In November 2012, the stars aligned for San Diego resident Artie Nishioka to “go green” by installing Kyocera solar modules to power his new Chevy Volt electric vehicle-- and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I selected Kyocera Solar modules because I believe they are the best-quality PV modules on the market,” Artie stated. Artie did his homework before choosing Kyocera modules, and discovered some great reasons for making his choice: “Kyocera has over 35 years of PV manufacturing experience; the warranty is backed by a financially sound company; they’re manufactured within 50 miles of my house; and they offer high efficiency and output performance.”
His main reasons for going solar were to reduce high electric bills in the summer, and to charge his new Chevy Volt.
Artie chose Mission Solar Electric in San Diego, owned by James Pinon, as the installer. Mission Solar helped size his grid-tied rooftop system for the desired output, and ultimately installed 24 Kyocera 245 watt modules with a DC rating of 5.88kW. The modules were mounted on Artie’s concrete tile roof facing SSW at a 30 degree pitch for optimal sunlight collection. The system also features 24 Enphase M215 micro inverters.
The Kyocera solar PV system has had a major impact on Artie’s electric bills: “Before I installed solar, my average electric bill was $153 per month. Since installing solar, my average electric bill is about $23/month, and that includes charging my Chevy Volt, which uses about 225 kWh per month.”
By driving an electric vehicle, Artie avoids buying more than 500 gallons of gasoline annually – a savings of $2,100 at current gas prices.
In addition, owning a Chevy Volt provides some other great advantages: In California, cars that qualify for a Green Clean Air Vehicle sticker, such as Artie’s Chevy Volt, are permitted in the carpool lanes of California freeways until 2019, no matter how many people are in the car. This encourages citizens to purchase low-polluting vehicles, and Artie has noticed it’s working.
“When I first bought the Chevy Volt, I could get premium parking at shopping centers that offer charging stations, but in the last six months I’ve noticed those charging stations have become more crowded,” he explained. “So, while that opportunity is diminishing, it means that more people are driving electric cars. That benefits our environment, so I don’t have any complaints.”
Artie is pleased with his Kyocera solar electric system and recommends the company’s modules to others considering solar.
“Any solar brand can power your house and charge your car; I selected Kyocera because of quality and performance,” he stated. “Kyocera solar module over-performance means that I get 112% of the power my system was designed to provide. In other words, I get 12% more electric power than I paid for.”
That makes the payback on his green investment faster. And, as Artie likes to say, “’Nuff said!”
Editor’s Note: If you would like your solar story to be published in this newsletter, please send an e-mail with your pitch to infosolar@kyocera.com