HOW DO I KNOW IF SOLAR IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Our goal is to help provide you with information to help you make an informed decision on whether or not solar is a good option for your home and the next steps if you would like to move forward with a solar installation.

Your solar contractor is required by law to provide you the following to ensure you make an informed decision before purchasing solar power:

• Description of the system and including the system’s placement on your premises
• Nameplate capacity (kW) with expected monthly and annual output of the facility (kWh)
• Estimated annual loss of production from the facility as it ages
• Estimated timeline for installation
• Total cost of the facility
• Amount you must pay at signing of the agreement and at the completion of the installation
• Payment schedule
• Payback period
• Forecasted savings – monthly and annually – based on your current electric rates with fees.
• Description of any warranties with term length
• At least five (5) days to evaluate a net metering proposal before it can be binding.

If you believe your rights have been violated by a solar power contractor, please contact the Arkansas Attorney General at (501) 682-2007 or oag@ArkansasAG.gov.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO INSTALL A ROOFTOP SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM?

System installation costs vary based on the size of your home and the solar contractor you choose to work with. The amount of energy produced is based on several factors like: tilt angle, orientation and shading conditions.

WHAT IS THE LIFESPAN OF PANELS AND INVERTERS?

Solar panels are warrantied for 25 years and typically last 30–35 years and generate electricity in the form of direct current (DC). There is another piece of equipment needed for the installation called the inverter, included with the system. The inverter converts the electricity from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The inverter typically lasts 15–20 years so you may have to replace the inverter at some point during the life span of the solar panels.

WILL MY SOLAR PANELS CONTINUE TO POWER MY HOME DURING AN OUTAGE?

No. For safety reasons, if there is a power outage your solar system will automatically shut off when the power goes out. If you have a solar battery system added to your solar PV system, your power will continue to work. Solar batteries can add as much as 30 percent to the cost of a solar system.

DOES CONWAY CORP RECOMMEND OR PARTNER WITH ANY ROOFTOP SOLAR DEVELOPERS?

No. Conway Corp does not have partnerships with any solar developers, and customers should be wary of anyone making such claims. We typically recommend our customers begin by contacting a certified installer to perform an onsite evaluation of current conditions at your facility and to provide you with a proposal for a solar installation. It is best to obtain 2–3 proposals as solar installers may offer competitive pricing and financing.

WHAT FEES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH NET METERING?

• Net Metering Application Fee: $100 – This fee covers the costs associated with processing and managing the application.
• Interconnection Fee: $250 – This fee covers the costs associated with interconnecting the facility.
• Inspection Fee: $100 (per site visit) – This fee covers the costs associated with performing inspections and re-inspections of the system.

WHO CAN INSTALL MY SOLAR SYSTEM?

A licensed electrician is required for all electrical wiring and equipment installed. Please contact the City of Conway Permitting Department for more information.

HOW DOES NET METERING WORK?

Energy generated by the solar system is first used by the customer to offset their demand from the utility. Any excess generation will go back to Conway Corp and be shown as a credit on the bill. Conway Corp’s meter will detect and measure power flow in both directions.

HOW WILL MY BILL BE CALCULATED?

Energy generated by a customer’s solar panels is applied to the customer’s total monthly bill. Conway Corp will credit any excess energy produced and apply it to the next billing period. When the account is closed, Conway Corp will purchase excess credits at avoided cost.

CAN A CUSTOMER TRANSFER CREDITS BETWEEN ACCOUNTS?

No. Credits are non-transferrable.

WILL I STILL HAVE A CONWAY CORP ELECTRICITY BILL EACH MONTH?

Yes, you will always receive a bill for electric services. At a minimum, a customer charge plus any other fees will be billed every month. Additionally, most solar customers do not offset all of their grid usage every month and continue to pay for electricity from Conway Corp.

I GENERATED MORE ELECTRICITY THAN I USED. WHY IS MY BILL NOT $0?

Regardless of electricity generated, customers will have a monthly customer charge plus any other fees will be billed every month. Electricity generated by the customer is generally used immediately. This is electricity the customer is not having to pay for from Conway Corp.

WHY DOES MY ELECTRIC BILL SHOW LESS SOLAR POWER THAN WHAT MY SOLAR MONITORING APP SHOWS?

Your solar monitoring app shows the total amount of solar energy generated by your system. However, your electric bill only shows the excess solar that goes back to the grid during that billing period. Any kWh generated and used in the same month will not show on your monthly statement.

MY SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO OFFSET MY USAGE. WHY IS MY BILL SO HIGH?

Your energy usage and the amount of solar power generated fluctuates with the season. The solar will work best in the spring which coincides with the time of year when your energy usage is typically lower due to the milder temperatures of the season. In the spring, the amount of solar power you send back to the grid may be higher than what you use from the grid.

In the summer, your solar performance will continue, but your energy usage will likely increase due to air conditioning use during the heat of the summer. In the fall and winter, solar performance will decline due to overcast weather, and if you use electric heat, your usage may increase in the cold of the winter. When this happens, the amount of excess energy delivered to the grid is reduced because you are consuming more of the solar energy you are generating.

DO MY SOLAR GENERATION CREDITS GO TOWARD MY ENTIRE CONWAY CORP BILL?

No. Solar generation credits are only applied to your electric usage and cannot be used for water or telecommunication services. Any unused credits will roll over to electric usage the following month.

DOES CONWAY CORP CREDIT ONE-TO-ONE FOR MY SOLAR GENERATION?

Conway Corp will give customers 100 percent credit for the value of the kilowatt hours generated by the net-metering facility and fed back to Conway Corp during the billing period. If these kilowatt hours are less than the energy supplied to the customer by Conway Corp, the customer will be billed for the net difference at then current electric rates.

If these kilowatt hours are more than the energy supplied by Conway Corp, the customer will not receive any compensation for the net excess generation during the billing period but shall be credited with the accumulated net excess generation, if any, in the next billing period.

There are a few instances in which the customer can receive compensation for net excess generation:

• Net excess generation credits are older than 24 months and the value is at least $100
• The customer ceases to be a customer of Conway Corp
• The customer ceases to operate the net-metering facility
• The customer transfers the net-metering facility to another person

Conway Corp will compensate the customer at our avoided cost which is the weighted average annual cost of wholesale energy for the preceding twelve months.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

First, fill out the Preliminary Interconnection Review Request form at least 60 days prior to construction. Forms should be emailed to solar@conwaycorp.com.