BRIDGEWATER

Seema has a plan. She is making her 2 bedroom home as green as possible. Seema felt as though that solar is the best way to start. The technology is here, it works, and she is doing her part to reduce her carbon footprint. She had observed many working solar systems in India where her parents live.

Seema had worked  very hard to implant energy conservation to bring down her electric bill. This way, she can purchase a smaller solar system and it can cover the majority of her annualized electric bill.

So first, she replaced all her “regular” light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs (the spiral bulbs) - they last for 5 years and use 1/5 of energy. Second, she bought a new  “energy star” refrigerator which saves here another, 300 kwh per mo.. Third, she turned down her electric hot water heater two degrees. Lastly, she placed electric power strips and turns them off at night in her home office.  The power strips also turn off the “phantom” or “vampire” loads that use electricity 24/7. It all adds up! (good job Seema)

Seema lives in a home in Bridgewater with standard construction seen throughout the municipality. We fit 10 modules on a south-facing roof and 10 more on a west facing roof.  Her system is a 3.5 kw system.

We used the new inverter with 2 inputs; so a string of 10 could face south and the other could face west. Last year we would need to use 2 inverters. Thank you Magnatec for this cost saving design. Two inverters in one!

Seema is very happy with her system. She gets many phone calls from her neighbors and their friends and relatives. She was the first solar installation in Bridgewater, NJ.  Now I think we may be seeing a “solar cluster” in her neighborhood.