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Empower Yourself!

Our mission is to help Central Wisconsin residents empower themselves by taking charge of their energy use with renewable energy and smart energy choices.

Performance Energy Inc. is the first company in Wausau to offer compete solar energy services. We can also help you save money and energy through home performance testing, insulation and other services.

Find out more at www.PerformanceEnergyInc.com.

Performance Energy, Inc.
P.O. Box 578
Wausau, WI 54402
(715)218-1373
thesolarguy@verizon.net

Solar Roofing or Traditional Solar Panels – Which Should You Choose?

January 30th, 2010 by Admin in PV Panel, Wausau, Wisconsin, solar PV cells, solar energy, solar equipment, solar pv installer


Snow can present a major problem for owners of solar roofs in northern climates.

As far as we’re concerned, it’s a loaded question. The reason? Frankly, solar electric (aka photovoltaics, or PV for short) is frequently not the best choice to begin with.

Don’t get me wrong. We’re not anti-PV. Quite the contrary. We install PV as well as solar thermal systems. On a personal note, we lived completely off-grid and used two small PV systems to supply electricity for our home and an outbuilding for three years before moving to the Wausau area. It was a wonderful experience in many ways and we plan to install PV in some capacity on our new home once we’ve gotten that far in the renovation process.

PV or no PV – that is the question.
However, when a customer approaches us about PV, the first question we have for them is, “What’s your reason for wanting it?”
PV is great for those wanting to be self-sufficient or completely energy independent. It’s great as part of a larger plan for those building an energy-efficient home, or as a crowning glory for those who have already gotten their energy consumption down to very low levels.
But for those wanting simply to reduce high energy bills in a cost-effective manner, it’s not great. It’s stupid. You can spend a lot less on other technologies that will take your total energy footprint down tons faster than PV, and that’s where it ought to start for those seeking value.
Now that that’s off my chest, let’s get back to the topic at hand.

Solar roofing or panels – which is better?
Well, as usual, there are pros and cons to each. Let’s take a look.
People like solar roofing primarily because of the aesthetics. It blends right in with the roof without interfering with the design qualities of the building.
Thin film solar such as solar roofing is typically far less efficient at converting sunlight to electricity – about 8-10% efficient vs. 12% to over 20% now for regular panels. However, it does continue to produce electricity at far lower light levels than traditional panels. Is it enough to make up for the lower efficiency? The debate rages in solar circles. For now the best we can tell you is we don’t really know.

Snowed by snow
One thing we do know, though, is that here in central and northern Wisconsin we get a lot of snow. Snow that doesn’t melt readily off of PV surfaces of any type. Snow that can put solar electricity generation out of commission for days on end. We figure that with a roof mount you’ll be losing 20% to over 30% of your annual production in a typical year if you don’t want to be dancing around on your roof all winter.
With a solar roof there’s not much you can do about it. But regular panels can be pole-mounted where it’s easy to brush them off with a broom. And if you use an adjustable rack you can change their angle a couple times a year (flatter in summer, steeper in winter) for greater efficiency and to shed snow more effectively.
Now, we’re not going to say one option is better than another. Every situation is different and it’s good to have options to weigh. But for most applications, in this climate we’ll place our bets on the panels.

Visit Performance Energy, Inc.

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Thanks to Wausau Daily Herald for Publishing our Solar Water Heating Article

September 23rd, 2009 by Admin in Wausau, Wisconsin, solar energy, solar heating, solar hot water, solar thermal, solar water heater, solar water heating

A big, belated Thank You to the Wausau Daily Herald for inviting us to submit an article as part of their series on energy efficiency this month.  Our article on Solar Water Heating appeared in the Wausau paper last Friday, Sept. 18.  It contains a short history of solar hot water, a brief explanation of how a solar thermal system works, and an explanation that solar water heating is the most efficient form of solar energy.

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Focus on Energy Full Service Solar Thermal Installer!

June 23rd, 2009 by Performance Energy in Focus on Energy, rewards checks, solar energy, solar hot water installation

We’re good to go – as of May 28th Marathon Renewable Energy has been listed on the Focus on Energy Solar Thermal Full Service Installer list.

This means that we are eligible to submit pre-approval forms to Focus on Energy for review by their solar thermal staff. Ultimately, it means that our customers will receive rewards checks when installations are completed and pass the performance test.

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Senate Approves Solar Energy Tax Credits

September 26th, 2008 by Performance Energy in new energy reform act, solar energy, solar incentives, solar tax credits

The New Energy Reform Act of 2008 enjoyed overwhelming support in a 93-2 decision yesterday by the U.S. Senate. The bill would extend federal residential and commercial solar energy tax credits for the next eight years.

The proposed tax credits would cover 30% of project cost of new solar installation projects. A significant change from current tax credits is the removal of the $2000 cap on residential systems. This would make solar energy more affordable for homeowners. Since the typical home installation runs around $10,000, this would cut the average homeowner’s cost by $1,000.

Because Wisconsin has strong state-funded incentives in place (see Focus on Energy’s website on our links list), Wisconsin homeowners would enjoy incentives covering approximately 50% of system costs.

First, though, the bill has to be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. Sounds like a good opportunity to write your representative!

Fortunately, the House is on the ball and has set up an easy way to do it. Just go to https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml and select your state and zip code. You’ll be taken to your own representative’s web site, where you can ask them to support renewable energy by supporting the New Energy Reform Act. Just look for their contact page (you’ll need to type in your contact info, including zip+4.) It’s easy, only takes a minute, and you’ll have done your good deed for the day!

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