During a recent Zoom meeting of the Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville, members learned more about residential solar energy.

The program was given by Ryan Calalesina, a sales consultant for Solar Liberty. Jan Berkhouse, club president, welcomed the guest presenter, and Rotarian John “Doc” Hamels, program sponsor, introduced Calalesina.

Calalesina is a Chautauqua County native who holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University at Cortland and a master’s degree Marshall University. He is passionate about sports, the environment, and his growing family. He joined Solar Liberty in 2011.

“I love helping people and helping the environment,” Calalesina said. “I find it very rewarding to know that I am helping people financially, and helping the environment at the same time. This is my dream job!”

Solar Liberty, which was founded in 2003, is a private solar energy equipment company located in Buffalo. It has residential and commercial clients, and it also works with colleges, universities, nonprofits and cities. Its installations are mainly located in Western and Central New York, the New York City area and Northern Pennsylvania. The Solar Liberty Foundation provides money for renewable energy projects in developing nations throughout the world.

Calalesina’s program topics included the basics of residential solar energy; how Solar Liberty determines the size, number and mounting site(s) of its solar panels; types of mounting systems; operations and maintenance; solar financial incentives; purchase, lease and financing options; and common myths about residential solar energy.

“Solar panels generate DC (direct current) power, which through an inverter becomes AC (alternating current) power,” he said. “We tap into the main breaker panel in your home. If the solar panels generate more power than what is used in your home, the extra power goes back to your community’s electric grid. Credits for the power not used in your home accrue and are banked until they are needed. In our area the credits typically accrue from April through October and then they are used during the winter months. If you sell your home, credits that you have accrued cannot be transferred to your new home.”

Calalesina said to determine the size of the solar panel system, the number of panels that are needed, and the best site to locate the panels at a residence, a month-by-month calculation of consumption versus production of kilowatt hours (KWH) is done.

“The average household uses 7,000 to 11,000 KWH per year,” he said. “The amount used determines the number of solar panels. There are pole, ground and roof mounting systems. Some mounts allow for the pitch of the panels to be adjusted in order to get more direct sun, while others are fixed. “If the panels are being installed on a roof, the pitch and orientation of the roof, as well as the amount of shade cast from nearby trees, must be considered. We can get this information via satellite. Panels generally are installed facing south. Our engineers draw up system plans specific to the residences. Panels on roofs sit on rails 2 to 3 inches off the roofs to allow for air and precipitation to flow through. Any holes made are tightly sealed and covered.”

Solar Liberty has also installed systems on carports, pergolas and canopies.

“Solar panels are not high maintenance items,” Calalesina said. “You do not have to shovel the snow off of them nor constantly clean them. In our area the rain and snow keep them clean. If you live in an area that is very dusty, maybe near farmland or on a dirt road, you will need to hose them down once in a while. You can get an app on your phone to monitor the system’s operations and maintenance.”