Complete Renewable Energy Packages

Ready to get started with a renewable energy system?  We offer pre-engineered solar panel and wind generator packages that make it easy for you to create clean, quiet energy for your home, mobile or water pumping needs. We offer a wide selection of solutions for everything from your on or off grid home to your remote cabin to your well, even your RV or boat! Our outstanding customer service combined with the highest quality solar and wind products makes Fire Mountain Solar the right choice for all your renewable energy needs.

	Solar Grid-Tie Basics
	Off-the-Grid Solar Basics

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Solar Grid-Tie Basics Reducing Your Electric Bill is Easy! Solar grid-tie systems produce DC (Direct Current) electricity. This electricity is run through a DC power inverter to produce AC (Alternating Current) electricity. When a grid-tie solar electric system generates more power than the appliances within the home are consuming, the excess electricity goes back out into the utility grid. The excess power going back into the grid spins your meter backwards, allowing your neighbors to use clean, quiet solar power. This is called "net metering", and allows the utilities customer to only be billed for the "net" electricity purchased over the entire billing period. At the end of each billing cycle your meter will not have spun as far forwards as compared to not having solar electricity.   Grid-connected PV systems are typically sized to eliminate part of your electric bill because of the higher upfront costs associated with purchasing a larger system. However, larger systems will cost less per kilowatt-hour generated due to the economies of scale associated with manufacturing processes. The utilities have adopted a rate structure that increases the cost of electricity as you use more of it. Many people choose a system that will only eliminate the most expensive electricity. This increases the return on your investment.   Will I have power if the utility grid experiences a blackout? A battery option is available to provide electricity in the event of a blackout offering you greater security and convenience.   Payback  Payback is usually used to describe the time it takes for an investment to pay for itself, similar to Return On Investment. However, the basic assumption behind a payback calculation is that this is a discretionary expenditure, I can choose to invest in this energy equipment, or not, and if I don't, I can put that amount of money in the bank and with no risk, make some 3-4%.   Paying an electric bill is not a 'discretionary' expense for most people; they have no choice! By buying a solar electric system you are taking money that you would be "giving" to your electric utility and investing it in your home.   A residential system in western Washington will typically pay for itself in around 10 to 14 years. Considering that solar panels come with a 25-year warranty, and have a 30-40 year design life, that basically means that after the first 14 years, they've paid for themselves, and then they go on to generate 'free power' for 15 to 25 years. That's 30 years of positive cash flow, money in your pocket in the form of avoiding electric bills. In addition to your reduced power bills, a home solar panel system increases the value of your home, should you decide to sell.   Incentives Many states and utilities offer incentive programs. For more information on incentives available in your area, call Fire Mountain Solar, or follow this link to the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE).   Have more basic questions about solar?  Click here to go to our Frequently Asked Questions page.     Major Solar Grid-Tie System Components   Solar Panels Solar panels absorb solar energy from the sun and convert it to DC power. Your power consumption, as well as your geographic location, affects the type and quantity of panels you will need.    Power Inverter A DC power inverter converts the DC power from your solar panels into AC power for your use.  Some power inverters include a solar charge controller.   Grid Disconnect A grid disconnect allows you to stop the flow of electricity between your solar panels and your electrical system. This provides for the safe maintenance of electrical and utility systems.   Combiner Box This box gathers all of the Solar Panel connections.    DC Breaker Box Your array's breaker safely shuts down your solar power system at a moment's notice, allowing for safe maintenance, repair, and inspection.   Getting Started   Sizing your solar grid-tie system is not as complicated as you may think. With only an electrical bill, you can determine the minimum system size you'll need. Once you've determined that, you can determine how many solar panels you'll need, and find compatible components from there.   To begin, you'll need the average monthly electrical use--which you should be able to find on your utility bill. This number will be in kWH (kilowatt-hours).   Follow these steps to determine your minimum system size:   Record average monthly kWH electrical use: __________kWH  Multiply this by the percentage you want the solar system to produce: __________kWH ie: 1000kWH X 50% = 500kWH  Divide by 30 for the daily output from your solar power system:  __________kW  Divide by the daily average sun hours for your location:  __________kW 6 in Sun Belt, 4in NE / NW  Divide by 70% to compensate for system efficiency: __________kW   Still not sure what you need? Call Fire Mountain Solar so we can help you determine the correct size grid-tie solar electric system for your home.   Back to Top   Grid-Tie Home Solar Panel Packages Fire Mountain Solar Residential Grid-Tie Packages provide reliable power for your home using top quality UL listed products. Our packages include solar panels with 100' MC connectors, UniRac fixed top mount roof mounts, SMA Sunny Boy grid-tie power inverters and DC disconnect. The wiring from the solar array to the main home electrical panel is supplied by the installer. Our grid-tie systems are designed so you can combine multiple units together or add to your system in the future.   1200 watt Residential Solar Grid-Tie System - Starting at $8,400 2340 watt Residential Solar Grid-Tie System - Starting at $14,200 Best Value 4080 watt Residential Solar Grid-Tie System - Starting at $27,500
Off-The-Grid Solar Basics   Say Goodbye to Electric Utility Bills Off-the-grid solar electric systems are typically used in remote locations where connecting to the local utility grid is impossible or prohibitively expensive, or in areas where grid power is inconsistent. With an off-the-grid system, solar panels and/or a home wind turbine, and an automatic backup generator supply all of the power a cabin, home or business needs.  Off-grid living completely relieves you of dependency on the electrical utility, because the system provides all of your power. Due to this, off-grid systems are generally larger than grid-tie. To be fully independent, a system must have a larger wind generator or array of solar panels, and greater battery storage capacity. However, once installed, living off-the-grid can save you thousands of dollars over the life of the system.   When designing an off-grid system it is critical that electricity consumption be determined for everything in your home or business, and to calculate for those cold, dark winter nights when energy consumption is at its peak.  Fire Mountain Solar recommends taking energy conservation measures first, by installing fluorescent or LED lighting and energy efficient appliances, before investing in an off-the-grid system.  We can help you become energy independent by determining exactly what products you need to make off-grid living comfortable and convenient.   Have more questions about solar?  Click here to go to our Frequently Asked Questions page.   Back to Top   Major Off-Grid System Components   Solar Panels Solar panels absorb solar energy from the sun and convert it to DC power. Your power consumption, as well as your geographic location, affects the type and quantity of panels you will need.    Power Inverter A DC power inverter converts the DC power from your solar panels into AC power for your use.  Some power inverters include a solar charge controller.   Solar Panel Charge Controller Overcharging can ruin batteries.  A solar charge controller insures your deep cycle solar batteries don’t receive current when they’re charged to capacity, extending the life of this critical system component.    Deep Cycle Batteries Batteries store energy you collect from your renewable energy system or backup generator.  This power is then used when you are generating less power than you are consuming.   Automatic Back-up Generator A back-up power supply is important, in order to compensate for seasonal changes and weather patterns that affect the power production of your renewable energy system.  Fire Mountain Solar recommends an automatic transfer switch for your back-up generator to make living off-the-grid convenient and worry-free.   Other Things You’ll Need PV Combiner Box Solar Panel Mounts DC Breaker Box DC Breakers Battery Cables Remote Temperature Sensor   Optional Items OutBack Mate OutBackMate Hub Mounting Plate Back to Top Living Off-the-Grid is Easy and Affordable with a Fire Mountain Solar Package System   460 Watt Small Off-Grid Cabin Solar Power System*   This small solar power system produces about 1.0 to 1.5 usable kilowatt hours on a sunny day. It will run high efficiency lighting, a small TV/VCR, stereo, computer, blender, and DC submersible and pressurized water pump. While it's best to have a system designed for your specific situation, this small solar power system for a remote home works for many applications. Starting at:  $5,750.00*     690 Watt Energy Conservative Small Family Off-Grid Solar Power System*   This solar electric system produces about 2.0 kilowatts of usable power on a sunny day. It will run a year-round home of up to 3 people who are energy conservative.  This system provides enough power for high efficiency lighting, a small TV, VCR or satellite receiver, stereo, computer, washer, kitchen appliances including a microwave, hand-held power tools and a 120 volt AC or DC well water pump.  There can be enough power for a small DC refrigerator in southern climates.  In northern winters, a backup generator supplements battery charging when doing laundry.   Starting at:  $6,950.00*     1150 Watt Medium Sized Off-Grid Solar Power System*   This medium sized solar power system will produce approximately 3.5 usable kilowatt-hours on a sunny day. This system has enough power for a family of 3 or 4 people, or a home office. In addition to the items listed in the the Energy Conservative package, this system provides enough power to run a Sun Frost refrigerator, an energy efficient freezer and extensive computer of TV use.  Starting at:  $9,350.00*     2400 Watt Large Sized Off-Grid Solar Power System for Home or Small Business*   This solar power system will produce approximately 7 usable kilowatt-hours on a sunny day in the southwest. This system provides adequate power for a home or small business will need.  You can run your Sun Frost refrigerator, Conserv chest freezer, computers, stereo, lights, TV/VCR, power tools, a 120 volt well water pump and much more!   Starting at:  $16,850.00* *Off-grid systems should have solar deep cycle batteries to store power for use on days of extended overcast and at night.  Because battery storage needs vary greatly, please call us so we can help you determine which batteries and accessories you will need.  An AC backup generator is also recommended to charge the batteries during periods of decreased solar gain and/or to run items that have a higher power draw.  See our generator page or call Fire Mountain Solar to help determine the best backup generator for your application.      Back to Top

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