Solar FAQs

We focus primarily on small- to mid-size commercial projects (500 kW-1 MW) and utility scale projects (1 MW+). We also have experience aggregating multiple smaller systems relating to a single landowner or power off-taker into a single portfolio to achieve reasonable economies of scale.

Typically not. The majority of our clients enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with one of our reputable finance providers. A PPA allows the client to purchase the electricity produced by the solar system at a fixed rate over 20-25 years. The finance provider pays to construct the system and then owns it long term. This agreement benefits our clients, as the cost of the electricity produced by the solar system is usually lower than that supplied by the local utility. The contract also allows our clients to hedge against long-term energy cost inflation risk. This agreement does not appear as an ongoing liability on our clients financial statements. Most PPAs give the power purchaser the option to purchase the system at a later date, usually after seven years of operation.

A great example of a solar PPA is the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, a Melink Solar project in 2011. View the Cincinnati Zoo Solar Video on YouTube by clicking here.

Solar PV systems are a mature technology which is cost competitive and easily adaptable to existing sites – whether mounted on a roof, the ground or as a canopy. The cost of a solar PV system is contingent upon the type, size and physical location of the project.

Our knowledge of numerous financing structures available from national financial institutions, as well as non-traditional lenders, is what sets Melink apart from other developers. We joke around and call it “financial engineering for solar,” but that’s truly the best term for it. We work closely with our clients to determine the most advantageous financing structure for each project.

Melink can help you determine the financing option that is best for your situation. Typical financing solutions are third-party financing and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE). We will pursue a more creative financing method if necessary.

K-12 schools are eligible for HB-264 and Certificates of Participation Financing.

For more information on PACE financing, visit http://www.pacenation.us/about\-pace/

Depending on where the system will be located, there can be numerous local and state tax incentives available. Many states also have a lucrative market for the Solar Renewable Energy Credits produced by the system. On a federal basis, the tax owner of a commercial or utility scale solar PV system is eligible to receive a 30 percent investment tax credit, as well as the benefits from accelerated depreciation. We can help you determine whether solar is cost-effective for your application. And you can find other information about state incentives on the DSIRE website. http://www.dsireusa.org/

States with the greatest solar resources, such as Texas, California, Arizona, Hawaii and New Mexico, are the states in which solar PV is the most cost competitive. While those states make sense from a solar resource perspective, solar PV is also cost competitive in other places, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. And although the solar resource is lower in the Northeast region of the country, those states typically have high costs of power from traditional providers. And there are lucrative financial incentives available through state legislation.

By providing us with some basic information, our gurus can provide you an estimated cost range along with an energy savings analysis for your particular operation. We would need the following information:

1. Number of hoods
2. Hood configuration (i.e., wall, island, etc.)
3. Number and size of exhaust collars on each hood
4. Fan information (hp, voltage and approximate distance from hoods)

Solar panels are warranted by manufacturers to last 25 years. Considering the panels themselves have no moving parts, they can continue producing enough energy to cover operating costs for up to 35 years or more. Inverters, the equipment that changes the DC power produced by the solar system into the AC power that our appliances and buildings use, have a lifespan of about 15-20 years. After that point, it is expected that new inverters will be installed to take advantage of the remaining life of the panels.

We use only top-tier equipment from reputable manufacturers who have the ability to stand behind their equipment warranties over the life of the systems. We do not chase lowest up-front cost at the expense of long-term performance.

We check that our suppliers have considered recyclability when we purchase solar modules for our customers’ projects. We use only modules with silicon solar cells; these are far more environmentally friends than thin film cells since they have no heavy metals.

Tier 1 solar modules typically produce energy for 30+ years. At their end-of-life, they can be recycled by speciality recycling companies such as PV Cycle and others. Modules made from silicon solar cells are made mostly of silicon, glass, and aluminum; these components are separated for re-use during the recycling process.

For most systems, rainfall is enough to clean solar panels. However, the system may need to be hosed off more frequently if it is located in a particularly dry or dusty area. During the past five years, we have gained significant experience providing operations and maintenance services for the solar PV systems we have installed. We offer this service to clients who do not have the capability or expertise to perform the necessary maintenance themselves.

Sun can penetrate light snow, and the panels will heat up with the sun’s rays to melt the snow. Heavier snow can be removed with a squeegee or panel-safe pole.

We can take a 115v or 230v single-phase input through our VFDs and convert it to 208v three-phase. These are special drives, and so we are limited to 1-1/2 hp on the 115v input.

No, most solar PV systems are tied to the grid and will shut down when there is a power outage. If the power goes out and the solar PV system is still sending energy back to the grid, the lines would be considered live and could create a dangerous situation for workers repairing them.

The amount of CO2 emissions avoided is contingent upon a system’s geographic location, the size and type (ground mount, rooftop, canopy, etc.). Bearing those factors in mind, the production from a 500 kW DC project located on the East Coast of North America can equate to the avoidance of about 473 tons of carbon dioxide a year. This equates to the greenhouse gas emissions of 90 passenger vehicles driven over the course of one year. A system of the same size in Southwest North America can produce enough energy to equate to the avoidance of 670 tons of carbon dioxide a year.

The EPA has created a very effective CO2 avoidance calculator tool for the general public: https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse\-gas\-equivalencies\-calculator

To give recommendations on the different renewable and conservation technologies, we initially test them out on our own headquarters office. We have concluded the following advantages of solar:

1) Because it has no moving parts and the modules last at least 25 years, it is one of the most cost-effective renewable sources for generating energy.

2) Solar PV systems can often be easily expanded as your energy needs change, they require little to no maintenance, and they are durable in various weather conditions.

3) Solar-powered buildings can rely less on traditional electricity suppliers and fossil fuels to provide them with energy. Solar PV is good for the environment and a safe way to provide your facility with energy. The solar arrays at our headquarters are the main contributor to our renewable energy goals to achieve Net-Zero energy results.

We provide all operating, maintenance and repair services, including materials, equipment, labor and supplies, needed to perform such duties. As such, we are responsible for 24-hour monitoring, remote and field troubleshooting of identified issues, and prompt resolution to minimize downtime.

Our preventative maintenance program typically provides annual site visits to each array for visual inspection. If we become aware of a broken piece of equipment, a Melink representative can typically be dispatched to the site within 48 hours. If a PV module is damaged, we can usually replace it during the next scheduled visit with one of the reserve panels we keep at our headquarters.

In between those scheduled visits, we provide customized response depending upon the severity/impact of the individual issue, including next business day response to critical issues. Our experience with solar asset management began with maintenance of systems within our corporate headquarters in 2007, and we expanded that service offering to our customers several years later. Since then, we have become a certified preventative maintenance contractor for Solectria and added a full-time asset manager to our staff. With technicians located across the country, Melink can ensure fast response and top-quality service for all the assets we manage.