Welcome to Saddle Energy Ltd.
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FAQs
The cost depends on your energy consumption. For the average residential customer, with a JPS of $15,000 - $20,000, a grid-tied solar PV system can be between 3,000 and 4,000 USD ( 465,000 – 620,000 JMD at current rates). A hybrid system (battery storage) typically costs twice as much as the grid-tied system.
With a grid-tied, residential customers can save between 40 to 60% of the electricity bill. Commercial grid-tied customers can save up to 80% as their businesses operate primarily in the day when the sun is shining. With a hybrid system (battery storage) customers can save up to 95% of their electricity bill.
Our team will review your energy consumption patterns and make the appropriate recommendations considering the following:
We review the facility’s historical energy consumption patterns
Available budget
Available roof space or available land space to host the system
The average payback time for a grid-tied solar PV system is less than 3 years. This translates into an ROI of over 30%. There are very few other investments that offer such attractive rates of return (and are tax free). The payback time for a hybrid system is longer but allows for much greater savings on your JPS bill.
Net Billing is a billing system where a customer sells excess energy back to JPS. This energy is sold at a rate that is less than the retail rate that energy is purchased at from the utility provider. The JPS Standard Offer Contract (SOC) uses this protocol to credit the customer any excess energy that the solar system exports to the grid. The net billing rate is 0.11 USD/kWh, while the current retail rate is 0.37 USD/kWh.
A solar PV system allows you to buy less power from JPS because you are producing your own power. If you have a net billing arrangement and you export excess power, you will see a credit on your JPS bill.
A grid-tied solar PV system does not use batteries. Solar panels generate power but do not store power.
A hybrid system (battery storage) has batteries which will store power. This power is available for use at nights and when there is a power outage.
During a power outage, your grid-tied solar PV system powers down (anti-islanding). This is to ensure the safety of any utility workers who may be making repairs in your area. A hybrid system can continue to provide power from its batteries during a power outage.
It depends on the size of your system. Typically 1 to 2 days to fully commission the system.
A good guide is 80 sq. ft. per 1000 watts installed.
Yes and No. Typically, when correctly sized, there should be a small bill to pay to the utility. The concept of diminishing return on investment takes effect whenever systems are deliberately over-sized. There is a “sweet spot” which our professional analytical experts are guided by and from this data, we recommend appropriate system sizes to the client to maximize their investment.
PV modules: 25-year performance warranty
Installation: 1-year warranty
Inverters: 5-year warranty. Extended warranties for up to 10 years are available
Batteries (Lithium-Ion): 5-10 year warranty
The systems we use add a nominal load of under 3 lbs./sq ft to your roof. Roof penetrations are sealed and backed by Saddle Energy’s 1 year installation warranty. For sloping roofs everything is attached to the rafters and not to the roofing material.
PV modules (panels): Photovoltaic modules convert sunlight into DC electricity.
Inverters: There are two main types of inverters. Grid-tied inverters convert DC power into household (AC) power. Hybrid inverters convert DC power to AC power and work to store DC power in the batteries.
Lithium-Ion Batteries: Batteries store power for night-time use or in the event of a power outage.
There are no moving parts. The PV modules should be cleaned when dirty. The angle that they are placed allows self cleaning with regular rain showers. No other routine maintenance is required. If you suspect a problem, please call us and we will come out and perform a thorough inspection.
A hybrid PV system is one with solar panels connected to a hybrid inverter and to batteries (if installed). This system will first provide the energy needs of the facility, any excess energy will be used to charge the batteries and then export the rest to the grid. Hybrid systems allow for stored energy to be used at night or in the event of a power outage.