Solar

Seattle - famous for grey skies and wet weather. But when it comes to solar energy options, the outlook is sunnier than you’d think!

RESIDENTIAL

Western Washington receives more annual sunlight than Germany, one of the world’s leaders of installed solar capacity.  In addition, the cost of solar panels has come down substantially over the years providing lower upfront cost making investments more attractive to those interested in the long-term benefits of solar generation.
solar panels in commercial setting

Commercial

Our commercial Project Manager has a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, and professional experience with Commercial, Heavy Civil and Residential new construction.  By understanding the process, and the needs of each client and their project team, we deliver needed results on time, to help coordinate a successful project for all involved.

With the NW’s cool and sunny summer days, stretching from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. in some regions, homeowners can quickly meet their electrical needs with solar power.

MAD Energy NW can design and install the right system for you. We use only the highest quality solar products, designed and certified by a licensed electrical engineer. Your home will meet the same stringent energy and electrical standards built into universities and hospitals. MAD Energy NW is one of the premier solar companies in Washington.

As solar energy costs decrease and incentives rise, homeowners in the NW can easily experience the benefits a fully solar-powered home can offer.

There has never been a better time to consider solar power for your business. Commercial users reap the same benefits as homeowners with additional perks as well.

Size and scale separate commercial from residential solar panels installations– Larger roofs allow for larger solar panel coverage and greater energy production. Small businesses should check out the benefits as well, however. The state of Washington allows any system greater than 12 kW to be designated as commercial. This means, even small businesses may qualify for commercial incentives.

An energy evaluation from our team of professionals will scale and design the best solution to your business’s unique energy needs. Our commercial team has the education and experience necessary to solve even the trickiest installations.

Washington State

SOLAR INCENTIVES

30% Federal Tax Credit

100% Sales Tax Exemption

Net Metering

Accelerated Depreciation

SOLAR SYSTEMS

What we offer

Roof System

This is the most cost-effective application, which in turn provides the best return on your investment. Solar panels are more efficient than ever! Couple that with a 30% income tax credit, there’s never been a better time to install solar panels on your home.

Ground system

Rooftop solar is not your only option for panel placement, and sometimes is not the best option. If you have the space for it, a ground mount solar array offers the opportunity to install more solar than what may fit on your roof. In addition to being easier to clean, ground-mount solar will typically run more efficiently since the system operates under less heat creating less friction as the solar energy transfers to your home electrical system.

BATTERY BACKUP SOLUTIONS

Considering a backup source for power during a power outage? Adding battery backup to your solar project is a great way to store energy for those stormy days, and eliminates the need to maintain a gas engine like a generator. These batteries run noise free and automatically transfer power when needed. And YES, these do also qualify for the 30% federal income tax credit!

We are the premier commercial, residential, and new construction solar company in Washington State.

DESIGN AND BUILD

NEW CONSTRUCTION

With over a decade of managing new construction Solar Projects in Washington State, we have mastered and understand local codes, permitting, and utility requirements statewide.  Our 4 In-house NABCEP Certifications by our office and field leads, verify MAD Energy NW will exceed the industry standard for quality design work as well as execution by the installation crew on your project.  

Homebuilders can achieve up to 4.5 energy credits towards a new build through solar alone! We’ll take the design work and utility interconnection paperwork off your hands, and work with your project manager to meet your deadlines.

Our design staff specializes in calculating energy code compliance for the State C406 and the City of Seattle’s C411 onsite renewable energy credits.  Or maximize your available roof area for an optimal return on investment.  

New construction

INSTALL

WHAT'S INCLUDED

solar panels

panels

Solar panels, also known as modules within the industry, convert sunlight into electricity using the photovoltaic effect.

inverters

Solar Inverters convert the direct current power produced by the modules, into an alternating current to be used.

racking

Solar racking is the mounting system that supports and secures the panels to the roof or ground structure.

Batteries

Solar Batteries are used to store electricity generated by the solar panels for those times when the utility power drops out.

Work You Can Believe In

The Mad Energy Solar Warranty

MAD Energy NW only uses the highest quality, most bankable products. All our solar electrical projects are designed and stamped by a licensed electrical engineer, the same stringent level of design required for Educational Facilities and Hospitals. Your installation will be managed by a dedicated Project Manager and all our installers are licensed electricians. By taking no shortcuts and executing projects the right way, we can offer long term peace-of-mind warranties on all aspects of your solar project.

25-30 Year Solar Panel Production Warranty

12-25 Year Inverter and Optimizer Warranty

15 YEAR BATTERY WARRANTY

10 Year Workmanship Warranty

25 Year Racking Warranty

a workman carrying a large solar panel at a green house construction site

The Roof System

The best place for solar panels is on your home or businesses roof.  This is the most cost-effective application, which in turn provides the best return on your investment.  Rooftop systems utilize un-used roof area, and the building’s roof structure provides the needed support for mounting to meet local building codes and worst-case scenario weather events.  In addition, electrical service is already in place at your building so the connection costs are minimal adding a new breaker and disconnect by your existing breaker panel.  The best solar orientation is south, however east and west work great as well.  We avoid north facing orientations in our region.  For sloped roofs, it is best to mount the panels flush with the roof line.  This integrates well with your roof and building providing a low profile, built in look.  We recommend symmetrical and uniform arrays to match your roof areas, whenever possible with good access setbacks to clean and maintain your system as well as gutters, skylights and other roof elements.  Tilted panels on a sloped roof creates a sail effect that exceeds the structural capacity of a standard rafter and has visual concerns.   For flat membrane roofs we recommend single rows at a ten-degree tilt.  This offers the greatest power density by minimizing inter row shading space and maximizing the number of panels you can fit in any given roof area to maximize the system rating and annual production.

Ground System

Ground mount systems are the best solution for large applications and utility scale generation plants.  With these large systems the scale makes up for additional costs developing and securing a piece of land for a solar array.  Additional ground mount costs are installing new structure for the solar panels, and trenching underground electrical feeders back to the nearest utility service.  Small residential and commercial size ground mount systems cost more than rooftop applications but many home and business owners prefer to locate their solar arrays on poles or ground racks in a vacant field or un-used yard.  If choosing to install ground mount solar panels we recommend thinking about maintenance, including mowing around, or under your array, weed control and protection from people and animals by fencing or elevating the array on poles.

Solar Panels

Solar panels, also known as modules within the industry, convert sunlight into electricity using the photovoltaic effect.  PV, short for Photovoltaic, is solar electricity.  Solar panels today come in two general sizes, 60 cell, 5-1/2’ x 3-1/2’ most often for residential and 72 cell, 6-1/2’ x 3-1/2’ most often for commercial but they are widely used interchangeably.  There are many varieties and unique options, but these are the traditional, most widely used panel types.  Solar panels come with black or silver frames for aesthetic purposes and there are countless manufacturers.  We lead with only the best available panels on the market today to ensure our customers have the most bankable, long-term, reliable and proven options for your solar investment.  Your design consultant will discuss these options with you and recommend the panel that best meets your project goals and preferences.

Inverters

For solar modules to produce AC power that can be used by homes and businesses, solar inverters are essential. They function as the system’s brains and are matched to your service voltage. They have data logging capabilities and internet connections for tracking system output.

Today’s inverters regulate each solar panel on the roof using a rapid shutdown safety feature that is mandated by current rooftop system codes.

String inverters with DC optimizers and microinverters are the industry standard for rooftop solar arrays due to their shading and string sizing benefits, eliminating reduced production from the intermittent shade and string design challenges.

Solar Racking

Solar racking is the mounting system that supports and secures the solar panels to the roof or ground structure.  Racking must be UL listed for its intended purpose while providing an electrical grounding path.  Most racking rails are anodized aluminum for light-weight strength and corrosion resistance.  Racking systems are designed to safely and structurally mount solar panels to any structure.  They are engineered to meet local codes just like the building and roof structure itself.  They are engineered to withstand the worst-case scenario weather events for the location and jurisdiction where they will be permitted and installed.