definitely want to insure them. I would advise consulting your agents as I am sure it varies by company. Probably not covered under basic homeowners. They average pricing is somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 dollars a month for a 2.4 kw system.
Solar Pool Heating
What is the best type of collector to use to heat my pool? You shouldn't spend money on expensive equipment that is not expressly designed for pool heating, such as the glass covered and insulated housings that are used on high temperature household water heaters. Actually the lower cost unglazed collectors can deliver heat more effectively to your pool than the more expensive covered collectors.
How does solar pool heating compare with heat pumps for pool heating? The cost of installing an electric heat pump is generally comparable to the cost of a solar heating system. The annual cost of electricity to run a heat pump may be two thirds of the cost of natural gas or one third the cost of electricity for a conventional resistance electric heater; but the sun's energy is FREE.
Will I need a special pump?In almost all cases where the filter pump is currently keeping the pool clean, it is not necessary to change it or to add a pump for the solar heater. The existing pump is usually capable of circulating pool water through the solar panels
Engineering services
What types of Engineering services does Southern Energy Management offer?We offer engineering services for both commercial and residential clients that focus on the energy efficiency and renewable energy areas.
These include solar specifications and design for both PV and solar thermal systems.
Building energy usage analysis in the design phases.
HVAC load calculations for both commercial and residential buildings. We have a great amount of experience in modeling high performance homes properly to assure your systems will perform properly.
Energy Management
Can an energy management system save me money?Generally if your average monthly power bill is over $175/month an energy management system can save you 20% to 35% on your total yearly power bills.
How does a energy management system work?Your Energy Management System takes advantage of Time of Use Rates offered by your power company to reduce your monthly bills. Your Energy Management System is programmed to control your major electrical loads in conjunction with your Time of Use Rates. You do not use less electricity, your electrical use is just spread out evenly. This saves you money and saves the power company from having to start up supplemental fossil fuel generation plants. These savings for the power company are the reason they offer these rates to any customer who manages their demand.
Is it reliable?Southern Energy Management proudly installs Dencor Energy Management Systems. Dencor has been providing residential, commercial, industrial, and utility customers with a wide range of reliable energy control systems for 25 years. The demand computer built by Dencor, the nation's most experienced manufacturer of residential demand computers, provides all of the features found important in tens of thousands of successful installations. Use of components proven by years of field experience has resulted in an extremely reliable energy demand computer. The Demand Computer has a state of the art electronic battery backed-up memory module which keeps data and time, even for an extended power outage.
Southern Energy Management offers a full 3 year warranty on parts and labor, but better than that we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Our 12 plus years of demand management experience make us your best choice for saving money every month!
Does it work for commercial sites too?Yes. Energy Management is a great option for commercial electricity accounts. Please call us to review your power bills.
