• PV stands for photovoltaic, which is a device that absorbs light (photo) and converts the light energy into electrical energy (voltaic). a discussion of the basics of solar photovoltaics can be found here: https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-photovoltaic-technology-basics(https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-photovoltaic-technology-basics) • The most common active material in a PV cell is silicon, which is cheep and abundant. Silicon is the second most abundant element on the plane and 95% of commercial solar cells are made with it. The efficiency of most cells is abou 20%. A primer that discusses the basics of PV cells can be found at these two links: https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/pv-cells-101-primer-solar-photovoltaic-cell https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/pv-cells-101-part-2-solar-photovoltaic-cell-research-directions • PV panels or modules are composed of cells linked together. Each cell is several inches wide an produces 1-2 watts of power. The modules are devices that can be purchased and installed at you home or an industrial site. A solar system is composed of enough modules to provide the desired power. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f57951_87e500b465bc41e3b19e52aa53159a08~mv2.png

PV cells and modules collect and convert solar energy into direct current electricity, but a completed solar PV system is composed of several components. Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar – US Department of Energy (https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-going-solar)walks the user through residential PV systems. The components of PV systems is discussed here: https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-photovoltaic-system-design-basics • PV panels or modules are composed of cells with an active material called crystalline or polycrystalline silicon. Each cell generates 1-2 watts, with modules generating 250 - 400 watts. Typical US homes require 1,200 watts, and typically several panels are needed depending on the amount of sunlight available and accounting for the intermittence of sunlight. • Mounting structures are required to support the panels that must be structurally sound and be able to withstand wind, rain and temperature extremes. Fixed frames are typically used for home rooftop installations. Ground based tracking systems allow the capture of more sunlight, but are more expensive and complicated and have more components that can fail. With building integrated PV the panels are incorporated into the building structure, potentially saving installation and equipment costs. • Inverters convert the solar panels electricity from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) which can be used by electric utilities and most household appliances. A single inverter can be used for all of the solar panels in PV system or each solar panel can have its own inverter, which is called a microinverter. Single converters are usually cheaper, but microinverters allows more efficient collection if some of the panels are shaded. • Stoage. Battery systems can store the electricity from a solar system. These systems enable you to power your home during power outages. A typical 15 kWh storage system with solar can provide a typical home with 2-3 days of power. Battery systems can also be used to store electrical power for use when grid electricity is more expensive for time-of-use billing. This can lower electricity bills. •Connection to existing panel and meter. Typically, solar systems are connected to your home panel and meter so that when you generate more electricity than you are using at any time, the electricity flows to the grid (the meter goes backwards). When the solar panels are producing less than you use (at night, say), then you will get electricity back from the grid. Colorado has net metering, which means that if you generate more power than you use during a month, the utility has to pay you for the extra power.

If you don't want to spend money on a solar PV system, you can enroll in a Community Solar Installation. These are run by third-party organizations and for some your electricity bills can be the same or lower than your existing bills. There are some income-qualified programs that include free or discounted community solar subscriptions. • Check out Xcel's community solar program: click here (https://co.my.xcelenergy.com/s/renewable/solar-rewards-community) • Click here f(https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/community-solar-basics )or Department of Energy information about community solar. •Find a solar farm in your area (https://www.energysage.com/shop/community-solar/)(https://www.energysage.com/shop/community-solar/) •Learn about Community Solar and see if you are eligible for help: Community Solar • Energy Outreach Colorado (https://www.energyoutreach.org/community-solar/) https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f57951_f7e537bde7fe4d208f0dd0c768254304~mv2.png

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the average installedcost of a solar system is $3.16 (2022) per watt. https://www.nrel.gov/solar/market-research-analysis/solar-installed-system-cost.html(https://www.nrel.gov/solar/market-research-analysis/solar-installed-system-cost.html)

https://www.cesa.org/wp-content/uploads/Homeowners-Guide-to-Solar-Financing.pdf(https://www.cesa.org/wp-content/uploads/Homeowners-Guide-to-Solar-Financing.pdf)

•Federal tax credits (https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-federal-tax-credit-solar-photovoltaics)(https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-federal-tax-credit-solar-photovoltaics) •State incentives (https://www.dsireusa.org/)(https://www.dsireusa.org/)