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Thank you for attending our workshop today.  For those of you who couldn’t be there, it’s OK, you will find this info handy as well.  The workshop Walker did was over what residential clients can do to get ready for a renewable energy system installation.  Ideally, by following the the steps laid out you will save money, time, and energy.  Enjoy the information, it’s here for your benefit!

1.  Do research!

When you research you are gathering questions, not necessarily answers.  Look at different brands, the major distributer that the integrator works with(we are partnered with SolarDepot), and take some time to learn about how you wind, solar, or hybrid power system works.

2.  Contact your city’s building office and figure out the permitting standards associated with a particular system.

An important note here is that most cities do not have provisions for wind energy systems and thus demand more work from the integrator to get your project pushed through.  However, by being an active participant in the process you show the city that you are committed to seeing your system built and operational.

3.  Compile your power bills!

If you have the capability to convert them to PDF format you will save time and fuel.  The power bills are necessary to determine the size of the system necessary to make you grid neutral.

4.  Schedule a home energy audit!

You can contact your service provider and get names of RESNET certified energy efficiency experts.  This is crucial to getting your rebates if they are available.

5. Fix what you can.

You should reinsulate, swap windows, recaulk, and swap you lights out for CFL or LED lighting.  This reduces your load and saves you money immediately.  It also means that we could install a smaller system, saving you thousands.

6.  Contact the GEO

By getting in touch with the Governors Energy Office you have access to the certified installers(we are!) who are BBB accredited.  The GEO website is flush with useful information that will make you more comfortable with the reality of your system.

7.  Contact us!

Well, not necessarily, but we are one of the best integration companies around.  We have more experience with wind projects than anyone else currently operating, and we have had great success with our PV installations.  When you contact us(or another integrator) you will have all of the information necessary to get your project rolling.

Important Note.

Most people are not ready for the cost of the system so I am going to give you ball parks so you don’t waste anyones time(including yours)!  Another important note is that we can finance your PV system which makes getting off the grid much easier.

• 5 kW PV system-25,000 to 35,000
• 7 kW PV system-35,000 to 45,000
• 5 kW Hybrid power system(1kW wind turbine and 4kW PV): 25,000 to 40,000.

SoleVento and CJR Homes will be sharing a booth this year at the SLF!  Come through and see us to find out about a killer deal we have on a 1kW UGE EddyGT.  Mention that you saw the offer on the website and Walker will be glad to explain.  We look forward to seeing you all there and answering your question.

SoleVento recently began working for a gentleman who installed his own 80ft tower and 10kW wind turbine.  He did an excellent job of setting everything up, but once was enough for him, so when his turbine was struck by lightning and needed to be replaced he was referred to us.  Walker and Aaron went out to McCoy to get the first part of the project done: getting the broken turbine down!  Walker climbed the 80ft self supporting lattice tower, and ended up needing a 3ft breaker bar to free the turbine from the top plate.  After three hours and many different tools used the turbine was finally picked from the tower by HI Crane Service of Dotsero, Co and loaded into the back of the coolest gator I have ever seen.  Enjoy the video and pictures(more coming soon) of the process.  SoleVento is going to be installing one of Odyssey Power Solutions 10kW wind turbines, roughly 20kW of Lumos Solar PV, battery back up, and a backup generator.  We will be using SMA products throughout.  We are excited about putting this system together and having another satisfied client!

Click on the links below for videos!

Successful removal of 10kW Aerostar 6M turbine.

SoleVento, LLC will be launching an online store where individuals and contractors will be able to purchase solar PV modules, inverters, balance of system components, advanced efficiency boosting electronics, solar PV racking systems. You will also be able to purchase consulting, system design and engineering, and installation service.

Qualified contractors will be able to purchase some of our wind energy products. We will list our wind products with installation since it is a specialized trade. These products should only be installed by qualified individuals and contractors with experience in wind energy installations. Please check back the week of March 28th to see the site and place your first order!

SoleVento is one of the only ways to purchase the ground breaking Hybridyne Power System. Imagine being able to generate 30% more energy every day! Contact us for more information.

SoleVento has been working hard!  We have launched a SoleVento Twitter account so you can follow our progress and get special deals that only our twitter followers will receive.  SoleVento has also launched a YouTube channel where you can see videos of installations, explanations of why we focus on hybrid renewable energy systems, and walk throughs of our systems.

We recently completed our office’s hybrid power system, which is comprised of 2.3 kW of Lumos 290W solar PV panels, Lumos integrated racking, a custom combiner box, Outback controller charger,1 kW battery back up system, 1.2 kW horizontal axis wind turbine on a custom roof mount, and an Outback GTFX 2524. The system is operating well and it looks great. The Lumos module/ racking combo made the installation very fast and saved money on the cost of materials. We used the install as a training day for our installation crew and we had a great time.

SoleVento recently solidified it’s relationship with Hybridyne Power Systems to become their national distributor! The Hybridyne Inverting system is ground breaking solar technology. These inverters produce 30% more usable power than the competition, effectively allowing systems to be 30% smaller saving 30% of the cost and making the ROI that much better.

Last Week SoleVento’s Walker and Bruce traveled to Fort Carson to pick up the equipment for their 20kW solar PV array. Bruce and I made the best of the day and had a little adventure at the Garden of the Gods. Bruce expertly navigated our 26′ Pensky truck through the park without running over any curbs or people! We picked up the majority of the materials from RLS Carries and we executed a nearly flawless truck to truck materials swap. The 3 1/2 pallets of panels turned out to be a bit of a monster to unload, but after driving all day the action was welcome. SoleVento is starting the Fort Carson install late next week, so check back for more pictures!

SoleVento Adventures: Garden of the Gods(video)

Last, but not least, SoleVento would like to welcome Aaron Milton, Lumos Solar, and Larry Olivas to the SoleVento Team!  Aaron will be part of the installation crew, manage his sales force, and aiding in design and engineering.  Larry will be working with SoleVento in a similar capacity focusing on projects in California and Chicago.  Lumos Solar will be providing SoleVento with sales support and some of the best solar PV modules and racking on the planet!

SoleVento, LLC just completed North America’s first UL Listing for a commercial small wind turbine system.  The listing was comprehensive and specifically for our installation at the EcoTech Institute.  We were supported by our partners at Pagett Electric throughout the entire process.  SoleVento is proud to have completed this project and received the UL stickers of approval.

We have added new pictures and video of the EcoTech Institute on the EcoTech Institute Blog Post-check it out!