• Solar panels are a beacon of consistency. Solar panels will continue to function well even after 10 or 20 years if      properly cared for and controlled professionally along with proper check and balance.
• Before installing a solar panel, the quantity of sunlight is the first consideration. Clearwater, Florida, receives 240 days of bright sunlight each year, making it one of the country’s sunniest cities. Because of this, clearwater is an excellent location for a solar panel. Other considerations include the angle of the solar panel and the absence of shadow in the area where the solar panel is positioned.
• One of the most contentious issues is whether cloud cover affects solar power generation. Clearwater’s weather is characterized by more sunny days and fewer cloudy days. Even on a cloudy day, solar power will continue to meet your electrical needs. On a cloudy day, the solar panel does not cease generating electricity; rather, it continues to create photovoltaic energy, but the amount of power produced is comparable to that of direct sunny days; around 10-25 percent of its typical power is produced on cloudy days and rest is used from the electricity stored in batteries on sunny days.
• Every individual may profit from every solar panel installed in the vicinity. It will help to make the city’s environment more sustainable by supplying excess electric power to the grid.
• If you own a house and want to significantly improve the value of your property, you might consider adding a solar panel to boost the property cost. Clearwater Florida property prices are relatively high. Property owners may make more money from their houses that are powered by a properly installed solar panel system.
• Solar energy is a renewable source of energy. The world is shifting to long-term energy generation methods that do the least environmental damage. Solar panels have no harmful impact on the environment and are also a solid investment since more people will transition to solar panels in the future.
• Solar power contributes almost 91 billion kilowatt hours, or 2.2 percent of total share. This clearly demonstrates that in the coming years, it will become a significant contributor to the United States’ total share of energy, and as the first two major contributors – natural gas and fossil fuels – are depleted, we must change our practices and shift to more suitable sources of energy production to save these resources for future generations.

Availability of Government Incentives

There are several incentives and rebates available, as well as certain pitfalls to avoid in order to avoid incurring a penalty cost.The United States government offers a variety of solar energy subsidies to residents in Clearwater, Florida. When it comes to solar power in Clearwater, Florida, there are certain solar legislation, incentive programmes, and insurance restrictions to consider. Florida is one of the best states to install solar power because it is known as the sun shines state because it receives 20 to 25 times more sunlight than Virginia and other parts of the United States, so solar panels will produce more power because it receives more sunlight than other states, and labour rates for construction are relatively low, so Clearwater, Florida has some of the lowest installation costs.Some are mentioned below.

• Solar Tax Credit 

There are two sorts of tax credits available for those installing solar panels: federal tax credits and state tax credits. This form of incentive gives you money back when tax season comes around, for example, the federal investment tax credit. ITC gives a percentage reduction off your yearly taxes. Remember that extra solar tax credits are calculated as a percentage of your overall cost, so amounts will vary from system to system. Some rebates are provided as a flat payment to assist with the initial cost of your system, while others are a set dollar amount according to the size of system.

• Clearwater, FL PACE Financing

Solar energy is spearheading the fight against climate change. To even get started, you must put down a large sum of money. Pace loans are the quickest and most convenient method to acquire your own solar system. They may assist you in achieving your Clean Energy objective. Pace loans are not strictly loans; instead, consider them a financing alternative. Whereas an extra loan is related to the borrower, the amount with pace is tied to the property itself; as a result, the loan forms part of your property assessment and is paid via your property tax payments. This may result in cheaper interest rates due to the loan’s high security. It also implies that if you were to transfer ownership of the property for whatever reason, the new owner would be liable for the outstanding payments when you secure a zero-money-down loan.

• Net metering

Net metering is one of the most popular ways to take advantage of solar savings. It means that if you have a pendant solar power available, you can power your house directly using solar power and you will also be selling any excess solar energy that you have back to the power company, which century runs backwards or builds credit on your account so that when you have to purchase power back from the grid. Those of you who are thinking about financing the purchase of a solar power system should take advantage of net metering so that you may utilize your monthly energy bill savings to cover the cost of your solar loan payment, so you don’t have to pay anything out of pocket. For those of you interested in solar electricity with battery backup, the Clearwater Electric Utility also provides a $4,000 cash refund for installing solar with battery backup, allowing you to kill two birds with one stone.

• Property Tax Exemption 

Real estate taxes are excluded due of the value that you have contributed to your property, thus unlike other home modifications such as pools and constructing physical space extensions to the home, investing in solar and having that capacity at your home will not cost you anything extra in real estate taxes. Furthermore, just like other Americans, Floridians may take advantage of the 26 Federal solar investment tax credit, which means that the federal government will actually repay you 26 percent of your whole project cost when you submit your tax return.

Solar Panel Installation in Clearwater

1. Site Survey 

The site survey now starts off the whole procedure. The surveyor will usually visit the next week after you sign a new contract to double verify all of the measurements and everything else that was done by the computer-based design. His duty is to look through the site and make sure everything fits and works as it should. It entails climbing to the roof and obtaining direct physical measurements of the dimensions, as well as accessing the circuit breaker panel and determining where each connection will be made. The idea is to ensure that no one is surprised on installation day. Once the site survey is confirmed then comes the next step.

       2.Engeenering and Permitting process

Solar is similar to any other construction project in that you must get building and electrical permits, just as you would if      you were adding an addition to your home. Then there’s the utility interconnection application procedure, which involves the      paperwork and other requirements for receiving clearance to cooperate with the electricity provider. You will sometimes sell electricity to them and occasionally buy power from them at night.

Engineer plan set is required, which is a detailed set of building plans that breaks down the installation to the specific level of detail where the roof attachment and structural attachments are going to be made. I will also include an electrical wiring schematic, which the electrical plan reviewer will want to see before issuing the electrical permits, so the engineering team finalizes the plan set, which is usually about 10 to 20 pages long, and it will be submitted to your local building department.

3.Installation

Now that all of the third-party approvals have been obtained, the installation crew will show up at your job site with the solar panels and their equipment to be installed if you will do the solar panel mounting or if it is a ground Mount system, the ground construction crew will do the solar panel mounting and hook up your inverter, which means you will have to convert between the two at some point during the system. Once all three components have been installed, the jurisdiction of the city of the country will come out to do a final inspection, and once all of the final inspections have passed, they will notify the power company, and they will install your new electric meter, allowing you to start selling solar power back and forth. So that has been the solar installation process, and if it’s done correctly, you should have your solar system up and running live in four to eight weeks.

Companies that install solar panels in Clearwater, Florida

In the United States, there are several businesses that operate both locally and nationally. In Clearwater, Florida, there are several approved solar energy firms. These companies offer services that are in line with contemporary technology and work hard to ensure that their consumers are satisfied. They are incredibly enthusiastic about their job, and some of them are listed below.

May Electric Solar

Average Stars: 3.16 stars

4.3 stars by 3 google reviews , 5 stars from https://www.energysage.com/supplier/22371/may-electric-solar, 1.5 stars by Yelp, 5 stars by 262 reviews on https://www.rateabiz.com/reviews/may-electric-solar-division-hudson-fl/50171962b6e7feb56a5c99cc327353e8/summary

Location 

Clermont, FL 34711, United States

Description Of Company :

William May founded Florida’s premier solar power installation firm in 2006. For over 14 years, they have gladly served all of West and Central Florida! They can help you save a lot of money on your original and overall investment because of their honest advice. Their informed, compassionate, and competent representatives respond to your inquiries and work hard to resolve your problems. During the installation procedure, there are no hiccups. It is an electrical engineering business rather than a roofing firm, which is a benefit. Their pricing is also quite competitive. May Electric Solar Additional Services include Installation , Financing, Electrical contracting,solar repair and maintainance and community solar.

Excel Home Solar

Average Stars : 4.8

Overall Reviews : 4.6 stars ,46 on Google , 4.8 stars by 26 reviews on Facebook,5 stars by 10 reviews on https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/saint-petersburg/profile/solar-energy-contractors/excel-home-solar-inc-0653-90293650 , 5 stars by 18 reviews on https://www.homeadvisor.com/rated.ExcelHomeSolarInc.63164797.html 

Location : 3900 31st St N suite a, St. Petersburg, FL 33714, United States

Description of Company : 

Solar Home Solar is a solar energy firm based in St. Petersburg, Florida that has been in business since 2016. The majority of the reviews give them great marks. Their firm stands out because of their attention to detail, ability to explain the subtleties of having a solar power system, transparency throughout the process, and giving a superior product at a very reasonable price. They have donated solar power installations to individuals in need throughout the years. They donated a system to the Fostering Change Foster Closet in Land o’ Lakes in 2019.

They also provide financing, plumbing, and solar repair and maintenance services. Their installation team is really helpful and competent. The solar counsellor is always available for conversation and to answer any questions about solar installation. The majority of reviews are really favourable, and customers are extremely satisfied with the services they provide.

3.SunPower

Average Stars : 4.2 stars 

Overall Reviews: 4.5 star review on https://bestcompany.com/solar/company/sunpower .

4.6 stars on https://www.consumeraffairs.com/solar-energy/sunpower.html  3.5 star review on https://www.yelp.com/biz/sunpower-san-jose-2 

Description of company : 

SunPower Corporation, which was created in 1985, is a pioneer in the competitive industry. It presently possesses more than 500 U.S. patents and offers a lengthy warranty as well as a variety of financing options. They have a large trading network in the United States. Their mission statement is that clean energy should be available to everyone. Their recruitment process is simple, and they have 36 years of solar business expertise. SunPower received the solar industry’s Sustainability Award in 2019. Roof repair is a hindrance in the procedure prior to solar power installation, hence this company also performs roofing services.

Conclusion

Solar electricity in Clearwater, Florida is the most cost-effective and energy-generating choice. It provides several benefits in all parts of life, whether environmental or economical. Solar power installation is a new investment package that will benefit both existing and future consumers. To make installation easier and more feasible, the government offers various money-saving incentives to encourage people to switch from traditional energy-generation methods to new and improved energy-generation methods, and solar power is without a doubt at the top of the list, with the fewest side effects and a plethora of benefits. So don’t spend time studying and debating whether or not to hire a solar panel installation; just do it! In order to get the most value for money in Clearwater, Florida, take advantage of net metering and the 26 percent federal tax credit for solar energy, and limit your system’s AC power rating below 10 kW to avoid the need for liability insurance. You may save 10 to $20 a month by switching to solar power and financing the system in Florida, where utility costs are in the middle ranges and the weather is generally sunny.

Company: Better Earth Solar

Address: 1815 E Wilshire Ave Ste 908, Santa Ana, CA 92705

Years in Business: 6

Website:  betterearth.solar/

Reviews: 2.8 / 5 (Solar Reviews), 1.8 / 5 (Bestcompany.com), 5 / 5 (Energysage), 3 / 5 (Yelp), 3.98 / 5 (Better Business Bureau), 4 / 5 (Facebook)

 Business Quote: “Since our founding, we have experienced rocket ship growth due to our focus on creating the most seamless and excellent customer experience in our mission to transform the world to renewable energy”

Summary: BetterEarth is a “vertically integrated” solar company founded by a former employee of SolarCity with grandiose visions of a future powered by sustainable energy. Everything about Better earth is handled in-house from sales to design to install. This makes BetterEarth much more convenient for homeowners, and can help keep price-points lower. BetterEarth has a 60 day installation guarantee from the time proper permits are in hand or BetterEarth will compensate the homeowner for a year of solar payments up to $2,000. They also offer a very attractive zero money down option, and they partner with a number of lending companies. They also offer a PPA (power purchase agreement) that reduces upfront costs to customers. BetterEarth guarantees both their panel installation and the energy output of your panels for 25 years. 

BetterEarth has a limited national reach however, only being available in California, Arizona and Florida. BetterEarth also apparently does not have any nationally or internationally recognized certifications, which essentially means that while they may do great work, they have not been recognized as such by any governing body. 

One interesting thing about BetterEarth is that they promote “joining their team” as an opportunity of a lifetime. They advertise “unlimited earning potential”, “leads on auto-pilot”, “career advancement”, “make your own schedule”, and which are terms that can often be found associated with pyramid schemes. And while I’m not accusing BetterEarth of anything like that, all I’m saying is that they could be pyramid-adjacent. 

On their website they have a “how to get started” graphic that claims you can be hired and “start closing deals” within your first 10 days. In fact, the graphic even lists “start closing deals” as step 5 of their “smooth and easy” hiring process. And step 6, of course, is “collect commissions”. 

Better Business Bureau: A good place to start when trying to figure out any company is with the BBB. They are a nationally recognized and generally accepted group known to be relatively neutral and consumer-oriented. Currently, Better Earth is an accredited business that has a 3.98 out of 5 star rating with 46 customer reviews with the BBB, as well as an A+ rating. They have 9 complaints lodged against them in the last 3 years with 7 complaints closed in the last 12 years. Some of the highlights from the complaints include:

1. An unfinished installation
2. An installation that had to be fixed, then was not re-inspected by the city
3. Failure to fill out proper paperwork by the company & unfinished inspection
4. Accusations of lies being told in the sales process
5. Complaint about length of time between agreement and installation
6. Poor communication during installation process, accusation of being called “evil” and a liar

Other Reviews:  

From SolarReviews.com (Three Reviews, All 1 Star):

1. From a review titled “Illegal Connection of ground to gas line”, quote: “The gas company rep came out on Friday and nearly blew his top to see that Better Earth Solar attached the ground/electrical line the nearby gas pipes. The fellow was livid. It could easily electrify the gas lines in the house. “

2. From a review titled “More than 3 months from signed date- Still awaiting!!!”, quote: “THEY PROMISED WITHIN 6-8 WEEKS EVERYTHING TO BE DONE , BUT ITS BEEN MORETHAN 3 MONTHS I SIGNED CONTRACT NO USE OF IT.”

3. From a review titled “Think Again!”, quote: “I signed a contract LAST NOVEMBER! Nothing has happened except bad communications and broken promises. Go elsewhere!”

From BestCompany.com (5 reviews, 1.8 star average):

1. “Company is never on time”, “left a mess on my roof”, “stay away from this company”. 
2. The lone 5 star positive review, calls them professional from “management to installers”.
3. Complaint that customer’s roof wasn’t properly inspected before installation, resulting in complications when the roof needed to be replaced. 
4. Review quote: “Consumers beware. DO NOT USE BETTER EARTH!”. Complains about failed inspections, poor communication, exposed wires, “cussing”. 
5. Quote from 5th review: “Horrible company.” Complains of a poor installation with damaged panels and having to hire a “real electrician” to fix the problem. 

From EnergySage.com (50 reviews, average of 5 stars)

 Almost all the reviews on EnergySage.com for this company are positive, lots of key buzzwords like “professional” and “responsive”. Lots of talk about good communication and helpful, knowledgeable reps. Several reviews call the process “easy” and “simple”. 

From Yelp.com (39 reviews, average of 3 stars)

Many positive reviews here as well, but also some negatives. Negatives include:

1. Katharina H. of Bell Gardens, CA says BetterEarth used non-licensed technicians that left them with a “destroyed roof” and unusable or non-working solar panels
2. Cynthia K. of Saint Helena, CA says, quote, “Whatever you do dont believe these people or enter into a contract with them!”. She says the installation is not the one that was discussed and the system is still not working. 

3. Joseph M. of Phoenix, AZ, claims “horrible sales tactics” and posts a picture of what he claims are BetterEarth sales reps not in uniform or anything else to indicate who they are. He claims sales reps are instructed specifically to knock on doors with “no soliciting” signs. 

Final Word: Better Earth seems like a well-intended company, but seems to have some major issues with their organization. There are a lot of complaints out there about them, probably more than there are positive reviews. This is a company I would recommend approaching with extreme caution- it doesn’t mean they can’t or don’t do good work, but there are definitely enough people out there unsatisfied with their work and experiences that you should do a large amount of research before making any commitment. 

Company: Florida Solar & Air

Address: 2399 SW 53rd St., Suite 105, Cooper City, FL 33330

Years in Business: 23 

Website: solarandair.com

Reviews: 4.7 / 5 (Google, 439 reviews), 4.9 / 5 (Better Business Bureau, 20 reviews), 4.5 / 5 (BuildZoom.com, 5 reviews), 5 / 5 (Birdeye, 429 reviews), 3.4 / 5 (Trustlink.org, 9 reviews), 3.4 / 5 (Indeed.com, 14 reviews), 3.5 / 5 (Yelp, 66 reviews), 4.7 / 5 (HomeAdvisor, 137 reviews)

 Business Quote: “At Florida Solar & Air, we understand that your home is your most valued asset. That’s why we take great care to ensure a top-quality experience for every customer we serve. Our team is dedicated to helping you save costs while increasing the value of your home.”

Summary: Florida Solar & Air touts their mission statement as being to “save energy costs and make homes in South Florida more efficient through a full-line of innovative and affordable energy-efficient products”. They list their various state certifications as general, AC, roofing and electrical contractors as well as providing their license numbers, which is reassuring even though most consumers (myself included) aren’t going to really know what they mean. They list various reasons why you should go with Florida Solar & Air- free consultations, “deep knowledge” of incentives and rebates, etc. The “Solar 101” section of their website details the entire process of solar energy production and how it can apply to your home. 

Buildzoom: In the words of their own website, “BuildZoom is your trusted construction project consultant.  We are with you every step of the way – from sourcing talent to analyzing bids. Before a brick is laid, we help you create a plan to reduce costly overages, delays, and unforeseen issues down the road

We work on all types of projects. Select the project you’re doing to learn more about how we can help.” Their rating algorithm rates Florida Solar & Air an 89, in the bottom 50% of contractors in the state of Florida, as a matter of fact they are ranked in the 30th percentile. They also note that :Florida Solar & Air Inc, 12399 SW 53rd St, Cooper City, FL (Owned by: Alexander Mustelier) holds a E Electrical Contractor license and 32 other licenses according to the Orange County license board.”. The records of Buildzoom.com indicate the company has worked on over 1500 projects over the last three years. The typical size of their permits, which include projects other than solar, is around $14,000. They have a 4.5 / 5 star rating with Buildzoom in 5 reviews, the only negative (2 star) review comes from Pablo F. who says Florida Solar & Air installed 4 “quite below average” doors in his home last year. 

Better Business Bureau:  The better business bureau is a nationally recognized organization that is a widely trusted authority on all matters of business. On the BBB website, Florida Solar & Air has 7 complaints registered & closed in the last 3 years, as well as a 4.9 / 5 rating in 20 customer reviews. The complaints include:

1. A customer who claims they were quoted $13,717, then after paying that amount, was told he owed an additional balance, but wasn’t told how much. 

Trust Link Reviews: (3.5 / 5 stars in 9 reviews) On average the reviews here are positive, but we’ll take a quick glance at a few of the complaints. 

1. Harold B. calls his dealings with Florida Solar and Air “the worst experience ever”. He gives a somewhat complicated explanation of problems with licensing procedure and installation and ultimately ended up going with another solar contractor, and now Florida Solar and Air was, as of the writing of that review, suing Harold for breach of contract.

2. Despite giving a 3 / 5 star review, Kristin D. titles her review “horrible”. She claims to have gotten “empty promises” from the company, and also cites several issues with the actual job itself, including improper and incomplete construction. This complaint, however, does not seem to have anything to do with solar panels, but rather with the installation of storm doors and windows. 

3. Richard N. says “STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY” and cites improper installation of his A/C unit 42 days after the initial installation. He also points out a lack of proper permits from the city and code violations. He calls for the company to be investigated by proper licensing authorities. 

4. Jose P. gives  1 star review and claims he is starting to be very dissatisfied after 11 months, which makes him quite a bit more long-suffering than most. This review also seems to not have anything to do with solar panels but rather with installation of a five ton air conditioner that has shown several problems since its delivery. Jose ends the review by saying “ I’m starting to think that I made a very bad decision in going with Solandair”

Final Word:  Overall, the reviews for Florida Solar & Air are positive and solid. They consistently get 4 and 5 star ratings across a variety of platforms, and they have positive ratings from the Better Business Bureau. As with any other company, there are a number of bad reviews out there, which I have pointed out in this article not to dissuade you from using Florida Solar & Air, just to make you aware of some of the complications and difficulties that can arise when dealing with any contractor. Interestingly, almost none of the complaints I came across had anything to do with the quality of their work as a solar contractor, but more to do with licensing issues for their general contractor work. So overall, Florida Solar & Air seems like a very solid company that does good work in their solar capacity. Though I have seen a number of complaints with their other work, their solar work seems to be just fine and dandy. So if they’re available in your area, they’re a company you should consider using. And with Florida being one of the more solar-friendly and solar-ready states in the Union, solar panels are a great idea in the citrus state. 

Company: Solcium Solar

Motto: Committed to changing the way the world sees solar, one panel at a time.

Address: 312 W First Street, Suite 505 Sanford, FL 32771

Phone: (662.765.2486)

Email: hello@solcium.com

Years in Business: Unclear

Website: solciumsolar.com/

Business Quote: “Solcium Solar provides a full suite of end-to-end renewable energy solutions including education, design and installation services. The Solcium experience delivers on providing the best product for the best price, guaranteed. 

Leaving aggressive sales gimmicks behind, Solcium Solar is dedicated to offering our partners the highest-level of unbiased industry education, so they are empowered to make the right decision based on their needs, not ours. “

Reviews: 4.74 / 5 Solar Advisor (24 reviews), 5 / 5 Home Advisor (1 review), 5 / 5 Better Business Bureau (21 reviews), 4.7 / 5 ChamberofCommerce.org (27 reviews), 4.7 / 5 Google (30 reviews)

Summary: The word “Solcium” is a derivative of the Latin “Solcius”, which means “Partner” or “Ally”. Solcium Solar is a full-service solar retailer and installer that touts a very consumer-friendly stance with guarantees like an “industry leading warranty” a price match guarantee and no-money-down installations. They promise to never “overall” or “undersell” a client, tailoring every customer’s solar installation. Their service area appears to cover much of South Florida.

They describe their solar process as having 4 steps- A free quote, an educational consultation, schedule installation and a “bright future. Solcium Solar makes a big point of letting you know their aim is to “educate” the consumers about solar panels and the process of “going green” so customers can feel like they are making the right decision in their purchase. 

Interestingly, Solcium Solar seems to offer electric vehicle services, namely charging stations, encouraging consumers to pair their electric vehicle charging station with solar panels for maximum efficiency. 

It is worth mentioning that “Solcium Solar” is a completely different company and unrelated to the similarly named “Solcius Solar”. 

Buildzoom: Buildzoom.com is a website that provides information for consumers on all kinds of construction and contracting businesses. They rate various construction businesses based on a number of criteria, and in the case of Solcium Solar they gave them a rating of 109. This ranks Solcium Solar in the top 5% of all licensed contractors in Florida, which makes them a recommended hire by Buildzoom. Buildzoom’s records show Solcium Solar holds a valid license as an electrical contractor as well as two other valid licenses. Buildzoom records indicate Solcium Solar has received permits to work on 39 projects in the last year, which shows they are active in the solar industry. Records indicate that the average price on their permits is around $27,000. Buildzoom has not received any reviews of Solcium Solar, good, bad or otherwise. The majority of the permits Buildzoom has on record for Solcium Solar are for Solar contracting. 

Better Business Bureau:  The BBB is a generally trusted source of consumer information regarding practices of various businesses. Though Soclium Solar is not BBB accredited, they do have an A- rating from the BBB and have 21 reviews with a perfect 5 star rating. The BBB only lists them as having been in business for 1 year. Notably, they have zero complaints filed against them as of this writing. A quick scan of their reviews turn up words like “knowledgeable”, “reliable” and “affordable”. 

Other Reviews: The following are quotes from various reviews Solcium has received across various platforms on the internet. 

Dee from Cassleberry Florida: “We ended up choosing Solcium after other solar companies stopped communicating with us. From contract to closing Solcium got my system installed within 4 weeks.” (Solar Reviews)

Susan T. from Sanford Florida: “Love that there was nothing I needed to put down and that if I need to get a new roof in the future they will come and uninstall and reinstall the panels for free!” (Solar Reviews) (Editor’s Note: This is especially worth noting because many solar companies charge extra fees in the event they have to remove and reinstall solar panels for a customer’s roof to be worked on or replaced).

Z Pack: “Here’s to being more energy efficient. You can’t beat 30 year warranty!” (ChamberofCommerce.com) (Editor’s Note: Many solar companies offer warranties of 20 or 25 years- 30 is an outlier and definitely puts Solcium Solar a rung above most companies out there in terms of warranty). 

Glenda Crain: “I have a NO TRESSPASSING sign right at my front door, not only did he knock, he rang my doorbell. This is the 5th time they have done this, next time they will talk to the Police.” (ChamberofCommerce.com)(Editor’s Note: This is a rare negative review for Solcium Solar [1 star] and it is worth pointing out that it has nothing to do with their work in any way, it’s just someone named Glenda who has a “NO TRESSSSPASSSSING” sign. Glenda is apparently a snake. For what it’s worth, I found another review on the same website that complained about them knocking on doors and leaving door hangers despite “No trespassing” signs. 

Jessica Laing: “We were so excited to partner with Solcium because their 30 year warranty covers everything! They guaranteed our power production” (ChamberofCommerce.com) (Editor’s Note: Also noteworthy is the fact that Solcium has a power production guarantee- basically if they tell you your panels will produce X amount of energy and it does not, they will “cover the difference” according to their website)

Final Word: 

Solcium Solar is a new company, but their reviews are almost universally positive at this point in their career. It is therefore really hard to say a whole lot about them- All the information I can find about them is basically positive. And while that is a good thing, it also means that there isn’t very much I can tell you about them that isn’t easy for you to find. Regardless, they are highly rated across virtually every platform, they are obviously active in the solar industry and their website says all the right things. I see no reason at this point that Solcium Solar should not be high on your list of companies to check out if you are considering adding a solar panel array to your home anywhere in their coverage area.  

So first off, you should know, in the state of Texas, solar panels are cheaper than the national average at only about $2.76 per watt. Most solar panels are sold in 250 watt increments, which means a common solar panel in Texas is going to cost something like $690 which, again, is below the national average. So right off the bat, you’ve got a leg up on most other parts of the U.S.

Furthermore, with rebates, incentives and other benefits that are available, your solar panels will pay for themselves in something like 12 years. That means that after 12 to 13 years of use, your solar panels will have saved you as much money as they cost, and all future savings will essentially be money in your pocket- in some cases, literally. 

Solar panels last, on average, around 25 years, meaning that once they’ve paid for themselves, you still have 12-13 years (on average) of free electricity, plus credits toward future electric bills (or possibly cash payments for unused electricity you have fed back into the grid). Either way, your solar panels will end up making you *more* money than they initially cost. 

What are the other benefits of going solar? 

• “PACE”: Property Assessed Clean Energy financing is a program that allows Texans to finance a solar installation by having an assessment done on their property. The dollar amount that is financed can be paid via property taxes annually until the whole system and installation is paid off. Not every local government in Texas offers a PACE program, so make sure you inquire with local governments before making plans. This can be a huge benefit to potential solar customers who can’t afford to pay for their solar panels in a lump sum or don’t want to pay interest on a loan. 
• Interconnection Standards: The state of Texas has interconnection standards that are set up in such a way that connecting your solar power system to “the grid” should be easy for your solar installer, which will likely save time and money for the consumer.
• Energy Rebates: Many local governments and utilities in Texas offer energy rebates based on the amount of energy your system produces and feeds back into “the grid”. These rebates usually come in the form of “credits” toward future energy bills, but some utilities offer cash payments. So either way, check with your local electric supplier to see what rebates you may qualify for. 
• Property Tax Exemptions: Property taxes are high in Texas, which is the price you pay for not having a state income tax. However, in the state of Texas your property tax liability cannot be reassessed (Read: raised) due to the addition of a renewable energy system, such as solar panels. So in Texas more than anywhere else, anything that keeps your property taxes under control is very welcome. 
• Federal Tax Credit- The federal government offers a tax credit of 26% of the total amount of your solar installation off your federal tax liability, which by itself can save you thousands of dollars and can help recoup much of the cost of your installation. 
• Home Value- “Energy Efficient” or “Energy Upgraded” homes, such as those that have solar panels, sell for 8% more on average than regular homes. While 8% doesn’t sound like much, think about it this way- the average value of a single family home in Texas is around $250,000, meaning an 8% increase adds $20,000 to the value of your home.
• REAP Program- The rural energy for America program through the department of agriculture provides loan financing and grants for agricultural producers looking to make energy improvements, such as solar panels.

How does weather affect solar panels?

The state of Texas has, for the most part, very favorable weather for solar energy production. It is among the sunniest states in the U.S., with most parts of the state averaging over 250 sunny days per year, and some parts of southern Texas approach averaging 300. Most of Texas has little large vegetation and therefore your panels will not be obstructed by shade in most parts of the state, another major plus for solar panels as most of them struggle without direct sunlight. Snow, a major obstructer of solar panels, is virtually a non-factor in Texas (and honestly, if you actually get snow in Texas, you can’t get that upset).

How do I get solar panels installed in Texas? 

So the best news is that the state of Texas is packed with competent solar installers. Every major city seems to have a dozen or more active solar companies. Now Texas is an enormous state, obviously, so if you live a long way from a major city you may struggle to find someone willing to drive into the boondocks to do an installation, but I assure you if you try hard enough someone will do it. For the purposes of this article, I’m going to just give you a quick rundown of some of the top rated companies in each major city in Texas. 

EL PASO:

Company: Solar Smart Living 

Address:  108 Ray Ward Pl, Santa Teresa, NM 88008

Years in Business: 14

Website: solarsmartliving.com/contact-us

Reviews: 4.5 / 5 Facebook (68 reviews), 4.89 / 5 BBB (213 reviews)

 Business Quote: “Solar Panels help you save money and protect yourself against rising utility costs especially in the El Paso, TX and Las Cruces, NM Areas. With over 300+ sunny days a year, El Paso and Southern New Mexico solar panel owners achieve payback of their system in about 7 and a half years.”

The Good: Great website, great reviews and lots of them

The Bad: Literally can’t find anything bad about them

Summary: Technically located in New Mexico, they are right across the border from El Paso, and appear to be the highest rated company in the area. I literally can’t find a single bad thing to say about them and they look to be highly rated and appreciated across all platforms. So by all means give these guys a try if you’re in the El Paso area. 

SAN ANTONIO

Company: Solar Electric Texas 

Address: 1874 Grandstand Dr, San Antonio, TX 78238

Years in Business: 11

Website:  solarelectrictexas.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (59 reviews), 5 / 5 Yelp (3 reviews), 4.5 /5 Angi (5 reviews), 3.67 / 5 BBB (3 reviews) 

 Business Quote: “We are the premier solar installer in San Antonio specializing in roof

mounts, ground mounts, manufactured homes, and shade structures. We offer a wide variety of solar programs including leasing, purchase, and financed purchase options.”

The Good: Mostly good reviews, lots of reviews, strong web presence

The Bad: Couple of complaints with the BBB

Summary: Looks like a very successful company in the San Antonio area. They seem to do a lot of work and get a lot of good reviews from a lot of people. Give them a look if you’re in this area of Texas. 

AUSTIN

Company: Lighthouse Solar 

Address: 2000 S 7th St, Austin, TX 78704

Years in Business: 14

Website:  lighthousesolartx.com/

Reviews: 5 /5 Facebook (13 reviews), 5 / 5 Yelp (23 reviews), 4.3 / 5 Angi (8 reviews)

 Business Quote: “  Our vision is to empower and enlighten residential and commercial customers in Texas. We aim to go beyond tangible services – project design, construction, electricity, and system maintenance – to animate a new way of being in the world.”

The Good: Really nice looking website, no complaints with the BBB, lots of good reviews

The Bad: None really that I can see

Summary: Appears to be a very successful company in the Austin area. Looks like they do lots of work and have a lot of reviews out there, most of them very good. So by all means check these guys out if you’re in the Austin area. 

Company: 512 Solar 

Address: 1250 S Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78746

Years in Business: 7

Website:  512solar.com/contact/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (10 reviews), 5 / 5 Yelp (46 reviews), 3.9 / 5 SolarReviews (2 reviews), 5 / 5 Angi (16 reviews)

 Business Quote: “512 Solar delivers an exceptional customer service experience while navigating your path to energy independence.”

The Good: Very progressive company, lots and lots of good reviews, strong web presence

The Bad: Only 7 years in business

Summary: Other than their apparent short time in the business, there isn’t much negative to say about this company. Lots of positive reviews with near perfect scores across multiple platforms. 

HOUSTON

Company: Sunshine Renewable Solutions 

Address: 4011 Valley Green Ct, Houston, TX 77059

Years in Business: 4

Website:  sunshinerenewable.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (12 reviews), 5 / 5 Yelp (5 reviews), 4.9 / 5 Birdeye (143 reviews)

 Business Quote:  “We focus on energy-efficient solutions to provide affordable residential and commercial solar panel energy systems. With our complete in-house solar energy team, our clients have a home that produces its own electricity. We want to empower people to own not just a home, but a powerful home.”

The Good: Lots of good reviews

The Bad: Only 4 years in business

Summary: A fairly new company but one that looks to be doing a lot of business in the Houston area. They have gotten a ton of good reviews in their 4 years of business, so this looks like a good company to deal with. 

Company: Sunpro Solar 

Address: 7614 Bluff Point Dr, Houston, TX 77086

Years in Business: 11

Website:  gosunpro.com/location/texas/houston-texas-solar-panels/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (1 review), 5 / 5 Yelp (10 reviews), 4.7 / 5 Solarforyourhouse (50 reviews), 4.6 / 5 Birdeye (148 reviews)

 Business Quote: “Our goal is to give our customers a reliable and efficient solar energy system to power their homes with clean, solar energy. If you’re in need of solar panels in Houston, you can count on our highly skilled solar specialists to get the job done right the first time.”

The Good: National brand, lots of experiences and resources

The Bad: Some bad reviews, some complaints with the BBB

Summary: You know the deal. You’re dealing with a national brand on this one, so they’re going to have a bigger pool of resources and experience to draw from, but you’re also going to miss out on having that locally owned company feeling. 

DALLAS

Company Name: Good Faith Energy

Address: 13720 Diplomat Dr, Farmers Branch, TX 75234

Years in Business: 7

Website: goodfaithenergy.com

Reviews: 4.5 / 5 Better Business Bureau (6 reviews), 4.9 / 5 Birdseye (318 reviews), 5 stars Yelp (30 reviews)

The Good: Great reviews and lots of them

The Bad: Website could be a little more user-friendly

Summary: Good Faith has only been in business for 7 years but has apparently done a ton of good work in that short time and has received LOTS of outstanding reviews. It’s hard to find a problem with this company, and this is another one that would be very good to consider in the Dallas area. 

Company Name: North Texas Solar

Address: 1452 Hughes Rd Ste 150, Grapevine, TX 76051

Website: https://northtexassolar.com/

Years in Business: 6

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (3 reviews), 4 / 5 BBB (5 reviews), 5 / 5 Yelp (5 reviews), 4.17 / 5 BBB (6 reviews)

The Good: No complaints with the BBB, good looking website, good reviews

The Bad: Not many reviews

Summary: Good looking company that is relatively young. Their website says all the right things however, and I don’t see any major red flags out there about them, so they may be a good one to take a look at! 

Final Word: 

So ultimately, as you can see, Texas is primed and ready solar territory. It has the right environment, plenty of providers, great incentives and plenty of space. There is nothing stopping the state of Texas from being one of the leading solar producers in the United States, if not THE leader. So if you’re out there considering solar panels, consider no more- everything is in your favor. Go solar, Texas!

Solar panels in Riverside cost around $2.65 per watt, and most solar panels are sold in 250 watt increments. This means an average solar panel is going to cost you something close to $665. An average house requires somewhere between 20 and 28 solar panels to be fully self-sufficient, meaning you’re looking at a cost between $13,500 and $18,650 for your solar panels. And while that is a lot of money, fear not- there are a ton of incentives, tax credits and other benefits available that could lower your startup cost substantially. 

What are the benefits of going solar? 

California has a lot of incentives for customers looking to go solar. Before you consider how much it’s going to “cost” to install solar panels, consider some of these benefits and rebates, because your cost is going to be substantially less than what it may look like. 

• RPS (Renewable portfolio standards): The state of California is one of the most progressive states when it comes to the amount of their energy they want to come from renewable sources. The state has mandated that by 2030, at least 50% of its energy must be generated from green sources, meaning utilities have every reason to encourage customers to produce solar energy. 

• Electricity Rates: At 23.35 cents per kilowatt hour, California has the 2nd highest rates in the entire U.S. Therefore, adding a solar power system can save you more money in California than almost any other state, and your solar panels will therefore “pay” for themselves much faster in California than almost anywhere else. 

• Net Metering Laws: California’s net metering laws are a huge plus for anyone considering installing solar panels. If your system produces more energy than you use, you are going to want to be able to sell that energy back into the grid, and strong net metering laws will make that more accurate and efficient. 

• State Interconnection Standards: California has state standards that should theoretically make it both faster, easier and ultimately cheaper to connect your solar energy system to the ‘grid’. 

• Rebates: California has a rebate program for consumers who install solar panels under the California Solar Initiative, but not all customers qualify. For more details see cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/electrical-energy/demand-side-management/california-solar-initiative. 

• Performance Based Incentives: Based on how much power your system feeds back into the grid, you can receive solar credits toward future electric bills in months where your energy use outstrips your system’s output. 

• State Property Tax Exemption: State law exempts your property taxes from changing based on the addition of solar panels- Meaning your taxes wont go up. 

• Federal Tax Credit: Any taxpayer who installs solar panels is eligible to claim up to 26% of the total cost of the installation as a credit to their federal income tax liability. 

Will the addition of Solar panels increase the value of my home?

You can expect the addition of solar panels to increase the value of your home anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000. This depends on a number of factors, including the age or condition of the system when the house is put up for sale, the size of the system, etc. Keep in mind that some buyers will not be interested in solar panels and therefore won’t be willing to pay more for a home that has them. 

What effect does net metering have on my system?

Net metering allows your utility company to not only measure the output of your solar energy system but also to to measure how much energy is fed back into the “grid”. Obviously this is very important for solar customers who want their solar panels to earn free credits toward future energy bills. 

How many solar panels do I need to power my home?

Every house is different, but you can expect to need between 20 and 28 solar panels to be completely self-sufficient. Your solar company should be able to give you a good idea of how many solar panels you will need to get your home completely energy self-sufficient by looking at your past electric bills. 

How long do solar panels take to “pay” for themselves?

In Riverside, due to California’s progressive stance on renewable energy and very high electric rates, you can expect your solar panels to pay for themselves in a very short time- 8 to 9 years. This is extremely fast, much faster than in almost any other state, and after they have “paid” for themselves, you can expect “free” solar energy for many years to come. 

How long do solar panels last?

Solar panels are generally warrantied for 20 to 25 years, so you can expect to have them for around that length of time. 

Things to look for in a solar company:

• Time in industry- How long has the company been in business? The longer the better is the general rule of thumb, as the more experience a company has, the better chance they’ve dealt with whatever little problems might arise and know how to fix them. Also any company that has been in business for a long time probably does good enough work to not get run out of town. 

• Types of panels- More info on different kinds of panels later in the article, but just know that there are lots of different kinds, and not every company uses every kind of panel. So if you have a strong opinion on what kind of solar panels you want to use on your home, make sure the company you’re looking at uses them. 

• Payment options- Some companies expect you to pay 100% of the cost of an installation up front and don’t offer any form of financing. Obviously that is not possible for all customers, so make sure the company you’re dealing with has a payment plan you can live with.

• Warranties- Most companies offer some kind of warranty, though not all warranties are as good as others. Some companies will offer a warranty but still ask customers to pay a service charge for any kind of on-site visit. Other companies will cheerfully offer completely free maintenance and service for the lifetime of your solar panels. Make sure you know what kind of warranty you’re getting up front. 

• Review- The reviews you can find online for various companies tell you a lot about what you can expect in terms of a company’s customer service and their general work. Make sure you scour the internet for any and every review you can find about a company- both good and bad- before making a decision. Anybody can say the right things and put the right things on their website, but what their customers say will tell the real tale. 

Types of Solar Panels & inverters

There are basically two types of solar panels that are generally used in home installations- Monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Monocrystalline are smaller and more efficient, but also more expensive. They also work with less direct sunlight, which is a big benefit for homeowners that have a lot of shade. Polycrystalline panels are the bigger ones, usually mounted on the ground rather than on a roof. They tend to be less efficient and don’t last as long, but they are also cheaper. 

Inverters are the devices that actually transform solar energy into usable electricity. There are three kinds that are used in home installations- String inverters, micro inverters and power optimizers. They break down like this: 

• String inverters don’t work well in shade, they’re the cheapest and they’re the standard inverter in the industry
• Micro-Inverters- Work well in shade, allow individual panel monitoring, and are good for rooftops where panels may face different directions
• Power Optimizers are more efficient than string inverters, less expensive than micro-inverters and offer individual panel monitoring, but are also more expensive

How does weather affect solar panels?

Depending on where you live, you may want to consider the effects of weather patterns on your solar panels. Some things to think about: 

• Fog / Cloud Cover: In times of heavy fog or cloud cover, your solar panels may only produce 10 – 30% as much electricity as they would under normal conditions
• Rain: Aside from the cloud cover, rain can actually be a positive for solar panels, cleaning them off and keeping the panels clear. 
•  Snow: Snow accumulation on your solar panels can stop them from producing completely
•  Temperature: Temperatures below 77 degrees fahrenheit care considered most efficient for solar panel, with efficiency decreasing by an estimated 1% for each degree above 77. 

How do I get solar panels installed in Riverside? 

Great news- you don’t have to look very far in Riverside to find a qualified solar installer. In doing this study, I found some of the most qualified solar installation companies I’ve seen. Here are just a few: 

Company : Solar Max Technology

Address:  3080 12th St, Riverside, CA 92507

Years in Business: 14

Website: solarmaxtech.com/  

Reviews: 1 / 5 BBB (1 review), 3.5 / 5 Facebook (55 reviews), 5 / 5 Yelp (202 reviews), 5 / 5 Solarmaxtech (40 reviews), Birdseye 1 / 5 (9 reviews), 3.9 / 5 Angi (16 reviews), 5 / 5 Finduslocal (1 review), 5 / 5 Houzz (9 reviews), 

 Business Quote: “Premium roof installation and quality solar energy systems, designed, engineered and assembled right here in the USA.

The Good: 14 years in business, TONS of mostly good reviews out there to look at

The Bad: A few bad reviews, 3 complaints with the BBB

Summary: Overall this looks like a super solid company with a lot of upside. They have obviously done a lot of work and have gotten a LOT of reviews, maybe the most of any company I’ve ever seen in writing these articles. They have a few negative reviews out there, but the sheer volume of good reviews far outweighs them. This looks like a company to definitely check out. 

Company: New Power LLC

Address: 887 Marlborough Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

Years in Business: 12

Website:  socalsunshinesolutions.com/location-contact

Reviews: 4.2 / 5 BBB (5 reviews), 4. / 5 Yelp (43 reviews), 3.5 / 5 Birdeye (67 reviews), 5 / 5 Homeadvisor (1 review)

Business Quote: “Save Money. Go Solar. All we need is your roof- not your pocketbook”

The Good: Nifty website that breaks things down very plainly

The Bad: 3 complaints with BBB, 

Summary: Another company that looks to have done a whole lot of work in a relatively short amount of time. They’ve got a lot of reviews to look at, which will give you a very good idea of what to expect from them. Overall, this is another company that seems to have a good reputation and looks like they do good work. Check them out for sure. 

Company: Optimum Solar Power 

Address: 9990 Indiana Ave Ste 8, Riverside, CA 92503

Years in Business: 4

Website:  optimumsolarpower.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (2 reviews), 5 / 5 Yelp (1 review), 5 / 5 BBB (1 review), 

 Business Quote: “With the core aim to lower down your electric bills and promote sustainability, we actually bring something for you that you will cherish for your entire lifetime.”

The Good: One of the coolest logos in the business. Really pretty website

The Bad: 4 years in business

Summary: So I’ll be honest- the first thing I noticed about this company was their neato logo that I assume it supposed to look like some kind of phoenix bird. But as I checked them out, they looked more and more like a very solid company that appears to do excellent work. They’re very new, only 4 years old, but have not managed to accumulate any complaints or negative reviews that I can find. So feel free to check them out, I see no reason to steer clear. 

Company: Sullivan Solar Power 

Address: 2111 Iowa Ave Ste J, Riverside, CA 92507

Years in Business: 21

Website:  sullivansolarpower.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Yelp (56 reviews), 3.2 / 5 Birdeye (20 reviews), 2.45 / 5 BBB (20 reviews)

 Business Quote: “ Regardless of project size and scope, Sullivan is committed to providing the best products and the most qualified professionals in the industry for their customers.”

The Good: 21 years in business, lots of reviews

The Bad: A lot of bad reviews with the BBB, and 61 complaints (!!!)

Summary: Hold your horses on this one kiddos, because they may no longer be operational. Their website doesn’t appear to be working and the BBB report, quote, “Government Action: BBB reports on known government actions involving business’ marketplace conduct:

Contractors State License Board v Sullivan Solar Power of California Inc”. The BBB reports that they no longer appear to be in business, so apparently something went terribly wrong with these guys after their 5 good Yelp reviews. 

Final Word: 

So there you have it. Given all of the above, I can’t think of a good reason to not go solar if you are in a position to consider it. So get off the fence and get it done! 

Solar panels in Richmond Virginia cost around $3 per watt, which is considered to be the national average though this actually seems to be a little above average according to my own research. This means then that the average solar panel, which is going to usually be 250 watts, will cost around $750. Your home is going to require between 20 and 30 solar panels to operate self-sufficient of the grid, and thus you’re going to pay something between $15,000 and $22,500 for your solar panels. This is, of course, a lot of money, but there’s more to the story- a number of credits, tax breaks and incentives exist that can more than pay you back for your initial investment.

What are the benefits of going solar?

So what can possibly offset an investment of that size? The state of Virginia has a handful of benefits in place that can benefit solar customers, so let’s take a look at a few of them now:

• Net Metering– The state of Virginia has strong net metering laws, and that’s good news for anyone out there producing electricity on their own, and that includes solar customers. Net metering is, essentially, the practice of not only measuring the amount of energy your solar panels produce but also measuring how much you actually use and how much gets “sold” back to the utility company. This means that you will be given credit for the energy your system produces, whether that’s in the form of a cash payment or credits toward future electric bills. 

• Statewide Interconnection Standards- Anywhere you hook up your solar panels to the grid in the entire state of Virginia it should be the same procedure, thereby making it that much easier for your solar installer to do their job. This is thanks to Virginia’s interconnection standards, and should ultimately make things not only easier for you but also cheaper. 

• Tennessee Valley Authority Rebate- Though the state itself offers no rebate, the TVA utility company does offer a rebate of up to $1000 for eligible homeowners after the installation of your system. So make sure you don’t miss out on this one, your solar installer should be familiar with it.

• Performance Based Incentives (PBIs)- Solar power producers in Virginia are eligible for Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs). Long story short, this system essentially measures how much energy your system generates and compares that to how much energy you actually use. The rest is “sold” back to your utility company and credited to you on future electric bills. So in other words, not only are you not paying for electricity, you are in effect being paid for generating it. 

• Property Tax Exemption- By Virginia state law, your property taxes cannot be reassessed based on the addition of solar panels. This is a big deal because obviously the addition of solar panels can increase the value of your property (and therefore your tax responsibility) tremendously. So this exemption can potentially save you thousands and thousands of dollars in future taxes.

• Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC)- The federal government offers consumers who install a solar energy system the ability to write off 26% of that purchase as a credit toward your federal tax liability. Considering 26% of your purchase could be as much as seven thousand or more dollars, this is an incentive well worth your time. 

• Increased Home Value- Although your realtor can give you a much better idea of exactly how much, you can expect your home’s value to increase anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 with the addition of solar panels, possibly even more depending on the size of the system, energy output, etc. So even though you’re paying a lot for your system, when the time comes to sell your home you’ll be getting almost every dime of your investment back out just from this alone. 

• Lifetime Savings- Your total savings on electricity over the life of your solar panels is going to come out to something like $20,000 in the state of Virginia. Keep in mind, this is just how much money you will save on electricity, and has nothing to do with energy you “sell” to your utility or any other kinds of rebates and incentives you may receive. So again, this alone is going to cover most of the cost of a solar installation in and of itself

How much solar power do I need?
So every home is obviously going to be different- some homes require more or less electricity than others, depending on a number of factors- size f the home, how many people live there, general climate in your area, insulation, you name it. There’s no hard and fast answer to the question of how many solar panels you’ll need, but generally speaking most homes require somewhere between 20 and 30 panels to be fully functional. Obviously that’s a big margin for error, so your solar installer should be able to look at your past electric bills and give you a pretty good estimate as to how many you’ll need to be self-sufficient. And of course, if you get more than you need, that energy won’t be wasted, it will simply “roll over” as credits on future bills. 

What is the “payback” period for solar panels in Virginia?

So the “payback” period refers to how long it will take your solar panels to pay for themselves, whether that’s through savings on electric bills, solar energy credits, incentives, tax breaks or whatever. Currently in Virginia, the “payback” period is expected to be about 12 years, meaning that within 12 years, every penny you invested in your solar panels should return to you in terms of rebates, credits, savings on electric bills, etc. This means that after 12 years, any savings or credits you earn from your solar panels can be considered as “profit”, above and beyond the actual cost of the panels themselves. 

How long do solar panels last?

The majority of solar panels and solar installations come with warranties of 20 to 25 years. This means that the manufacturers and installers both believe that the panels should last at least that long, otherwise they wouldn’t give you such a long warranty. Therefore, we can safely assume that your solar panels are likely to last at least 20-25 years. The reality of it is that, as with many things, your solar panels will not stop working all at once, but rather will simply lose efficiency and become less and less effective over the years. But until they die completely, they will continue to produce electricity, even long after their warranty has expired.

Types of Solar Panels

So there’s a lot to know about solar panels, but here’s a few basics that you may want to keep in mind when going through the process of installing a solar panel system. First off, there are two primary kinds of solar panels- Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline. Monocrystalline panels are the smaller panels you often see used for smaller installations like water heaters etc. Monocrystalline panels tend to be more efficient and work with less direct sunlight, but they’re also more expensive. They do last longer, however, than polycrystalline panels. Polycrystalline panels are the bigger ones that you most commonly see installed on the ground or on rooftops. They require direct sunlight to function and are less efficient than monocrystalline panels. They don’t last as long either, but they are cheaper, and therefore you see them quite often when a homeowner has enough space for them on the ground.

The other crucial piece of equipment that you need to know a little about are inverters. Inverters are the machines that actually convert captured sunlight into electricity you can use in your home. There are several different types of inverters that are commonly used in home installations- string inverters, power optimizers, micro inverters primarily- but the kind of inverters you use are normally dictated by the kinds of solar panels you use and where they’re located. So don’t worry too much about kinds of inverters, as your solar installer will probably tell you what kind you’ll have to use. 

How Will Virginia Weather Affect My Solar Panels? 

Virginia has a very mild climate- yes, I know, you might not think so, but look at the facts: The hottest month of the year in Virginia (July) features an average high temperature of 88, while the coldest month of the year (January) has an average high temperature of 32. There are just over 200 sunny days per year on average, which is again a very fine and mild climate compared to many other parts of the country. Other factors to consider:

Fog / Dense Cloud Cover- Obviously anything that impedes sunlight from reaching your solar panels is a negative thing. On very cloudy days, your solar panels may produce only 30% as much electricity as they normally would. 

Rain- Now regardless of the obvious negatives associated with cloud cover, rain is actually good for your panels. It washes them off and can actually make them produce more efficiently. 

Snow- Obviously snow is bad. Any accumulation of snow is going to block your solar panels from receiving sunlight and therefore from creating electricity, and in Richmond you are going to get a fair amount of snow. However, as soon as the snow is removed, whether it melts or you scrape it, your panels will go back to operating like normal

Temperature- One myth many believe about solar panels is that they like hot weather. They actually don’t. They can operate more efficiently at lower temperatures in fact. And luckily, in Virginia, you will not get a lot of extreme heat the way you would in some of the nastier parts of the country- Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, etc. 

***

How do I get solar panels installed in Richmond, Virginia? 

The city of Richmond itself has a dozen or more very solid solar providers available, and I’m going to go through a few of them here, but keep in mind that many solar companies are more than willing to travel across a whole state to get your business. So don’t limit yourself to only very local providers- be prepared to search outside of your area to find a provider who is right for you and your needs.

Company: Solar Tyme

Address: 6710 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Richmond, VA 23237

Website:  solartyme.net/

Years in Business: 10

 Business Quote:  “SolarTyme is dedicated to providing alternative energy, energy conservation, and environmentally friendly products and services. SolarTyme has already helped thousands of homeowners in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina gain energy independence and save money while making their homes more comfortable and improving the environment.”

Company: Performance Solar 

Address: 7047 River Rd, Hanover, VA 23069

Website: perfsolar.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Chamberofcommerce.com (1 review)

 Business Quote: “ We work with clients to do an exhaustive review of the numerous factors that can influence their decision to go solar, how to execute the system to maximize tax benefits, maximize energy production, meet capital outlay and budget requirements, and can even craft solutions to eliminate any out of pocket needs and save you money the first month when compared to existing energy costs. We can even fund your project!” 

Company: Shockoe Solar

Address: 13421 River Ridge Ln, Ashland, VA 23005

Website:  shockoesolar.com/new-page-1

Reviews: 4.8 / 5 Homeadvisor (5 reviews), 5 / 5 Chamberofcommerce.com (6 reviews)

 Business Quote: “Every company – no matter its product or service – is a direct reflection of its people. Shockoe Solar’s staff works together like a well oiled machine.  Whether it is our largest project or our smallest, your project will get our full attention.  All of our employees are dedicated, intelligent, friendly, and passionate about solar energy and our customers.  We excel in producing long-lasting friendships with our customers.”

Company: Blue Raven Solar 

Address: 9327 Midlothian Turnpike Ste 2C, Richmond, VA 23235

Website:  blueravensolar.com/virginia/richmond/

Reviews: 4.5 / 5 Chamberofcommerce.com (221 reviews), 4.9 / 5 Birdeye.com (18 reviews)

 Business Quote: “Solar costs have dropped by 55% over the last 5 years to make solar more affordable and allowing more Richmond residents to help sustain the environment. Unfortunately, some solar incentives will be decreasing. After 2022, the federal tax credit won’t be so generous, and you never know how long local rebates and incentives will last. It’s time to take control of your utility bill. There has never been a better time to go solar in Richmond.”

Final Word: 

So in the end, yes, solar panels may be a little more expensive in Richmond than they are in some other parts of the country, and no, the state of Virginia does not have the most solar friendly laws. But they’re not the most expensive solar panels, and Virginia does have *some* solar friendly statutes. Combine that with Virginia’s very solar ready climate and you have a pretty good situation, one that will likely only improve with time as more states adopt more renewable energy laws. So a good situation will become a better one given enough time, 

Picture a church. What does the roof look like? For most churches, you’d probably say it has a broad, flat, slanted expanse of rooftop. How big is it? Maybe 2-3 times the size of an average home at least, depending on the size of the church, and that’s not even considering any additional buildings the church may have- gymnasiums, family gathering facilities, etc. Now consider how much solar power could be produced by those rooftops. Many churches are starting to realize the potential for utilizing this wasted space and the impact it can have on their finances. 

Finances

Even when a church is completely financially sound and stable, money is always tight and budgets are continually strained. For this reason, solar energy can be very appealing, as an immediate investment of 20 or 30 thousand dollars can pay for itself in fewer than 10 years, and ultimately greatly reduce or even eliminate electric bills for many years. And keep in mind, while you are taking on a “new bill” when committing to pay for solar panels, you are also reducing your existing electric bill- perhaps even eliminating it, depending on how big of a system you install. So yes, you might be adding a new bill of $1,000 or more dollars per month, but if you’re eliminating a $1,000 a month electric bill, it comes out even right? 

It actually comes out to better than even. Because some day, maybe within a few years, your solar panels will be paid off, and your electricity bill will still be drastically reduced or non-existent. And that’s when the real benefits of having solar panels will begin to be evident. 

Discounts & Incentives

Many states and even the federal government offer tax incentives for solar customers- Exemptions from state sales taxes, credits toward state and federal income taxes, etc. However, because churches are considered non-profits and are generally exempt from taxation, these incentives aren’t too helpful for churches. 

Don’t despair though, because there are plenty of incentives and other helpful items out there for churches looking to go solar. 

• Collective Sun- Collective Sun is a non-profit that uses a proprietary funding model to help other non-profits purchase and install solar panels at a 12-15% discount. And while 12-15% doesn’t sound significant, keep in mind if we’re talking about a $30,000 installation, you’re saving somewhere in the neighborhood of $5,000. For more information, visit collectivesun.com

• State Net Metering Laws- In states with strong net metering laws, churches can benefit tremendously from earning credits toward future electric bills or even cash payments based on the amount of electricity your solar panels produce and feed back into “the grid”. Imagine going from a one thousand + dollar bill each month for electricity to actually getting a cash payment, and your budget instantly expands by leaps and bounds. 

• Rebates- Many states or utilities offer rebates on your solar installation, sometimes up to as much as 30% of your total cost. So once again, using $30,000 as your example, receiving a rebate of 30% will instantly reduce your cost by $9,000.

Community Outreach

Consider the outreach that can be generated by solar panels- Regardless of a person’s feelings on the environment, being “the church with the solar panels” could create a buzz in the community that you can’t buy with any kind of advertising. 

Some congregations consider stewardship a vital part of their mission, and what better way to show your commitment to bettering the planet than green energy? Churches that switch to solar energy can reduce their carbon footprint by hundreds of tons in a single year. 

Kinds of Panels

Church buildings are generally going to be substantially bigger than any residential building, meaning you can install a whole solar farm on the roof of your church. A typical home installation might produce 6 kilowatts of power, but with a roof many times bigger than that of a residential home, you can think bigger. Much bigger.

Not only can you fit many times more panels on the roof of a church, but you might consider going even bigger. Church roofs can likely support the additional weight of commercial solar panels, usually monocrystalline panels, that are bigger and heavier but also more efficient- meaning they will produce more energy other panels, like photovoltaic panels. This in turn will enable your solar panel array to produce more electricity to not only power your church but also to feed back into the grid, thereby earning you credits toward future electric bills or possibly even cash payments. Think about what you could do with the money your church would save from not paying an electric bill at all, and in fact possibly even getting paid for the electricity your panels produce. 

Summary

Overall, if a church is in a financial position to make the initial investment in solar panels, the potential benefits are tremendous. With the money you’ll save from electric bills and possibly even generate from excess electricity produced, you’ll pay your panels off fairly quickly. After that, your solar panels will have paid for themselves and you will now be getting free electricity (and again, possibly even getting paid) from your panels for the rest of their lives. With this money you can commit to all sorts of endeavors. Building new church facilities, expanding community outreaches, funding more missionaries or funding your existing missionaries at higher levels- all of this and more is possible when a church embraces the possibilities of solar power. 

So whatever your reasoning- be it financial, outreach or environmental- There is really no negative consequence of a church going solar if they are financially able to make the initial investment. The worst possible outcome is simply saving a little money on your electric bills for a few years. Your solar panels will 100% eventually pay for themselves, so you will get your money back out of them, and once you do you will still save money on your electric bills for the rest of the time they function. So you literally have nothing to lose from this, and everything to gain. So by all means, don’t be afraid to take the plunge.

• Idaho has one of the best tax credit plans of any state in the union for consumers who choose to go solar. Under the “Residential Alternative Tax Deduction”, you may deduct a whopping 40% of your total cost for solar panels and installation from your state income taxes. Furthermore, Idaho residents may deduct 20% of that same cost each year for the next three years after your solar panels are installed. This deduction maxes out at $5,000 per year or a total of $20,000, whichever comes first. Keep in mind, your entire installation may cost around $20,000. So if you claim a 40% credit the first year, that maxes out at $5,000. If you claim another 20% every year for the next three years, you will ultimately claim a $17,000 tax credit- Meaning you’ve basically been refunded 85% of the total cost of your $20,000 system. But wait, there’s more.

• Don’t forget that 26% of the total cost of your system can also be claimed as a credit toward your federal income tax liability- another savings of potentially thousands of dollars. So let’s say that you save $1,000 in taxes after claiming your 26% federal income tax credit. Now you have essentially gotten back $18,000 of the cost of your $20,000 system.

• Now lets ignore all that above- What if you don’t receive one single tax incentive, rebate, credit, or anything else for your solar panels. Will they ever pay for themselves? The answer is yes. Regardless of any other bonuses or incentives, you can expect your solar panels to pay for themselves in as little as 15 years- And yes, 15 years is a long time, but when you consider that your solar panels will continue functioning and providing you free electricity long after they have paid for themselves, all of a sudden you’ll find yourself making a sound investment by installing solar panels, as they will routinely last 25 or more years. 

• The state of Idaho does not have mandated net metering laws, but the three biggest utilities in the state (Idaho Power, Avista Utilities and Rocky Mountain Power) do offer net metering to customers. So what’s the big deal with net metering? Net metering is the process by which a utility measures not only the output of your solar panels, but how much of that energy you actually use as opposed to how much gets fed back into “the grid”. Utilities with net metering will credit customers for the energy their systems feed back into the grid, usually with free kilowatt hours of electricity on future electric bills. In other words, when you generate electricity that you don’t use, your utility will count that toward your electric bills in the future, thereby not only providing you free energy immediately but also in the future when your solar panels may not generate as much electricity as you use. 

• The Idaho OER (Office of Energy Resources) State Energy Loan Program offers a loan of up to $15,000 at a low interest rate (4%) with a 5 year payback window to help citizens considering installing solar power systems. For more information on the program, visit oemr.idaho.gov/loan-program/

• Increase in Property Value- Homes in Idaho with solar panels are appraised at $10,000 to $20,000 more valuable than similar homes without solar panels. This alone can make your solar panel installation worth every cent you pay for it, but you can also expect your home to sell faster than homes without solar panels when it goes on the market. 

• When I say Idaho, you think of sunshine, right? No? That’s ok, that’s not one of the things the ole potato state isn’t necessarily known for. But here’s the thing- Most parts of Idaho average well over 200 sunny days per year, so they’re just as sunny as most states in the U.S. And what’s more, the temperatures in Idaho most definitely lend themselves to solar panels. Solar panels slowly become less and less efficient with every degree fahrenheit  temperatures rise above 78, but most of the year in Idaho you’re not going to have to worry about that. As a matter of fact, 8 months out of the year temperatures average less than 78 degrees fahrenheit, which means your panels should operate fairly efficiently year round. 

• Solar panels in Idaho cost only about $2.52 per watt. Most solar panels used in home installations are sold in 250 watt varieties, meaning you’ll pay around $630 for a solar panel in Idaho, which is significantly cheaper than the national average of around $3 per watt or $750 per panel. Your total cost for solar panels in Idaho, depending on how big a system you wish to install, is going to come to around $12,000-$17,000, which is again relatively cheap compared to other parts of the country. So comparatively, solar panels in Idaho are not cost prohibitive. 

• Thanks to the outstanding tax incentives in Idaho, your lifetime savings from your solar panels could be as high as $50,000 or more, and that’s with Idaho currently having the cheapest electric rates in the U.S. at 7 cents per kilowatt hour. And with today’s rising energy prices, there’s a very good chance that price will rise significantly in coming years, making your savings even higher. 

Final Word

So in the end, here’s what you’ve got to consider

1. Your solar panels will absolutely pay for themselves- Once you consider the fact that 85% of your panels may be paid for by tax breaks and credits, your solar panels will save you enough money in 5 years or less to completely pay for themselves, and you will likely have them for 20+ years after that.

2. Solar panels will 100% of the time raise the value of your home by almost as much as you pay for them

3. The weather in Idaho is, for the most part, very favorable to solar panels

So there you have it. Idaho has everything you could want in a solar state. So if you’re ready to take the plunge, start looking for a solar installer today and take the plunge.

The state of Nebraska is admittedly somewhat behind many other states in terms of encouraging the use of renewable energy sources like solar. Though they could be doing a lot more to encourage the use of solar energy, residents of the Cornhusker state looking to go solar will have a few things going their way, however. 

• Nebraska requires all utilities to offer some form of net metering, which is a major plus for anybody looking to install solar panels. Net metering is the method by which the output of your solar panels is measured, including how much electricity your panels feed back into “the grid”. This is the way you will eventually be able to earn solar credits on future electric bills, providing you with free electricity not only while your panels are actively working but even at night when they aren’t producing. The net metering laws in Nebraska are worded vaguely so utilities have a little leeway on how they handle it, but ultimately any way you look at it, if you’re feeding power back into the grid and your utility is required to compensate  you for it, that’s a win for solar panels. 

• State Rebates- The utilities in the state of Nebraska do offer some small rebates to residents who choose to go solar. Some examples include:
  • The Lincoln Electric System Sustainable Energy Fund: Offers a $500 rebate to consumers who switch from an electric heat pump or water heater system to a solar powered one. 
  • Nebraska Public Power District Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program

There are various other programs and rebates in place in Nebraska as well, depending on your utility company. Check with your utility to inquire about any possible programs they may have for customers who choose to go solar. 

• State Tax Credit- The state of Nebraska does offer a credit on your state income taxes when installing solar panels. I cannot find anything that tells me how much it is or how it applies, but apparently it is out there. Your solar installer should be more familiar with this and will probably be able to help you with the paperwork necessary to apply for it. 

• Federal Tax Credit- The federal government allows every taxpayer to claim 26% of the total cost of their solar installation as a deduction to their income tax liability. As a practical matter, this can save you a significant amount of money by essentially reducing the amount of income that you have to pay taxes on, perhaps by as much as $5,000. 

• The “Payback” period for solar panels in Nebraska is around 10 years- In other words, after about 10 years of operating, your solar panels will have produced enough free electricity that they will have paid for themselves. Your solar panels will last for at least another 10-15 years after that point, meaning that they will continue to produce free electricity for you long, long after they have paid for themselves. 

• Increase in home value- Homes with solar panels tend to be appraised at $10,000 to $20,000 more than similar homes without solar panels. There are a number of different ways used to calculate the value of homes with solar panels, but that is something you can learn more about should the need arise. Also, it is important to know that homes with solar panels are well known among realtors to sell faster than homes without them, another major bonus. 

• Favorable Weather- Nebraska actually has great weather for solar panels, despite what you may believe. With the entire state averaging well over 200 days a year of sunshine and favorable temperatures to keep your solar panels operating at a high efficiency, Nebraska is actually just as good if not better than states with a more “sunny” reputation. Only two months in Nebraska (June and July) have an average high temperature of above 78, and 78 degrees fahrenheit is considered to be the highest “optimal” operating temperature for solar panels. 

• REAP (Rural Energy for America Program)- The REAP program is designed for rural energy customers who wish to install renewable energy sources, such as solar panels. REAP loans are only available for small businesses in rural areas and agricultural producers who get 50% or more of their income from agricultural operations. For more information, see: usda.gov/programs-services/rural-energy-america-program-renewable-energy-systems-energy-efficiency/ne

What is the cost of Solar panels in Nebraska?

Solar panels in Nebraska average about $2.69 – $2.89 / watt. Most solar panels are sold in 250 watt sizes, so the average cost of a solar panel in Nebraska is going to be around $700. Normal houses require around 20 to 28 panels to operate independent of the grid, so your total cost for your solar panels is going to come out to something like $14,000 to $19,600 for a normal home installation. And though that is a lot of money, don’t forget that a large amount of your cost will be lessened by the various incentives, rebates, etc that are available to solar customers.

How much solar power do I need to power my home?

Although every home is different, it is a good bet that your home will require something like 5000 to 7000 watts of solar panels to operate independent of the grid. Your solar installer will give you a much better picture of exactly how many solar panels you need to power your home by examining your past electric bills, as well as taking into account other factors like home size, number of residents, etc.

Conclusion

So despite what you may believe about solar panels, Nebraska is just as good a state for solar energy as many of the more popular “sunny” states like Florida or California.  Despite the state of Nebraska not being as proactive as some others in their promotion of residents converting to solar panels, in the end solar is still a great option for anybody with the financial means and ability to install panels. 

Both standing seam metal roofs and corrugated metal roofs have secure installation techniques available. In this article, the aim is to tell you a little bit about those techniques and ease any worries you may have about installing solar panels on your metal roofed building. 

Standing Seam Roofs

Standing seam panels are popularly used in constructions in many different kinds of buildings, both big and large. They’re durable and long lasting, and stand up well to the elements and whatever nature might dish out. 

To attach solar panels to a standing seam roof, solar panels and their racking system are attached via U clamps, more often than not without requiring any kind of holes to be drilled. This is always a positive, of course, as metal roofs are not easily patched. 

Maybe most important of all, solar installations on a standing seam roof are usually a little cheaper, as they are fairly simple and require very little special equipment. 

Solar Panels on Corrugated Metal Roofs

Corrugated metal roofs are also popular in commercial roof installations. Though they are similar, installation of solar panels on these roofs has to be done in a slightly different way. 

These mountings are universally going to require drilling holes in the roof- there’s no way around that. However, if it is done correctly, your roof will remain waterproof and strong. 

To mount these panels, a small “foot” has to be mounted over or between the corrugations in the metal, and a rubber bushing will be secured to the bottom to seal the holes created by the mounting, thereby keeping water out. 

Solar Panels on Metal Tile Roofs

Metal tile roofs are also relatively easy to mount solar panels on, though they require specialized equipment. Tile replacement mounts have to be fitted to the roof and swapped out with existing tiles. These tile-replacement mounts have the added bonus of keeping your solar installation completely waterproof so long as the installer fits the replacement tile precisely in the place of the metal tile. 

Weight

Some customers worry that solar panels are too heavy to be supported by metal roofs, but most metal roofs are perfectly capable of supporting the weight of solar panels. Keep in mind that solar panels. Every roof needs to be inspected before solar panels are installed, usually by a 3rd party roof inspector to make sure it can withstand the additional weight of solar panels. Keep in mind that solar panels only exert something like 3-4 pounds of weight per square foot, so unless there is something structurally unsound about the roof the inspector will almost certainly sign off on the project. 

In the case of a question with structural integrity, the inspector will make recommendations for what needs to be fixed or updated before the project can go forward. Once those improvements are made, the inspector will come back out and sign off if the fixes are to their satisfaction. In very rare cases, such as with a very old roof, the inspector may recommend a complete replacement. 

Will Solar Panels Damage a Metal Roof?

Metal roofs cost a lot of money and last a very long time, so it’s understandable why anyone would be hesitant to do anything that might damage them, so we’re going to try to put some of those fears to rest right here. 

Solar panels have certain industry standards that should be met during installations, and as long as your installer is competently trained and has the right equipment, your roof should not suffer any damage (short term or long term), and as a matter of fact solar panels can even help strengthen your roof. 

Solar panels are designed to withstand a lot of punishment, being exposed to the elements 24/7- heat, cold, rain, snow, wind, hail, you name it. They can act as a buffer between your roof and mother nature, saving it some wear and tear over time. 

With standing seam roofs, no punctures are necessary whatsoever to install solar panels, so you won’t be exposing yourself to any possible leaks. Ribbed roofs do require some holes to be drilled, but the bolting system used in this technique is specifically designed to keep those holes from leaking for as long as your solar panels are installed, so once again, leaks in the roof shouldn’t be a great concern. 

How Long Do Solar Panels Last?

Currently, solar panel technology maxes out at about 25-30 years, and your metal roof will likely last significantly longer than this. Metal roofs are popular partly because they last anywhere from 40 to 70 years or longer, so there is a very good chance that your roof will outlast your solar panels. 

So what if your roof needs to be replaced before your solar panels? Obviously this adds an extra step to replacing your roof, because your solar installer will have to come out to remove the panels, then your roof will need to be replaced, and your solar installer will have to return to re-install the panels. This is an added expense, and there’s no way around that. However, as we said, there’s a very good chance your roof will far outlast your solar panels, and frankly it is very likely to be someone else’s problem by the time any of it needs replacing. So smile! You won’t be here when it happens! Probably.

Summary

Overall, solar panels on a metal roof are every bit as good, if not better, than regular roofs. Whereas there’s a very good chance you’ll have to replace a regular roof on a house every 20-30 years, metal roofing lasts practically as long as the building it’s on, so your solar panels probably won’t ever have to be uninstalled and reinstalled. 

Metal clamps eliminate the need to drill into certain types of metal roofs, and properly installed solar panels on corrugated roofs should negate the possibility of leaks. Metal roofs are plenty strong enough to support the added weight of solar panels, so that concern is a non-factor in any structurally sound roof.

Each panel weighs around 42 pounds (19 kg), though this may vary from brand to brand, but is usually about the same for most solar panels used in home installations.  Most residential solar panels have standard dimensions of 66 inches (1.65 meters) by 40 inches (1 meter) and 1.25 by 1.6 inches on the frame. This size makes them good for rooftop home installations, since you will need something between 20 and 28 solar panels most likely to be completely energy-independent. 

Residential solar panels are normally about 5 and a half feet long (1.65 meters) and just over 3 feet in width (.9 meters). Commercial solar panels are often bigger, at about 6 and a half feet (1.9 meters) and can often weigh 50 or more pounds (22.7 kg). This of course can vary depending on manufacturer and how the panel is made.  Also keep in mind the bigger the surface of your solar panels, the more production you can expect. 

Commercial solar panels are typically larger than residential solar panels because most residential panels are made up of 60 solar cells while standard commercial cells have 72, and some can up to 98 or more cells. 

Solar Panel Types

Just like anything else in life, solar panels come in different varieties, some of which may fit your home better than others. Here’s a quick summary of the different types of panels:

Photovoltaic Panels- These “thin film” panels are the most popular panels used in residential installations. They weigh approximately 40 pounds, though some can be as light as 33 pounds while others may weigh as much as 50. 

Monocrystalline Panels- These panels are a little more robust at an average of 50 pounds each, and are most commonly used for commercial installations due to their size. Their energy output is greater than that of photovoltaic panels, so if you have a newer home you might consider using these types of panels to increase your energy output. 

Polycrystalline Panels- One of the newest kinds of panels on the market, polycrystalline panels have made major advancements in recent years and are now the cheapest type of panels generally available, making them more popular in recent years for home installations. They weigh around 42 pounds each, and though they aren’t as efficient as other types of panels, their lower cost can compensate for their loss in output. Their efficiency has continued to improve in recent years however, and in some cases it is comparable to that of monocrystalline panels, making them more popular than ever. 

Roof Space

Average solar panels measure about 65 inches (1.65 meters) by 39 inches (.9 meters), so how does work into a full size rooftop  system of solar panels? 

An average system size of 6 kilowatts will require 20 solar panels, which will take up approximately 352 square feet (107 meters) or about 27 feet wide by 13 feet long. This measurement presumes your panels can be placed very close together and your roof has no major obstructions, so the reality is that you’ll need a little more space than this to account for things like ventilation vents, chimneys, etc. Every roof is unique, and therefore every solar panel system will have to be arranged and oriented differently. One thing to remember, however, is the more compact your solar arrangement is, the cheaper it’s going to be.

Will Solar Panels Damage my Roof?

When properly installed, solar panels will not cause any damage to your roof whatsoever. Over the years a number of techniques have been developed to install solar panels safely, and none of them involve causing lasting damage to rooftops. 

Can your roof support solar panels? 

Knowing what we now know about the size and weight of solar panels, we can make a calculation of roughly how much a solar panel system is going to weigh, and whether or not your roof can support that kind of weight. 

Given a standard 6 kilowatt installation (20 solar panels), the panels by themselves will weigh around 800 pounds (about 363 kg). According to our previous calculation, we know the system covers approximately 352 square feet, meaning we are looking at around 2.3 pounds per square foot. When you factor in incidental weight from mounting hardware and wiring etc, the weight supported will come out to something like 3-4 pounds per square foot. 

Obviously, most roofs are going to be able to support substantially more weight than 3 or 4 pounds per square foot- how many roofers have you seen that exerted less than 3-4 pounds of pressure per square foot? Modern roofs are designed to support up to 20 pounds per square foot in most cases. However, if you’re still concerned that your roof may not be able to support the weight, a standard roof inspection can help you decide for certain if your roof can handle solar panels. Most roofing companies will do a normal roof inspection for a small fee, and most solar installations companies will perform an inspection before beginning an installation. Your installation company could insist on a roof reconstruction before beginning an installation if they find the roof to be in need of major repair. 

Conclusion

So what have we learned? First off, the average solar panel is somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-50 pounds. Secondly, these panels are going to end up exerting something like 4 pounds per square foot of weight on your roof. We now know that most modern roofs are designed to support 20 or more pounds of weight per square foot, meaning solar panels can easily be supported by a modern roof in good condition. If you have questions about the condition of your roof, you can easily get a roof inspection by a private roofing company or your solar installation company will do it for you before beginning an installation. Furthermore, if your concern is that solar panels will damage your roof, then once again we put that fear to rest as there are numerous techniques for installing solar panels on a rooftop, and your solar company will choose the one that works best for your home needs and won’t damage your roof.

The incentive known as “Solar Renewable Energy Credits” is run through the “Illinois Shines” program, and is highly beneficial for anyone with the ability to invest in a moderate sized solar or wind power system. Renewed in September of 2021 under the “Climate & Equitable Jobs Act”, this is one of the few programs that actually pays you cash for the excess electricity your system produces. 

Why SRECs?

You might be asking yourself why the state of Illinois even has a program like this. Illinois has a renewable portfolio standard commitment passed by the state legislature to produce 25% of its energy from renewable or green sources by the year 2025. Of that energy, no less than 1.5% of it must come from solar power. If utility companies fail to meet this standard by 2025, they will be forced to pay fines to the state each year until these mandates are met, so it is in the best interest of these utilities to encourage customers to install solar energy systems. Furthermore, the solar energy customers produce has a monetary value to these utilities- if a utility is not producing enough renewable energy on their own, they have to “buy” it from another source to satisfy their 1.5% / 25% mandate. 

How does the Illinois SREC program work? 

Owners of solar systems can generate SRECs from the energy their solar panels produce. Under Illinois law, one SREC is credited for each 1,000 kilowatt hours (or one megawatt) or power created and fed back into the grid. 

The IPA (Illinois Power Authority) has in the past bought SRECs in “procurement rounds”. Solar panel owners could then sell SRECs through a broker or aggregator who acts as a middle-man between the state and owners of solar systems. These brokers then pay sellers for their SRECs every three months over the course of 5 years, meanwhile selling the SRECs to the IPA during these procurement rounds. The new program has changed a little however, with changes to duration of procurement rounds and fixing of prices received for SRECs based on your area of the state, system size, etc. 

FEJA & The Adjustable Block

When the Illinois legislature created the “Future Energy Jobs Act” (FEJA) in 2017, the legislation was meant to stimulate job growth in new green industries. FEJA includes the incentive structure known as the “AB” or “Adjustable Block” program, also known as “Illinois Shines”. Under this program, SRECs are sold at a price set by contracts instead of variable prices based on market fluctuations as they were in the old SREC program. 

The “block” structure determines the value of the SREC in which the state set an amount of installed solar power and an SREC price for each block. Once the amount in a set block is reached, the incentive transitions to another block with a lower price, with the ultimate result being as more people install solar panels, there is less money available for the incentive. The block which you fall into depends on several factors including:

• Type of solar project: Community, home and commercial installations, among others, are all valued differently. 
• Utility: Your electricity provider and your load zone determine which block you’ll be placed into
• Block Capacity: As blocks reach their capacity, prices for SRECs go down. So the later you are in installing your solar system, the less money you can potentially make. So if you get added into block 1, you may earn $90 per SREC, but if block 1 fills up and you are inserted into block 2, you may only earn $80 per SREC. 
• Size of Solar array: Your incentives become less valuable the bigger your system. So if you’re running an entire 50 acre solar farm they’re not going to pay you as much per kilowatt-hour as a smaller producer. 

How Do you Earn SRECs?

The first and most obvious step is to install a solar panel system. This is more easily said than done, as there are a lot of factors to consider- Which company to go with, what types of panels to install, how many, where to install them, etc. This is a lengthy process and can often take 6 months to a year from beginning to end, so don’t expect it to be an overnight solution. You won’t call the Great Illinois Solar Company Tuesday afternoon and have free electricity by Friday. Or even next Friday or the Friday after that. It will be a process. 

If you really are serious about earning SRECs, you’re going to need to produce a lot of electricity to feed back into the grid. To this end, you’re going to want to go over the amount of electricity you’ll need to run your house. Most homes require somewhere between 6 and 8 kilowatts to operate, so you’re going to want to install a system of at least 9-10 kilowatts so you are constantly feeding electricity back into the system. 

Next, once your solar system is completely operational and producing, you’re going to need to complete the necessary paperwork. Most solar installers are imminently familiar with whatever paperwork might be required to receive solar incentives, including SRECs, so they can help you through the process and hopefully make it as painless as possible. 

Summary

Overall, the Illinois Shines SREC program is one of the most encouraging incentives to produce solar energy in any state. Most of the time extra energy fed back into the grid is credited to your future electric bills, which is great and is more or less equivalent to cash, but there’s nothing quite like getting a check for the energy your system has produced. That’s why so many Illinois residents have made the decision to install solar electric systems, and if you’re in a financial position to make the investment, you should too. The worst case scenario is that your system pays for itself after a few years with energy savings and you “only” get several years of free electricity out of your panels. Best case scenario, you have a viable stream of income from your solar farm.

How many Solar Panels do I need to power my home?

Again, this is very much a subjective question and depends entirely on a lot of factors that are unique to each individual. Probably the biggest factors to consider are the size of your home (obviously the bigger the home, the more power it will use) and the number of people living there, as the more people living in your home, the more hot water, the more loads of laundry, the more TVs and lights that will be used, etc. While those are the two biggest contributors, there are a number of other things to consider- everything from how warm or cool you prefer to keep your home to how many appliances you will have plugged in on a daily basis. Your solar installation company can give you a good idea of how much solar power you’ll need by examining your past electric bills. 

On average, most American homes will need between 6 and 8 kilowatts of solar panels to run their home completely independent of “the grid”. At 250 watts per panel, this comes out to between 24 and 32 panels, or $16,000-$21,000. 

What about the ITC?

The federal government offers an investment tax credit to anyone installing solar panels. The homeowner may claim 26% of the entire cost of their solar installation as a credit toward their federal income tax liability, which can result in a savings of thousands of dollars. When you get down to brass tacks, we’re talking about a savings of $5,200 on a $20,000 installation, or a savings of $3,900 on a $15,000 installation. So before you get any other kind of rebates or incentives, you’ve already gotten back thousands of the dollars you’ve invested in your solar system. 

Local Utility Rebates

Some states offer a state rebate for customers who go solar, but Texas is not one of those. However, many local municipalities and utilities do offer some form of rebates as encouragement to their customers to install green energy systems, so it is worth checking into your local electric company to see if they may be one of those. If you they are, they may issue a cash payment to you or to your installer to help pay for the installation, or they may credit you on future electric bills. 

PACE Financing:

The “Property Assessed Clean Energy” financing program available in Texas offers any qualifying resident the chance to finance their solar installation by having a property assessment. The amount which you finance can be paid off through property tax payments or on an annual basis until the entire system is paid off. Not every area in Texas participates in PACE however, so make sure you check before you make a decision if you are interested in using PACE to finance your system. 

Property Tax Exemption:

Property taxes in Texas are known to be very high, so any relief on that front is going to make a difference. So good news – Texas law prevents the reassessment of property value based on the addition of a green energy system, such as solar panels. In other words, your property tax liability will not go up based on your installation. 

Increased Home Value:

And what’s even better is that even though your electric bills will go down and your property tax bill remain the same, your home’s value will go up. Exactly how much is debatable, but in general you can assume a value increase of between $10,000 and $20,000. A real estate agent can give you a better idea of exactly how much your solar panels could increase your home’s resale price, but to put it bluntly, your home’s value will increase by about as much as you pay for your solar installation. So if you plan to sell your home anytime in the next 10 years, there’s a good possibility that they will pay for themselves strictly by increasing the sale price of your home. Incidentally, it is also worth noting that homes with solar panels also tend to sell faster than others. 

“Payback” Period:

So overall, yes, your solar panels are going to cost you a pretty penny. But between rebates, tax credits, increase in home value, etc, they just about pay for themselves without ever generating the first watt of electricity. But guess what- they will generate electricity, and lots of it. So you can expect a lifetime energy savings of as much as $40-50,000 thanks to your panels, which by itself will eventually pay for your panels. But even better, the energy your system produces and feeds back into the grid (the energy your home doesn’t use) will in most cases be “credited” to you for future electric bills. So not only will you get “free” electricity while your panels are producing, you’ll get free electricity when they aren’t or in times when your energy use outstrips your production. 

So exactly how long will your panels take to pay for themselves? Currently estimates are something around 12-13 years. But consider that the lifetime of your solar panels could be as long as 25 or more years, and you can see that you’ll have completely paid off solar panels producing free, clean energy for many many years. 

Final Word:

So overall, you’re looking at a home upgrade that will provide free electricity, will increase the value of your by about as much as you pay for it, and will eventually pay for itself and more. So the question really becomes, if you are financially able to make the investment and in a stable enough living situation, what is really stopping you from going solar? 

The average cost of solar panels in Georgia is around $2.33 per watt, which is one of the cheapest rates in the U.S. A standard solar panel is about 250 watts, which means you are looking at about $582.50 for a 250 watt solar panel. You will need something like 20-28 solar panels to operate your home independent of the grid, meaning your total cost for solar panels is going to be something like $12,000- $16,000, which again is one of the cheapest rates you’re going to find anywhere in the U.S., and this is before we apply any incentives, bonuses, rebates or other extras that might apply to you. 

What are the benefits of going solar? 

The state of Georgia is not a super-progressive state when it comes to encouraging citizens to install solar panels. There are a few things to consider however-

• Georgia’s Solar Power Free-Market Financing Act of 2015: This law makes it possible for residents of Georgia to enter into so-called “power purchase” agreements, which can often make solar installations more affordable for both private citizens as well as businesses. A power purchase agreement is simply a contract between two parties in which one side agrees to buy electricity from the other based on a pre-established rate. 

• Solar Power Performance Payments: Otherwise known as PBIs (performance based incentives), the state of Georgia does offer small cash payments based on the performance of your solar panel system. 

• Federal Tax Credit: The federal government offers anyone making a solar installation a credit on their federal income tax liability of up to 26% of the entire cost of their solar purchase and installation, which could be a value of $5,000 or more dollars. 

How much will the addition of solar panels increase my home’s value?

There are lots of different ways of calculating how much your home’s value may increase based on the addition of solar panels, but as a general rule of thumb you can expect it to go up by about $10,000 to $20,000. It is also well established among realtors that homes with solar panels tend to sell faster than homes without them. 

How much solar power do I need to power my home?

Most homes will require something between 20 and 28 solar panels to fully power them. The amount of energy your home will require will depend on a number of factors, including size, number of residents, the climate of your area, etc. In a place like Georgia with a sub-tropical climate, chances are your air conditioner is going to run most of the year, so your power usage will be higher than that of someone in a milder climate. Your solar installer should be able to look at your past electric bills and give you a clearer picture of your energy usage and how many solar panels you may need to be completely energy-independent. 

What is the “Payback” period for Solar Panels in Georgia?

Currently, based on rebates, incentives, tax credits and energy prices in Georgia, you can expect for your solar panels to pay for themselves in around 12 and ½ years. This is far faster than in some states, though not the fastest in the country. However, the good news is that your solar panels will last long enough to not only pay for themselves once, but possibly two or more times, meaning essentially you will get twice as much out of them as the money you put in, with a possible savings of as much as $30,000 or more in the lifetime of your panels. 

How long do solar panels last?

Average solar panel life expectancy is somewhere between 20 and 30 years, with an average of around 25. Almost all solar panels come with some variety of warranty, and most solar installers also offer a warranty of some kind, usually for around 20-25 years. So you can reasonably expect your solar panels to function and be maintained by your solar installer for at least 20 years, possibly longer, which means you will have free electricity for a long time after your panels have paid for themselves. 

Things to look for in a solar company:

Like in anything else, it is best to thoroughly vet your prospective solar installer before committing to such a big money project. Here’s a few things to look at when checking your companies out- 

Time in industry: Many solar companies have popped up in the last decade, and while new companies are often just as good as older ones, you know and I know that you’re going to feel more comfortable with the experienced company with installers who have been through every possible scenario and come out the other side unscathed. By no means should you ignore new companies, but just be aware that older companies are going to have the edge in experience.

Types of panels: There are a number of different kinds of solar panels available for home installations, and you may have a preference for which kind you want to use. If you do, make sure your installer is on board, or you may be wasting your time talking to them, as not every installer is comfortable installing every kind of panel. 

Payment options: Some companies have payment plans available while others do not. Some are going to want all their money up front, and they’re not going to help you secure a loan to pay for it. So before you get too far into this, make sure you know what your solar installer is going to expect from you and what options are available. It may not be a problem for you, but for many people paying for a solar installation out of pocket is simply not an option. 

Warranties: As previously mentioned in this article, almost every solar installer offers a warranty of some kind, but not all warranties are as helpful as you’d like to think. For some companies, a warranty simply means they’ll come work on your panels when something isn’t working, but you’re still going to pay for the service call, the parts, the labor, and everything else. Other companies guarantee you free service calls for anything and everything that may happen to your solar panels during the course of their lifetime. 

Reviews: Perhaps your most valuable tool for evaluating a potential solar installer is their online reviews. Lots of websites like Yelp and the Better Business Bureau can give you insight into how consumers really feel about the companies you’re looking at, and they also give companies the opportunity to respond to any complaints or accusations lodged at them. Make sure to research your prospective company thoroughly on sites like these. 

Types of Solar Panels & inverters

We all know what solar panels are, but what are inverters? Inverters are the devices that actually convert solar energy into usable electricity for your home. There are a few different types of panels and solar inverters available, so here’s a quick primer on what they’re called and how they work, in case it makes a difference for you- 

Types of Panels:

1. Monocrystalline Solar Panels- These are the smaller panels you often find on rooftops. They are the most efficient panels and work with less direct sunlight than other panels, and they tend to last the longest. Unfortunately they are also the most expensive. 

2. Polycrystalline Solar Panels- These are the bigger panels, often installed on the ground. They are less efficient and need direct sunlight to work properly (meaning they cannot be in shade). They don’t last as long as monocrystalline panels, but they are the cheaper option and therefore the ones you see most commonly. 

Types of Inverters: 

String Inverters- These are the most common inverters and they’re the cheapest option on the market currently. They don’t work well in shade and all of your panels need to be facing the same direction for them to work right, but otherwise they work well. 

Micro-inverters- Microinverters work fine in shade and allow you to monitor the performance of individual panels, which is great for making sure your solar panels are functioning properly. Microinverters, however, are your more expensive option. 

Power Optimizer- More efficient than string inverters, less expensive than microinverters, you are still able to monitor individual panels as well. 

How does weather affect solar panels?

Georgia has plenty of sunny days to make solar panels a very viable option, averaging over 200 a year in most of the state. Also consider the following factors, and you will see that Georgia has a fine climate for solar panels- 

* Fog / Cloud cover- Foggy or cloudy days can result in your solar panels only producing 10 to 30% as much power as on sunny days. Luckily, Georgia has plenty of sunny days and is not known for its fog. 

* Rain- Cloud cover notwithstanding, rain can actually be good for solar panels as it cleans off some of the accumulated dirt and dust that will naturally build up over time. 

* Snow- Hardly a concern in most of Georgia, snow can accumulate on solar panels and block production of electricity even on sunny days.

* Temperature- One place where Georgia may struggle, at temperatures above 78 degrees fahrenheit, solar panels tend to become somewhat less efficient, generally considered to be by about 1% per degree. 

How do I get solar panels installed in Georgia? 

Though Georgia may not have the most incentives for installing solar panels, that hasn’t stopped a number of good companies from springing up in the Peach state. Keep in mind, if you’re looking for a company to do your installation, do not limit yourself to looking at companies in  your immediate area, as some companies are very willing to drive long distances and across state lines to get your business. Here’s a quick snapshot of a few companies from Georgia: 

Company: Solar Sun World

Address: 779 Harmony Rd, Eatonton, GA 31024

Years in Business: 5

Website:  solarsunworld.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Home Advisor (5 reviews), 

 Business Quote: “Solar Sun World is leading the way in providing custom solar energy solutions for commercial and residential applications. Specializing in both solar thermal and photovoltaic systems, we have the right solution to meet your energy need. Combining the newest and best solar technologies with solar experts ensures your solution exceeds expectations.”

Company: OCI Solar Power 

Address: 5 Concourse Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30328

Years in Business: 73

Website:  https://ocisolarpower.com/

 Business Quote: MISSION STATEMENT:

Providing safe, reliable, and sustainable energy to empower communities.

Company: Suncatcher of Atlanta 

Address: 612 Cobb Pkwy N, Marietta, GA 30062

Years in Business: 39

Website:  suncatcherofatlanta.com/home

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (3 reviews)

 Business Quote: “SUNCATCHER OF ATLANTA did not invent solar electric, solar hot water, solar pool heating and screen enclosures however, we did introduce an engineered approach to all types of solar .”

Company:  Solar Sale USA

Address: 3116 Marjan Dr, Atlanta, GA 30340

Years in Business: Unclear

Website:  solarsaleusa.com/

 Business Quote: With solar power, you can stop spending all your money on paying electricity bills and start spending some on yourself. Make sure the power consumption of your home is sustainable and responsible by opting for solar energy!

Company:  Global Solar Energy

Address: 260 Peachtree St NW Ste 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303

Years in Business: Unclear

Website:  globalsolarenergy.biz

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (3 reviews)

 Business Quote: As we continue to grow and expand our client base and operations, our mission is to continue to offer affordable, quality service to all customers. We serve our clients by providing sound technical information and installations. 

Company:  Velo Solar

Address: 154 Krog St NE Ste 140, Atlanta, GA 30307

Years in Business: 14

Website:  velosolar.com/

Reviews: 4 / 5 Tuugo (2 reviews), 5 / 5 Facebook (1 review)

 Business Quote: Our design-build approach means that our goals are your goals in defining and developing effective commercial renewable energy solutions that align with your business’ financial and strategic objectives. From collaboration and conception, through production, installation, and maintenance, the Velo Solar experts are your renewable energy partners.

Final Word: 

So the state of Georgia may not have the most solar-friendly laws or incentives, but ultimately what it comes down to is that the state is primed and ready for solar power whether the legislators want it or not. The climate is good, there’s plenty of solar companies, and the price is right. In the end, the only thing holding you back is your own personal finances- if you have the money to make the initial investment, it’s going to pay off for you big time in the long run. So if you’ve got the time and the money, by all means take the next step and start exploring the possibilities of going solar in Georgia. 

Solar panels in Oregon cost an average of around $2.50-$2.60 per watt. This is on the low end of average compared to the rest of the United States, which is a great sign up front.

Most solar panels are sold in 250 watt sizes, meaning an average solar panel is going to cost something like $600-$650. You are likely going to require something between 20 and 28 solar panels to be completely energy self-sufficient from the grid, meaning your cost for solar panels is going to be somewhere between $12,000 and $18,000. And yes, this is a lot of money, but never fear- there are various incentives, rebates and tax credits available out there that can bring down your costs significantly, long before you even start generating electricity. 

What are the benefits of going solar? 

The state of Oregon is one of the most forward-thinking states in the Union when it comes to green or renewable energy sources such as solar panels. They offer a variety of benefits for people looking to go solar, and here are a few: 

• Renewable Portfolio Standards: The state of Oregon has mandated that 25% of all its energy must be produced by renewable energy sources by the year 2025. That means utility companies will be looking to encourage customers to go solar before that date hits, because they will have to meet this mandate or pay stiff fines. It will be far less headache and probably cheaper for them if they just find a way to get their customers to install renewable energy systems, like solar panels. 

• Oregon’s net metering laws are a huge perk for consumers installing solar systems in their home. I’ll explain more about net metering later, but just know for now that you want strong net metering when it comes to measuring your system’s electrical output.

• Oregon interconnection standards make it far easier to hook your solar system up to the grid, which will help your system start producing free green energy that much faster. Furthermore your solar installer will have an easier time doing it and will likely be able to do it cheaper than they would otherwise. 

• State energy rebates are handled through the Oregon Incentive Trust program. Residents who install renewable energy systems like solar panels have the option of receiving a rebate in one lump sum or having their installer take that amount off the cost of your installation. In other words, the state will help pay for your solar installation if you want it to.

• Performance-Based Incentives (PBIs) are another huge bonus for Oregon residents to go solar. Also available are “Solar Power Performance Payments”. Both these incentives are based on the power system you use. Depending on how much power and the number of kilowatt hours your system generates, you will receive a number of solar energy renewable credits equal to the energy you feed back into the grid. In plain English, you will get credits toward future energy bills based on unused electricity produced by your solar panels.

• Oregon residents are exempt from property tax reassessments based on your installation of a solar panel system. Simply put, your taxes will not go up because you install solar panels.  

• The federal government offers all taxpayers a credit on your tax liability of 26% of the total cost of your system and installation. If your system costs $20,000, then that’s a credit of over $5,000, which is a huge savings to you. 

• SELP (Small scale Energy Loan Program) loans offer low interest help to Oregonians who want to install renewable energy projects, such as solar panels. For more information, see  oregon.gov/energy/Incentives/Pages/Energy-Loan-Program.aspx 

How much will the addition of solar panels increase my home’s value?

One great thing about solar panels is that it is a well known fact among realtors that homes with solar panels tend to sell faster than homes without them. Furthermore, solar panels can be counted on to increase the value of your home anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000. Your realtor can tell you more about how to decide how much your home value has increased due to the addition of your solar panels. 

What are the Effects of Net Metering on a Solar System?

Net metering is what allows your solar system to feed power back into “the grid” and get you credit for it. States with strong net metering laws, such as Oregon, gives consumers a huge incentive for going solar, because every kilowatt hour of energy you feed back into the system will get you credits toward future electric bills- essentially, not only are you getting free electricity to use right now, you’re also getting free electricity in the future for months when your solar panels do not produce enough to fit your needs. 

How much solar power do I need to power my home?

Every home is going to be different, and every person in every home is different. Two people living in the exact same home are going to use a different amount of electricity, so it’s impossible to say exactly how much an individual will need without looking at past electric bills. Most American homes needs between 6 and 8 kilowatts of solar panels to be completely energy self-sufficient. Your solar installer will be able to look at your history of energy usage on your electric bills and give you a better idea of how much you will need your installed system to produce to fit your needs. 

What is the “Payback” period for Solar Panels in Oregon?

It is currently estimated that your solar panels will pay for themselves in between 7 and 9 years- which is very fast. What this means is that after rebates, incentives, credits, etc, your solar panels will have produced as much monetary value as they actually cost you within the first 10 years of you having them. This is a really fast turnaround, and the best part is that they will continue to produce monetary value in the form of free electricity and solar renewable energy credits for another 10-20 years after they have paid for themselves- meaning they will produce 3 times as much monetary value as they cost in their lifetime. So if for no reason other than this, you can expect to get more than your money’s worth out of your solar panels before they need replacing. 

How long do solar panels last?

Most solar panels are warrantied for 20-25 years by their manufacturer, and most solar installers offer a similar warranty on their work. This means that you can expect your solar panels to be fully functional for at least this long barring catastrophe, and you will likely have them for several years afterward. 

Types of Solar Panels & inverters

There are currently two major types of solar panels used in home installations- Monocrystailline and Polycrystalline. Monocrystalline panels tend to be smaller and more efficient, allowing you to fit more panels on your roof, and they work with less direct sunlight. They also tend to last longer, though they are more expensive. 

Polycrystalline panels on the other hand are bigger and need more space for installation. They require more direct sunlight and need to have very little shade over them. They don’t last as long as monocrystalline panels, but they are cheaper. 

Inverters are the devices that actually turn your captured sunlight into electricity, and there are three basic kinds that are used by most solar installation companies- String inverters, Micro-Inverters and Power Optimizers. 

String inverters are your standard inverters  you normally find in home installations. They need direct sunlight and need all your solar panels facing the same way, but they are usually the least expensive option 

Micro Inverters on the other hand can work with less direct sunlight and work well with panels that are facing different directions. However, they cost more than string inverters. 

Power optimizers are the most efficient inverters and are less expensive than micro-inverters. They also require more direct sunlight however, and do not do well with shade. 

How does weather affect solar panels?

Before making a decision on solar panels, it is a good idea to consider your local climate. 

* Fog / Cloud cover- Can cause your panels to only function at 10-30% their normal capacity on an overcast day

* Rain- Aside from the associated cloud cover, rain is actually beneficial to solar panels, as it helps clean off the grime that might collect on them over time. 

* Snow- Accumulation of snow on solar panels is a big negative, as it blocks them from producing. 

* Temperature- Despite popular belief, solar panels actually perform better in cooler temperatures. Any temperature above 77 degrees faerenheit actually decreases their efficiency. 

How do I get solar panels installed in Oregon? 

The state of Oregon has quite a few reputable solar installers to choose from, and depending on your area of the state you might even be able to call on one just across the border in a neighboring state. For the purposes of this article however, we will focus strictly on those installers to be found within the borders of Oregon. 

Company: Zamp Solar 

Address: 63255 Jamison St, Bend, OR 97703

Years in Business: 11

Website: zampsolar.com/

Reviews: 4.5 / 5 Facebook (23 reviews), 4.7 / 5 Birdeye (37 reviews)

Business Quote: “Our roots at Zamp Solar® came from humble beginnings where we sold off-grid solar kits from a small garage in 2010…  Today, Zamp Solar® is the premier manufacturer and innovator of off-grid solar solutions in America.’’

The Good: No complaints with the BBB, 11 years in business

The Bad: Not BBB accredited

Summary: Heartwarming story from their “About us” page. Looks like a very solid company, I can’t find anything to dislike about them. If you are in their service area, definitely give them a look. 

Company: Sunlight Solar Energy 

Address: 50 SE Scott St, Bend, OR 97702

Years in Business: 23

Website:  sunlightsolar.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (4 reviews), 4 / 5 Yelp (3 reviews), 

 Business Quote: “Sunlight Solar provides system design and turn-key installation of grid-tied solar electric systems for homes and businesses throughout Oregon, Colorado, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. With over 30 years of experience, we offer premium designs and competitive pricing for solar electric systems backed by industry-leading warranties and equipment.“

The Good: No complaints from the BBB, good reviews, 23 years in the business

The Bad: Not BBB accredited, limited web presence, not many reviews

Summary: Another very solid looking company, I can’t find any major red flags, but they do have a fairly limited web presence and a small number of reviews available to go on. Doesn’t mean the company isn’t good, just means you won’t have a lot of outside opinions to judge them by. But again, with 23 years in the business there is no reason not to give this company a chance. 

Company: True South Solar 

Address: 125 Clear Creek Dr, Ashland, OR 97520

Years in Business: 11

Website: truesouthsolar.net/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (17 reviews), 5 / 5 Sunpower (3 reviews), 5 / 5 Yelp (5 Yelp), 4.8 / 5 Birdeye (57 reviews)

 Business Quote: “True South Solar is the leading installer of residential and commercial solar electric systems in Southern Oregon. From tax credit assistance to easy financing, our experienced team of pros makes it easy to add solar to your home or business. Get your free quote today!”

The Good: 11 years in business, lots of good reviews

The Bad: Not BBB accredited

Summary: So the trend I’m noticing for these Oregonian solar companies is that they tend to have very good reviews and not be BBB accredited. I’m not sure what that’s about. Either way, here is another nice looking company that says all the right things on their website and social media. The thing that may set them apart from the previous two I’ve reviewed however is that they have a ton of reviews out there (almost all of which are good). This might be the best looking one I’ve seen in Oregon so far, so if you find yourself in their service area, make sure to consider them for your installation. 

Final Word: 

So as we’ve shown, Oregon is a state primed and ready for solar power. The state itself is a motivated seller- it has put out lots and lots of incentives to encourage citizens and businesses to consider switching to solar or renewable energy, and has set some lofty goals for how much of the state’s total power should be generated by green energy sources. We looked at just a small handful of the many, many solar installers in the state of Oregon that are ready, willing and able to get your home hooked up as soon as possible. So in the end, it comes down to whether or not you are financially able and committed to getting your home off the grid. If you are, then Oregon is a great place to do it. 

Solar panels in Charleston currently cost around $3 per watt, which is a bit on the high side. Most solar panels come in 250 watt sizes, meaning each panel is going to cost you around $750. When you do the math, considering you’re going to need from 20 to 28 panels to be completely self sufficient, your total cost for solar panels is going to be something like $15,000 to $21,000. But before you decide that’s too much, lets take a look at some of the incentives in place for citizens of South Carolina to go solar, which could potentially save you thousands of dollars in tax breaks and rebates. 

What are the benefits of going solar? 

South Carolina offers a number of really good incentives for citizens considering going solar. 

• Renewable Portfolio Standards- The state of South Carolina mandates utility companies get 2% of their total energy output from renewable resources such as solar or they have to pay a fee. Most utilities will find ways to encourage customers to install solar panels and use other renewable energy sources rather than pay this fee, so check with your local utility to see what incentives they might offer. 

• South Carolina Energy Rebates- In South Carolina, you can receive a lump sum payment or apply your rebate to the installation price of your system. Most installers are familiar with the paperwork etc and will handle it for you, but what it works out to is a $1 / watt rebate off the cost of your solar panel system from Duke Energy. Santee Cooper offers a rebate of $1.30 / watt of solar panels installed on roofs, up to $5,200. 

• Net Metering- The state of South Carolina has net metering standards, which means it should be easier for your installer to get your solar system connected to the grid, likely saving you lots of time and money on your installation. 

• State Tax Credit- The state of South Carolina offers a tax credit of 25% of the total cost of your installation. If your installation costs $20,000, you can see how valuable this incentive is.

• Federal Tax Credit- And don’t forget, the federal government offers a similar tax credit, this one of 26% of the total cost of your solar installation. Once again, you’re looking at as much as a $5,000 savings here. 

How much will solar panels increase the value of my home?

There’s no hard and fast rule for how much your home’s value will increase due to the addition of solar panels. There are several schools of thought on the matter though, but in general what it comes down to is a $10,000 – $20,000 increase in the value of your home. Some potential buyers won’t be too excited about your solar panels however, and won’t be willing to pay more for a house with solar panels. It is well established however that homes with solar panels do tend to sell faster than other homes, so you should be in pretty good shape. 

What are the effects of Net Metering?

Net metering is the process of measuring not only the output of your solar power system, but how much of that energy you use as opposed to how much is put back into the “grid”. Having strong net metering laws such as South Carolina’s is an absolute must for solar panels because accurate net metering is how the energy company knows how many kilowatt hours it should credit you toward future electric bills, one of the primary benefits of having solar panels. 

How much solar power do I need to power my home?

Every home is different of course, but in general you’re going to need something between 5 and 8 kilowatts of solar panels to be completely energy self-sufficient, if that is your goal. This is a big span of course, but energy needs vary wildly from home to home based on the size of the home, number of residents, energy usage per month, etc. 

What is the “Payback” period for Solar Panels in South Carolina?

So here’s the best news about solar panels in South Carolina- thanks to the great rebates and tax incentives, you can expect for your solar panels to “pay” for themselves in about 8 to 8 and ½ years. Once your panels have paid for themselves, you are looking at “free” electricity for the remainder of your solar panels’ lifespans- which could be anywhere from 12-17 years or possibly more. So despite being some of the most expensive solar panels in the country, SC also has one of the quickest pay back periods thanks to state incentives. 

How long do solar panels last?

Solar panels last anywhere from 20-30 years depending on a number of factors. Most solar panels are warrantied for 20-25 years by the manufacturer, and your installation is often warrantied for up to 20-25 years by the company you use. Most solar panels pay for themselves in a relatively short time as well, so you can expect “free” electricity for the duration of your panels’ lives after they have done so. 

Things to look for in a solar company:

Time in industry: Just like in any other profession, the more experience someone has at what they’re doing, the better work you can expect them to do. Now just because a company hasn’t been around very long doesn’t mean they don’t do quality work- it’s just one thing to consider when choosing a solar installation company. 

Types of panels: Not all solar companies work with all kinds of panels. If you know what kind of panels you need or want, it would be wise to make sure the company you’re considering is willing or able to work with the kinds of panels you want, or you might be wasting each other’s time. 

Payment options: Some companies offer payment plans, some don’t. Make sure you can meet whatever payment requirements the company you’re working with will insist on, or once again you may be wasting each other’s time. 

Warranties: Make sure you understand your solar installation company’s warranty (if they offer one at all) before going through with your installation. Some companies claim to have a comprehensive warranty plan, but when you get down to the fine print you’ll see that their warranty only covers errors in installation and not defects in the product or damage to panels or anything else. 

Reviews: Probably the most valuable tool you have in deciding on a solar company is customer reviews. Luckily, most companies have reviews out there on neutral 3rd party sites, so you can get a good picture of what kind of work a company really does. 

Types of Solar Panels & inverters

So what kind of solar panels are there out there and what are inverters? Here’s a quick primer: 

1. Monocrystalline Solar Panels- These panels are the smaller ones. They tend to be much more efficient, hence their small size, but also more expensive. They also can work with less direct sunlight, so these are a good choice for homes that deal with a lot of shade at times. They also tend to last longer, so they make a better long term investment. 

2. Polycrystalline Solar Panels- These are the bigger panels. They are more often than not installed on the ground. They are less efficient so they must be bigger to function. They don’t last as long as monocrystalline panels, but they are cheaper so many home owners prefer these.

String Inverters- Inverters are the device that actually converts solar energy into usable electricity for your home. String inverters are the standard inverter used in most home solar installations. They are cheaper than other inverters, and work well with no shade interference. 

Micro-inverters: These inverters work well even when dealing with shade and allows monitoring of individual panels, which is great for making sure your panels are operating properly. They are good for rooftop installations, but also tend to be somewhat more expensive.

Power Optimizers: More efficient than string inverters and less expensive than microinverters, these kinds of inverters tend to be the most expensive, but also offer individual panel monitoring. 

How does weather affect solar panels?

Though solar panels work in all kinds of environments, there might be some things to consider about your local weather patterns before making a decision on whether to buy solar panels or on what kind you might want. 

* Fog / Cloud cover- Heavy fog or cloud cover can severely inhibit performance by solar panels- lowering their output to as little as 10-30% their usual. 

* Rain- Cloud cover not withstanding, rain is actually good for solar panels, as it helps clean off some of the dust and grit that can accumulate over the course of time. 

* Snow- Snow is a major problem with solar panels, as any significant accumulation can completely block your solar panels, and therefore stop production of electricity. 

* Temperature- Higher temperatures don’t actually help solar panels produce power- in fact temperatures above 77 degrees fahrenheit reduce efficiency by as much as 1% per degree. 

How do I get solar panels installed in Charleston, SC? 

Great news, there are LOTS of solar companies in the state of South Carolina, many of whom are more than willing to travel significant distances in order to get your business. We are going to focus on the immediate Charleston area as much as we can in this article, but keep in mind that you can cast your net further. 

Company: Sunview Solar 

Address: 760 Travelers Blvd, Summerville, SC 29485

Years in Business: 7

Website:  solarcharleston.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook ( 1 review), 5 / 5 Angi (2 reviews), 5 / 5 BBB (3 reviews)

 Business Quote: “. Together we can build a brighter energy future for all South Carolinians that starts today.”

The Good:  No bad reviews!

The Bad: 2 complaints with the BBB, only 7 years in business

Summary: All signs point to yes. Seems to be a solid young company, only red flags I found were the two complaints with the BBB, which no one is immune to. Give them a look. 

Company: Yes Solar Solutions

Address: 9481 Industrial Center Dr, Ladson, SC 29456

Years in Business: 27

Website:  yessolarsolutions.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Birdeye (2 reviews), 5 / 5 BBB (3 reviews)

 Business Quote: Yes Solar Solutions is proud to make solar simple, bringing the power of independence to North Carolina homeowners and businesses. 

The Good: 27 years in business!!! 

The Bad: Limited web presence, unclear situation

Summary: So 27 years in business is outstanding, hats off to these guys. I have previously reviewed this company in another article for Cary, North Carolina and found them to be very solid. They apparently have a field office in Charleston as well, so I’m not exactly sure how to get in touch with the Charleston office, so the exact situation is a little hazy. But don’t let that hinder you, give these guys a look. 

Company: Raywell Solar

Address: 460 King St Ste 200, Charleston, SC 29403

Years in Business: 4

Website:  raywellsolar.com/referrals

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook ( 8 reviews ), 

 Business Quote: “Tired of overpriced and poor quality solar installations, owners Matt Reynolds and Kasey Harwell took their expertise and started their own solar company using only the most experienced installers and best products. Using their combined 12 years of solar experience, the result is a competitive price from a small local company you can trust.”

The Good: No negative reviews that I can find

The Bad: Not BBB accredited, only 4 years in business, 2 complaints against them

Summary: Nothing wrong with this company that I can find! Couple of complaints over minor issues with the BBB, but that can happen to anybody no matter how good a service you provide. Biggest knock against these guys is that the company itself is very new, though the owners apparently have many years of experience in the industry. I see nothing holding you back on this one, give them a shot. 

Final Word: 

Financially, South Carolina has some of the best incentives in the U.S. for going solar. So if environmental concerns or just getting “off the grid” aren’t your jam, everybody loves saving money. Your up front cost may seem like a lot, but keep in mind the payback period in South Carolina is far shorter than in many states, so you’re going to get that money back and then some in short order. So if you’re interested in solar panels in South Carolina, don’t hesitate. Take the plunge.

Using solar power is not prevalent in Oklahoma just yet. The state ranks only 45th in terms of solar energy use, with about 30 solar companies operating in the state. However, this state gets higher than average number of sunny days per year, so its a great place to get solar panels!

That said, solar prices have fallen by 36% in the last 5 years in Oklahoma, so your upfront investment will be relatively lower. Not to mention, energy rates are lower, tax incentives are higher, and the payback period is short.

Considering all of this, investing in solar power is one of the smartest moves an Oklahoma resident can make financially.
If you’re considering investing in solar energy, here’s an overview of solar energy in Oklahoma.

How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in Oklahoma City?

In Oklahoma, the total cost of installing residential solar panels can set you back anywhere from $15,000 to $25,000. Solar panels’ prices are expressed in dollars per watt, and in Oklahoma, this is $3 to $5 per watt.

Calculating your costs beforehand by determining the amount of electricity required by your household is necessary if you want to figure out how long it will take you to recover your initial investment.
The payback period for solar panels in Oklahoma is usually at least 6 years, but no longer than 9 years.

Tax Incentives for Solar Energy in OK

Tax incentives are one of the many reasons why people consider installing solar panels in their homes. The US federal government allows you to get a 26% tax credit through 2022, and in 2023, homeowners with solar energy installed are eligible to receive a 22% tax incentive from the purchase price. Now is the best time to go solar in Oklahoma if you want to maximize your savings potential.

Unfortunately, Oklahoma has no state incentives; net metering is an option. Net metering sells your excess power back to the grid and gains your investment back.

Net Metering

Net metering is an incentive that lets you take full financial advantage of your solar panel system. When your solar power system produces excess electricity you don’t need, it is sent back to your utility company.

The utility company credits your account for this excess energy. So, you get a faster return on your investment and prevent waste.

Solar Power Companies in Oklahoma

If you’re a homeowner in Oklahoma City thinking of going solar, you’ll be happy to know that there are numerous solar providers from which to choose.

To help you find the best fit, we’ve rounded up 5 of the most reviewed solar power providers in the Sooner State. Whichever you choose, you can expect to get a customized solution for installing solar energy in your home.

RisingSun Solar

● Average Rating: 4.6
● Address: 4405 NW 4th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73107
● Average Cost: $15,771

With an experience of 6 years and counting, RisingSun Solar, led by Tyler Tucker, is already one of the most popular providers of solar panels in the Midwest.

Making use of high-quality materials like Enphase microinverters and LG solar panels and boasting a team of highly skilled technicians certified by NABCEP and Tesla Powerwall makes this solar company one to look out for.

The general consensus of RisingSun Solar is that it is a highly professional company with extremely helpful personnel. You can expect to get a highly customized system plan and avail the services of a knowledgeable team to answer your questions every step of the way.

Sunpro Solar

● Average Star Rating: 4
● Address: 801 SE 59th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73129
● Average Cost: $13,753

Sunpro Solar is one of the most trusted solar providers in Oklahoma, having been in the business since 2008. With Sabra Wallace serving as the company’s current CEO, Sunpro Solar is known for its top-notch customer service and fastidious attention to detail.

That said, there are some disheartening reviews of the company from disgruntled clients who feel that their solar system installation took way too long. The average waiting time seems to be about 90 days. It’s worth noting, however, that the company is certified by BBB, SEIA, American Solar Energy Society, and Solar Power World.

Solar Power of Oklahoma

● Average Rating: 4.5
● Address: 14800 Santa Fe Crossing Dr, Edmond, OK 73013
● Average Cost: $12,779

Installing solar energy since 2017, Solar Power of Oklahoma stands out for its exceptional service. J.W. Peters and Kevin Jones, the owners of this company, take pride in the fact of it being 100% Oklahoman.

With one of the highest ratings in solar companies in the Sooner state, Solar Power of Oklahoma will cater to your every question with the winning combination of professionalism and amiability.
Furthermore, they will not only make sure to make you an active part of the installation process but they are also known to handle city permits.

There have been a few complaints regarding the company’s level of competence, but these are few and far between.

Why You Should Choose Solar Power

There are many good reasons to choose solar power:

Reduced Energy Costs

This is, of course, the dominant reason for people opting to switch to solar power. Because solar power is a natural energy source, it can reduce or even completely eliminate your monthly electrical costs.

Improved Home Resale Value

Not only does installing solar power reduce your utility costs substantially, but it can also even improve your home’s resale value. According to the US Department of Energy, your home’s value could go up by about $15,000 after the installation of solar panels.

Gives You Energy Independence

With solar power installed in your home, you won’t be dependent upon a utility company for electricity – that’s taken care of by your solar panels. Furthermore, a solar battery can hold up much better than other power sources.

Not to mention, homeowners with solar power systems installed are less likely to be negatively impacted by energy price hikes.

Makes You a Friend to the Environment

As a form of renewable energy, solar power has very little effect on the environment, as does its installation. Because you’re not dependent upon fossil fuels, you’ll also be reducing your carbon footprint. And of course, compared to coal energy sources, solar panels emit far less pollutants.

Final Words

Oklahoma receives 231 days of sunlight per year, which is significantly higher than the national average of 205. If you’re thinking of investing in a solar power system for your home, now is the time to act!

Solar panels in Seattle are surprisingly reasonable at about $2.50 to $2.60 per watt. Most of the time, solar panels come in 250 watts, which is the industry standard size, which means you’re going to end up needing 20 to 28 panels to be completely independent of the grid. The end result means you’ll end up paying something between $12,500 and $18,500 to power an average household. This of course will differ from user to user, based on a lot of factors- everything from how much hot water you use to what temperature you prefer to keep your house at. This cost will also be lowered substantially by various rebates, tax incentives and other little bonuses we’ll talk about later. So keep reading! 

What incentives are there for going solar in Seattle?

Washington is a great state to go solar in, and a big part of that is the incentives that the state provides for customers who want to do it. Below is a short breakdown of some of the big incentives that are available for those interested in going solar: 

• The state of Washington has mandated net metering standards, which means that the state tells your utility how they have to measure the output of your solar panels. The benefit for you, the user, is that you will get full credit for the energy your solar panels feed back into “the grid”. By this method, your utility company will then “owe” you for the energy you “sell” to it- which means that your utility will either have to give you a check for the energy you send it or will have to give you “credits” toward future electric bills in months where your panels may not produce enough electricity to cover your needs. 

• Washington has statewide interconnection standards, meaning that no matter where you are in the state your connection to “the grid” should be standardized, therefore making it easier, faster and very likely cheaper for your solar company to get you hooked up. 

• Washington offers PBIS (performance based incentives) when you feed excess power from your solar power system and back into the grid. These incentive payments are based on how many kilowatt hours of power your solar panels generate according to your electric meter. The energy created is credited as “solar renewable energy credits” which can fluctuate in value depending on supply and demand. 

• The state of Washington offers a sales tax exemption on solar energy system installations up to 100 kilowatts. Your solar installation at an average home or even a large home won’t even approach 100 kilowatts. This could potentially save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars on an installation, depending on the size of your system. 

• Under the MACRS (modified accelerated cost recovery program) system, business owners are able to recover the cost of some of their assets purchased over time via a deduction to income taxes. For solar equipment, business owners are allowed to deduct up to 85% of the cost from their federal income tax responsibility. 

• Under the Federal ITC (Investment Tax Credit) you can deduct 26% of the cost of your solar energy system from your federal income tax responsibility. In a solar project that could cost $16,000, a 26% savings adds up to over $4,000- no small amount no matter how you look at it. 

• The payback period for solar panels in the state of Washington varies for a number of reasons, but is estimated to be between 15 and 21 years. This is a long time to be sure, but keep in mind- your solar panels will eventually pay for themselves, in all circumstances. They’ll do this through savings on electricity, rebates, performance based incentives and tax credits, and eventually you’ll be getting “free” electricity for the rest of their existence. 

• It is estimated the value of your home could increase by between $10,000 and $20,000 on average with the addition of a solar energy system,  though this number can vary quite a bit depending on the size of the system, the size of your home, what kind of panels you use, along with other factors. A realtor can give you a much better estimate of how much you can expect your home value to increase as a result of the addition of solar panels. 

How Much Solar Power Do I Need?

Most homes require somewhere between 6 kw and 8 kw of power to be self-sufficient. This comes out to between 24 and 32 solar panels. The amount of power you’ll need will vary from person to person however, largely based on your own personal preferences- hot water usage, preferred temperature, etc, not to mention the number of people living in the home. 

How long do solar panels last?

In almost every case, solar panels are warrantied by their manufacturer for 20-25 years, so in the case of a manufacturer’s defect or similar flaw, they can be replaced. Similarly, most solar installation companies offer warranties, quite often of the same length as those of the manufacturer- 20-25 years. Therefore, it is very reasonable to assume that your solar panels will last at least a similar length of time. Once again, if your solar panels pay for themselves in as little as 15 years, then you’re looking at at the very least 5 to 10 years of “free” electricity, with a possibility of more afterward. 

Types of Panels & Inverters

So if you’re looking into solar panels, it’s a good idea to know at least a little about the different kinds that are available, since one or the other may suit your needs better than the rest. 

So first up, let’s talk about panels. Obviously these are the key to any solar energy system, as they collect the sunlight that will be converted into electricity. Simply stated, there are two basic kinds that are readily available for use in home systems- Polycrystalline panels and monocrystalline panels. Essentially, what this boils down to is that monocrystalline panels are smaller, more efficient and can operate with less direct sunlight than others, but they also tend to be more expensive, so a lot of homeowners will look past them. Polycrystalline panels on the other hand are the bigger ones, the kind that as often as not are installed on the ground due to their size. They are less efficient and require direct sunlight to operate at any large capacity, so they are not feasible in some situations. 

Your inverters are the devices that actually turn the captured sunlight into usable electricity, and the kind you get are largely going to be dictated by the type of panels you use and their placement. So there’s really not much to worry about here. Suffice it to say, there’s three major types- string inverters, microinverters and power optimizers. String inverters are the most common type used in home installations as they tend to be the cheapest and most flexible kind. 

Weather & Solar Panels

So it rains a lot in Seattle, right? Everybody who ever listened to grunge rock knows that. But how does weather affect your solar panels? Let’s take a look at some common weather conditions and see.

Rain: Believe it or not, a little rain is actually good for your solar panels. It helps wash the dust, grime and other assorted accumulations that tend to build up on them over time, especially if they’re place on a rooftop. So rain is actually a positive.

Clouds/Fog: Unfortunately, the cloud cover associated with rainfall is bad for your panels in the sense that the less sunlight that gets to them, the less electricity they will produce. Same goes for dense fog. Your panels can produce up to 70% electricity on an overcast day than a sunny one. 

Snow: Snow is bad for solar panels mainly because any significant accumulation can completely block the sunlight reaching your panels, which in turn completely stops your production of electricity. The snow itself is not damaging however, but if you’re able you may want to have a plan to remove the snow from your panels when it gets built up or you could be without solar energy till it melts. And that could be a while.

Temperature: Sunny weather and high temperatures mean more solar power, right? Sort of. Sunny is great, but higher temperatures actually reduce the efficiency of your panels by an estimated 1% for every degree they rise above 77 fahrenheit. Lower temperatures, however, actually increase the efficiency of your panels up to a point, so the optimal weather for solar panels is a bright sunny day in the 50s. Seattle of course doesn’t get a ton of those, but you can always hope. 

Things to Look for in a solar company

As with any major investment, you’re going to want to do your research before dropping a lot of money on a solar panel system, and the internet gives you an outstanding resource to this end. Here’s just a few things to look for when considering a solar company: 

Time in the industry: Just like in any other industry, the longer a company has been in operation, the more reliable they are likely to be. Furthermore, companies that stay in business for a long time tend to be the ones that keep good relationships with customers and therefore have good word-of-mouth advertising. This doesn’t mean new companies can’t do a good job, it’s just a little more comforting to know someone has been doing this for 20 or 30 years and hasn’t gotten sued out of existence yet. 

Types of Panels: So believe it or not, some companies don’t like to work with certain types of panels. As a result, if you think you’d prefer to use a certain kind of panel or definitely don’t want to use one kind, you might want to check with your solar company and make sure they are comfortable working with your preferred panels.

Payment Options: So obviously this is going to be an investment, and there’s going to be a substantial cost associated with it before you receive any kind of rebates or credits. So how are you going to pay for this? Some people may be able to just write a check  for the full cost and call it a day, but that’s not an option for the vast majority. So you’re more than likely going to need some kind of financing. Some companies will offer some form of in-house financing, but most are going to leave it up to you. Either way, just be aware of what’s going to be expected of you payment-wise before making any decisions. 

Warranties: Your solar panels will more than likely come with a warranty of some variety, usually 20-25 years, which means the company itself will repair or replace your panels if they malfunction due to a manufacturer’s error. Your solar company quite often will have a similar warranty, often guaranteeing their work for 20-25 years with the promise that they will fix anything that comes up due to an installer’s error. However, make sure you read the fine print- many companies will ask for service charges and other fees when you ask them to honor their warranty. So just make sure you know what you’re getting into before you sign anything so you don’t end up with any nasty surprises when you need some work done. 

Reviews: Probably the most important thing to consider is any reviews you can find online. Customers online tend to be brutally honest- if they’re not completely and 100% satisfied with a company, they’re gonna let you know about it. So by all means, scour the internet and find out everything you can about a company before making any commitment. 

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How do I get solar panels installed in Seattle? 

There are numerous well-qualified solar installers available in Seattle, so you won’t have any shortage of companies to choose from. And if you know what you’re looking for, calling around to a few will more than likely put you in touch with someone who suits your needs fairly quickly. Just a few of the available companies with good reputations are:

Puget Sound Solar LLC (average 4.64 out of 5 stars in 61 reviews)

A&R Solar (4.82 / 5 stars in 100 reviews)

Artisan Electric (4.79 / 5 stars in 246 reviews)

Synergy Systems (4.76 / 5 stars in 103 reviews)

Sun Path Electric (4.53 / 5 stars in 20 reviews)

Northwest Mechanical LLC (4.51 / 5 stars in 21 reviews)

Cascadia Solar (4.63 / 5 stars in 26 reviews)

Power Trip Energy (4.79 / 5 stars in 129 reviews)

And keep in mind, these are just the ones I could find that averaged more than 4.5 stars in their reviews, so there are a lot more out there, many of which are probably very good at what they do. 

Final Word: 

So what do we know? Solar panels in Seattle are going to be a little more expensive than elsewhere in the country, so your initial investment is going to be somewhat higher than in most places. However, Seattle’s climate is fairly well suited for solar panels temperature wise, and your panels will pay for themselves sooner or later. Additionally, there are a number of credits and incentives in place that will help offset your cost, so there’s very little risk here- So if you’re considering the addition of solar panels in Seattle, you’ve got a number of options available in the greater Seattle area, so do your research and find the one that’s right for you.

Solar panels in Charlotte are actually a good bit below the national average of $3.00 per watt at around $2.25-2.50. Most solar panels are sold in 250 watt sizes, meaning you’re going to pay something in the arena of $560-$625 for solar panels. An average home is going to required between 6kw and 8kw of solar panels to be completely self-sufficient from the grid, meaning you’re looking at something between $12,500 and $17,500 for your panels. While this may seem cost prohibitive, read on, because there are a number of rebates, tax credits and other incentives available that will help whittle down the cost of a system significantly. 

What are the benefits of going solar in North Carolina? 

There are a number of incentives in place in North Carolina that make it a great place to go solar. As a matter of fact, all things considered, North Carolina is probably one of the most solar-ready states in the U.S. Let’s take a look at a few of the major benefits: 

• North Carolina’s net metering laws are very good, which essentially means that your excess electricity is not going to go to waste. Net metering is the process by which your utility measures your energy production and the amount of electricity your system feeds back into the grid. This is the method by which your system will ultimately “pay” for itself, by selling electricity back to the utility, meaning you will receive either a cash payment each month for the electricity you “sell” them, or you’ll receive credits toward future electric bills. Either way, it’s a huge incentive for anybody considering installing a solar power system. North Carolina law calls for full 1:1 net metering, meaning for every kilowatt you put in, you get credit for 1 kilowatt, whether that’s in the form of a cash payment or as a credit toward future energy bills. 

• North Carolina has state interconnection standards that mean it will be easier and cheaper to install a solar power system anywhere you choose to do it in the state. This also has the added bonus of usually making net metering more accurate, which is definitely something you’re going to appreciate. 

– North Carolina has a couple of electric utility companies that offer rebate programs. Duke Energy Progress has a rebate program offering up to $250 per kilowatt, which with a normal home will come out to between $1500 and $2000, not a bad little rebate all things considered. For more information, search for :Duke Solar Rebate FAQ in google. The Tennessee Valley Authority on the other hand offers a flat one time payment of $1,000 upon installation of your solar power system, which is again not a bad little chunk of change, if that encourages you on going forward with your solar installation.

– North Carolina law prohibits the reassessment of a home’s property value due to a solar installation. In other words, your property taxes legally cannot go up because you added solar panels. So your property value will increase, but your taxes will not- win/win. 

– The federal government offers the ITC (investment tax credit) which currently allows you to claim 26% of the cost of a solar power system as a credit toward your federal income tax liability. This could be a savings of anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 on most home systems- a huge bonus for going solar. 

– North Carolina’s PBIS (Performance Based Incentive System) offers incentives to solar power producers whereby you may earn renewable energy credits depending on your system’s output as measured by your utility. This is where your state net metering laws help out- your utility has to measure your output the way the state says, and therefore they can’t creatively give you less credit than you deserve. 

– The average home increases in value somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000 with the installation of solar panels, which in and of itself is worth the price of installation in many cases if you are planning to sell your home sometime in the next 10-20 years. A realtor can help you get a better idea of exactly how much that might increase the value of your home. 

– The “pay back” period for a solar panel installation in North Carolina is something in the range of 6-8 years, which is shockingly fast compared with many states (Some states have a payback period as long as 15 years). If your solar panels “pay” for themselves through savings, rebates, incentives, etc in as few as 6-8 years, you may as have as many as 20 years of “free” electricity ahead of you, not to mention the various credits you will earn along the way. So once again, while your initial investment is high, it will absolutely pay for itself given a long enough timeline, and more than likely will pay for itself many times over, with an estimated savings of $40,000 + over the lifetime of your solar panels. 

How much solar power do I need? 

This depends on a lot of factors, things like: Size of your home, number of residents, strength of your insulation, hot water usage, whether or not your home has natural gas lines, what temperature you prefer it to be, etc. Most American homes are going to require at least 6 kw of solar panels to be completely independent of the grid, while some may require as many as 8 kw or more. Your solar installer can give you a much better idea of what you need by looking at your past electricity bills. 

How long do solar panels last?

Most solar panels used for home installations are warrantied for 20-25 years, and most solar installation companies offer warranties for similar lengths of time. So you can most likely expect your solar panels to last and remain productive for a minimum of 20 years, with a possibility of 25 years or more. In North Carolina, where your solar panels will most likely pay for themselves within 6 to 8 years, this means you can expect to enjoy “free” electricity for more than a decade, possibly even two. 

Types of Panels & Inverters

Obviously solar panels are what we know about- panels that collect sunlight for use as energy to power your home- but what are inverters?

Inverters are the devices that actually convert that sunlight into usable electricity, and every solar installation will require them to work. So what types of panels and inverters are there out there, and which one is right for you? Below is just a very quick primer on what options there are available:

There are two basic types of panels used in home installations- Monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Monocrystalline panels are the more expensive option, so many homeowners will shy away from them. But, they are smaller, more efficient and work with less direct sunlight, meaning they are good for areas that get more shade or cloud cover. Polycrystalline panels on the other hand tend to be bigger and are often installed on the ground. They need more direct sunlight to work so are best installed away from anything that may shade them. 

When it comes to inverters, the kind you use will largely be dictated by what kind of panels you use and where your panels are arranged. Generally speaking, there are three kinds- string inverters, micro-inverters and power optimizers. They all come with different costs, pros and cons, but the kind of inverters you use are generally going to depend on what sort of panels you’re using, where they’re located and how they’re arranged, so your installer will be able to give you a better idea of what kind you need. 

How does weather affect solar panels?

Weather is a major consideration when considering a solar installation. Some parts of the world are simply better suited to solar power than others, though solar panels can be productive nearly anywhere on Earth. The state of North Carolina certainly falls into that category, averaging well over 200 days of sunshine per year. A few things to think about: 

• Fog / Cloud Cover- On days of heavy cloud cover or fog, your solar panels could 

produce as little as 10-30% as much power as they usually produce on a sunny day.

• Rain– Aside from the obvious negatives of cloud cover, rain is actually a positive for solar panels, as it helps wash away the dirt and grime that will naturally accumulate on them over time.

• Snow- Areas that experience regular heavy accumulation of snow will see a decrease in production during times of heavy snow. As long as snow sits on the panels, they cannot receive sunlight to produce electricity with, so if you’re from a place that gets regular heavy snow, be prepared to go out and de-snow your panels from time to time.

• Temperature- Solar panels operate best in sunny environments, but not necessarily *hot* ones. Solar panels are most efficient in temperatures at or below 77 degrees fahrenheit, and lose an estimated 1% efficiency for every degree temperatures rise above that mark. 

Things to Look for In a Solar Company

Just like with anything else, before you make a big investment you’re going to want to do your research. Solar companies, like any other company, come in all varieties, good, bad and everything in between, so it is to your benefit to make sure that you’re sure about them before sinking your money into them. A few questions to ask about:

Time in Industry: Obviously, like with most things, the longer the better. Companies that last longer are usually better companies. Though not foolproof, you can usually assume a company that has been around for 20-30 years or more knows how to keep customers happy. 

Types of Panels: Some solar companies only work with certain kinds of panels, and they may not be the kind you want. So if you have a preferred type of solar panel, it would be best to confirm with the company you want to use that they can and will work with that type before going forward with the installation. If you have no preference, then skip this one!

Payment Options: Solar panels will absolutely pay for themselves eventually, but until they do, you are on the hook for a sizable bill. Some companies offer in-house financing of some variety, but others don’t offer any help at all- they expect you to figure that part out on your own. So whatever the case, make sure you know what it is before going too far along in the process, and make sure it’s something you’re comfortable with and able to do. 

Warranties: Almost every solar company offers some kind of warranty, but the devil is in the details. A “warranty” can simply mean that the company will definitely come work on your solar panels anytime something breaks, provided you pay the tiny insignificant service fee every single time. 

Reviews: Perhaps the best method we have of really evaluating a company is checking out their customer reviews. The internet has made it easier than ever to see what people really think about a company, and people will quite often be brutally honest about their experiences with a business. This can usually give you a good picture of not only what people think about the company but also how the company deals with people, as many companies will respond to complaints online.

How do I get solar panels installed in Charlotte, North Carolina? 

So great news, Charlotte has a ton of solar installers to choose from. This is great news from a consumer standpoint because competition always breeds a buyers market. When businesses compete for your dollar, you’re more likely to get better prices and services. Below are a few of the higher rated Charlotte solar companies, though by no means is it an exhaustive list. Also, keep in mind that many solar companies are willing to travel to complete an installation, so don’t be afraid to check out nearby towns for competing companies. 

Company: Renu Energy Solutions 

Address: 801 Pressley Rd Ste 100, Charlotte, NC 28217

Website:  renuenergysolutions.com/

Reviews: 4.5 / 5 Facebook (113 reviews), 4.8 / 5 SolarReviews (168 reviews), 4 / 5 Yelp (10 reviews), 4.9 / 5 Homeadvisor (65 reviews), 4.7 / 5 Birdeye (513 reviews), 

Company: Sirius Power Inc.  

Address: 2215 McClintock Rd, Charlotte, NC

Website:  siriuspowerinc.business.site/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Better Business Bureau (2 reviews)

Company: Tayco Electric & Solar 

Address: 1506 Turring Dr, Indian Trail, NC 28079

Website:  taycoelectric.com/contact

Reviews: 5 / 5 Yelp (3 reviews), 5 / 5 Facebook (14 Reviews)

These are just a few of the available companies, but there are literally dozens of them to choose from. So my recommendation to you would be to start checking their reviews online, do your research and see what you can find out.

The Final Word:

Clearly, North Carolina has a lot going for it in terms of solar power. Solar panels pay for themselves quicker in North Carolina than just about any other state, and you won’t find much cheaper prices on solar panels anywhere in the U.S. There are great incentives in place and your solar panels will 100% pay for themselves multiple times in their lifetime. So if you were wondering, now you know- North Carolina is ready for solar power. 

Solar panels in the Fort Worth area are going to cost you something like $2.50 to $2.75 / watt, and most solar panels sold for home use come in 250 watt sizes. This means standard solar panels are going to cost you something like $625-$650. Most homes are going to need around 6 to 8 kilowatts of energy to be completely self-sufficient of the grid. This equates to 24-30 solar panels, once again if you’re trying to be completely self-sufficient, and that’s going to cost somewhere between $15,000 to $20,000 just for the panels. And that’s a lot of money, without a doubt, but don’t let that big number scare you away before you’re aware of the kinds of incentives, rebates and other possibilities that can bring that price down significantly. 

What are the benefits of going solar? 

In an oil state like Texas, you wouldn’t think there was a lot of emphasis placed on alternative energy sources, but you’d be wrong. Texas actually has a lot of incentives available for solar customers, and a lot of those will greatly benefit those who see the high initial cost of a system as a discouragement. 

State Energy Rebates: Many local utility companies and governmental bodies in Texas offer rebates for customers who choose to go solar, so it would be a good idea to check on your local electricity provider before taking the plunge. Different companies handle it in different ways, sometimes offering a cash payment to qualifying homeowners, or in other cases offering to pay a part of the installation bill. 

 “PACE” Financing: The “Texas Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing” program offers qualifying Texans the opportunity to finance their solar panel purchase and installation by doing a property assessment. The amount  you finance can then be paid either via property taxes or on an annual basis until the system is paid off.  Not all municipalities participate in the PACE program however, so check on it before you make a decision if that will affect your decision on how to handle your solar panel installation. 

Texas Interconnection Standards: The state of Texas has statewide interconnection standards, which means connecting your solar panels to the grid should be an easier and cheaper job for your solar installer. 

Property Tax Exemptions: Anyone who knows anything about Texas knows two things- There is no state income tax and property taxes are unbelievably high. Therefore, any break in taxes in the Lone Star state is going to be a big benefit. The state offers property tax exemptions on solar installations, meaning people who choose to install solar energy upgrades on their property cannot have their property tax liability reassessed because of it, therefore not increasing their tax bill.  

Federal Income Tax Credit: Any tax payer installing a solar panel system is eligible to claim up to 26% of the total cost of the installation and solar panels as a tax write off to their federal income tax liability. The benefit here is obvious of course, as this can save you thousands of dollars in and of itself. 

Net Metering: Though the state itself does not mandate any form of net metering, many local energy companies and municipalities offer net metering benefits. Net metering is the method by which an energy company can measure the output of your energy system as well as measuring the amount of energy your system feeds back into the grid. It is through net metering that a utility company can “pay” you for the excess energy your home produces and feeds into the grid, whether by sending you an actual cash payment or by issuing “credits” of kilowatt hours toward future electric bills in months when your solar panels do not produce as much electricity as your home requires to operate. 

Increased Home Value: The value of your home can be increased by anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 or possibly even more after the installation of solar panels. The exact amount is difficult to estimate and a real estate agent can give you a better idea of how much you may be able to add to the asking price of your home with the installation of solar panels. What is not in dispute however is the fact that homes with solar panels almost always sell faster than homes without them.

How much solar power do I need to power my home?

A modern American home requires something between 6 and 8 kilowatts of energy to operate self-sufficiently. This number can vary a lot depending on a variety of factors, such as the size of the family living in the home, their activities, how warm or cool you keep your house in summer and winter months. Your solar installer shoulder be able to examine your past electric bills to give you a good idea of how much electricity your home actually uses. 

 What is the “Payback” period for Solar Panels in Fort Worth, Texas? 

Solar panels in Texas will pay for themselves in 9-12 years, depending on a variety of factors. However, it should be noted, that even at 12 years, your solar panels will still have 12-15 more years of operation time after they have “paid” for themselves through electricity savings, rebates, tax credits, etc. This is a huge bonus for people who install solar panels since you are not only eliminating your electric bill, you are actually generating “revenue” once the panels have paid for themselves, either in the form of actual cash payments or as “credits” toward future electric bills. Overall, you can expect a lifetime savings of around $40,000 or more. 

How long do solar panels last?

Most solar panels sold for residential use are warrantied for 20-25 years. Additionally, most solar companies warranty their work for a similar amount of time. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that your solar panels will continue to produce reliably for no less than 20 years, possibly as long as 25 years or even more. Given that your solar panels should pay for themselves in no more than 12 years, you can expect at least 8 years of completely “free” electricity, possibly with additional revenue from the energy you feed back into the grid. So it is possible your solar panels could actually operate at a profit for 8 years or more. 

What kind of solar panels and inverters are right for me?

It would be a good idea to have a general idea of what kind of solar panels might be available before making a decision on what’s best for your home. In general, there are two major kinds of solar panels that are used for most home installations- Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline. Monocrystalline panels are smaller and more efficient, they are also more expensive and work better with less direct sunlight, as well as lasting longer. Polycrystalline panels on the other hand are bigger and are often installed on the ground. They are less efficient and don’t last as long, but are also cheaper. 

In addition to solar panels, you’ll also need inverters to convert captured sunlight to usable electricity for your home. There are three major kinds of inverters used in home installations- String inverters, Micro-inverters and Power optimizers. String inverters are the standard inverters found in most installations, they are the cheapest and considered the industry standard. Micro-inverters work well even when exposed to less direct sunlight, but are more expensive than string inverters. Power optimizers are more efficient than string inverters, but also more expensive (though not as expensive as Micro-inverters). They require direct sunlight however. 

How does weather affect solar panels?

Another major consideration in the installation of solar panels is how the climate in your local area will affect their production. Some factors to consider:

• Fog / Cloud Cover- During times of heavy fog and cloud cover, your solar panel production can be reduced to as little as 10-30% as much as normal. 

• Rain- Obviously cloud cover is a huge negative for solar panels, but the rain water itself is actually a positive, as it can help wash away the grime and dirt that can build up on them over time. 

• Snow- Not a major concern in most parts of Texas, snow is a big negative for solar panels, as any significant accumulation can completely stop production. Luckily, this won’t make much difference in the vast majority of the state of Texas. 

• Temperature- Contrary to popular belief, hotter temperatures are actually bad for solar panels, as it is estimated that their efficiency actually decreases by as much as 1% for every degree fahrenheit temperatures rise above 77. 

• Sunny days- The state of Texas by and large averages well over 220 sunny days per year, with some parts averaging over 250. This is a big plus for solar panels as they obviously need those days of sunlight to produce efficiently. 

Things to look for in a solar company:

As with everything else in life, when making a big investment in solar panels you’re going to want to make sure you go with the right company. But how do you know what to look for? Here’s a few things to keep your eyes on when looking into the solar companies available in the Fort Worth area-

Time in industry: Just like in any other industry, solar installers are generally going to be more trustworthy and reliable once they’ve been in the industry a long time. That doesn’t mean you should ignore newer companies- many of them are great and will do just as good a job as those veterans can. However, when something weird happens or comes up, you’re going to hope the company you’re using has seen it before and knows what to do, and that’s what a veteran can do for you. 

Types of panels: Solar panels come in many different varieties, and you’re going to want to make sure the company you go with is comfortable using the kind of panels you want to go with. If they’re not, you may want to find a company that is. 

Payment options: Some companies offer in-house financing and payment options, but some don’t. Make sure you clear that up before going ahead with your installation, or you could be left owing a lot of money without a clear plan on how to pay it. 

Warranties: Most companies offer some form of warranty, that’s pretty much an industry standard. However, not all warranties are good ones. Make sure to check out the fine print and see whether or not you’re going to be on the hook for service fees everytime you need a repair or adjustment to your solar panels. Some companies will charge you a hundred dollars to come out and fix any problem with your panels, even if it was their fault. Other companies will fix any and every malfunction free of charge, whether you kick your solar panel over or a squirrel chews through your power-inverter. So make sure you know how it’s going to work and get it in writing. 

Reviews: Maybe the most valuable tool in your toolbox for figuring out how good a company really is, online reviews can give you a very good idea of what you’re really getting into. Any company can say the right things on their website, but customer reviews will tell the true tale almost every time. 

How do I get solar panels installed in Fort Worth, Texas?

There are innumerable options available to you in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex for solar installation- There are tons of companies available in the immediate area, plus quite a few in nearby areas that would likely be happy to travel a short distance for your business. Below we have taken a look at just a few of those companies available to you, with just a little bit of information about each:

Freedom Solar

3070 STORY Rd W, Irving, TX 75038

Freedomsolarpower.com

4 / 5 on Whodoyou, 5 / 5 on Yelp

Sunpro Solar

2035 Royal Lane Ste 205, Dallas, TX 75229

gosunpro.com/location/texas/dallas-texas-solar/

5 / 5 Yelp, 2.4 / 5 BBB

Denton Solar
Address: 608 E Hickory St, Ste 128-10, Denton, TX 76250

dentontxsolar.com/

Moxie Solar

603 Munger Ave Ste 100#1040, Dallas, TX 75202

moxiesolar.com/locations/texas-solar-company/dallas-solar-installer/

1 / 5 Yelp

Sunfinity Solar-Texas

17300 Dallas Pkwy Ste 2020, Dallas, TX 75248

Sunfinitysolar.com

4.7 / 5 Facebook, 4.3 / 5 Porch, 4.2 / 5 Birdeye

Kosmos Solar

1320 Post N Paddock St Ste 500, Grand Prairie, TX 75050

Kosmossolar.com

Good Faith Energy

13720 Diplomat Dr, Farmers Branch, TX 75234

goodfaithenergy.com

4.5 / 5 Better Business Bureau (6 reviews), 4.9 / 5 Birdseye (318 reviews), 5 stars Yelp (30 reviews)

Circle L Solar

3914 Sandshell Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76137

circlelsolar.com/

Reviews: 1.67 / 5 Better Business Bureau (6 reviews), 3.5 / 5 Facebook (2 reviews), 4 / 5 stars Yelp (8 reviews), 

North Texas Solar

1452 Hughes Rd Ste 150, Grapevine, TX 76051

northtexassolar.com/

5 / 5 Facebook (3 reviews), 4 / 5 BBB (5 reviews), 5 / 5 Yelp (5 reviews)

Axium Solar

1005 Placid Ave 100, Plano, TX 75074

axiumsolar.com/

5 / 5 Facebook (12 reviews), 4.3 / 5 Glassdoor (5 reviews)

Elite Solar

1201 S Sherman St 204, Richardson, TX 75081 

Elitesolar.us

Solartime USA

1149 Rockingham Dr, Richardson, TX 75080

Solartimeusa.com

5 / 5 Yelp

Final Word:

So after seeing just a few of the solar companies available to customers in the Dallas-Fortworth area, it should be obvious that there are more than enough solar installers to choose from. So if you have the means and time to invest in a solar installation, the state of Texas is primed and ready for solar power. 

The state of New Mexico has some of the coolest place names (Truth or Consequences? Cloudcroft? Silver City? Come on man) in the country, and some of the most progressive solar policies of any state. Let’s take a look at some of the many reasons you might consider going solar in the land of enchantment: 

• Net Metering- The state of New Mexico has excellent net metering laws, which basically means that the state mandates the way utility companies must monitor the amount of energy your solar panels produce and feed back into the grid. This is what allows you to “sell” electricity back to the utility, thereby earning you credits toward future electric bills, or in some cases even cash payments for the electricity you produce. 

• Interconnection Standards- The statewide standards for interconnections that New Mexico has make it easier for solar installers to connect your system to the grid, and therefore help your installation go faster and cheaper. 

• State Tax Credit- 10% of your purchase & installation price of a solar panel system can be used as a credit on your state income tax liability, up to $9000. And it’s important to note, this is not just a “write off”- this is an actual credit toward the amount you have to pay in state income taxes. So if you owe $10,000, and your 10% is $2,000, then you only owe $8,000. This is especially good for businesses that will likely owe money at the end of the year. This is one of the best solar panel incentives in any state. 

• PBIS- Performance Based Incentives are a way to reward solar customers who feed power back into the grid. These rewards usually come in the form of SRECs (solar renewable energy credits) that appear on your electric bill as credits toward future electric bills where you draw more power from the grid than you feed back in. Basically, we’re talking about free electricity. 

• Sales Tax Exemption- You are exempt from all state income taxes when purchasing and installing solar panels and related equipment. State sales tax in New Mexico is 5% as of this writing, which means you could potentially save as much as $700 or more on your solar installation. 

• Property Tax Exemption- Your property value cannot be reassessed for tax purposes due to the improvement of adding a solar panel system. In other words, by state law your property taxes cannot go up due to the addition of solar panels. 

• Federal Tax Credit- Lest we forget, the federal government still offers a credit of 26% of your solar installation off of your federal income tax liability, which is a potential savings of thousands of dollars. 

• The Future of Renewable Energy in New Mexico- It seems entirely likely that the state of New Mexico will pass more legislation slanted toward environmental causes in the very near future. The Climate Solutions Act, which stated that carbon emissions would need to be cut in half by 2030, will likely be reintroduced in 2022. This would of course lead to massive changes in how energy is produced, likely leading utilities (and the state) to offer even more incentives for customers to go solar. 

• Increase in home value- Solar panels are universally recognized as something that increases the value of a home from anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000. And while some buyers aren’t concerned about whether or not a home has solar panels, some will be, and this can not only increase the value of the home, but can (and usually does) lead to the home selling faster than homes without solar panels. 

• New Mexico Climate- Solar panels operate best when it is sunny and at or below 77 degrees fahrenheit. And while many parts of New Mexico may climb way above 77 degrees in the hot parts of the year, some parts don’t. And almost universally, New Mexico is sunny, averaging 278 sunny days a year in most parts of the state. So even though the heat may be a little more than you want with solar panels, you can’t beat the amount of sunlight you’re going to get there, and your solar panels will produce year-round. 

How much do Solar Panels cost in New Mexico?

Solar panels in NM are maybe a little cheaper than in most parts of the country at $2.40 – $2.70 per watt. Solar panels are typically sold in 250 watt increments, so they cost something like $600-675, and a normal home needs somewhere between 20 and 28 panels to be fully self-sufficient from the grid. All in all, your panels are going to cost between $12,000 and $19,000, but there are numerous incentives and rebates in place that reduce this cost by potentially thousands of dollars. 

What is the “payback” period in New Mexico for Solar Panels? 

When we speak about “payback periods” we’re talking about how long it takes for solar panels to pay for themselves, via rebates, incentives, PBIS, SRECs and all those other fun programs. New Mexico has a pretty quick turnaround period of 10 to 10.5 years, which is faster than about half the other states in the country. And after those panels have paid for themselves? You’re essentially putting money in your pocket each month with the energy you generate for free and the power your put back into the grid to receive credits toward future bills. 

Solar Companies in New Mexico

So for the purposes of this article, we’re just going to look at some of the top solar companies in the state of New Mexico, but by no means are we trying to provide a comprehensive list. Keep in mind when trying to find a solar installer that many companies will be willing to travel a long way, perhaps across the state. 

Company: Affordable Solar

Address: 4840 Pan American, Albuquerque, NM 87109

Years in Business: 23

Website:  affordable-solar.com/

Reviews: 4.6 / 5 Solar reviews (79 reviews), 4 / 5 Yelp (14 reviews), 4.8 / 5 Angi (39 reviews), 4.6 / 5 Birdseye (182 reviews), 4.5 / 5 Facebook (61 reviews)

 Business Quote: Affordable Solar currently employs more than 50 people and, based off of David’s entrepreneurial spirit, continues to be innovative and on the cutting-edge in the solar PV industry.

The Good: Great review and a whole lot of them to look at, no BBB complaints, great website

The Bad: I can find nothing bad to say about this business

Summary: This company looks to be on the ball in every way imaginable. I can’t find anything negative to say about them. They appear to be based in Albuquerque, but have a considerably large coverage area that seems to cover most of the state. So by all means, take a look at these people if you are considering a solar installation anywhere in the state. 

Company: Solar Works Energy 

Address: 500 Marquette Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Years in Business: 6

Website: solarworksenergy.com

Reviews: 5 / 5 Yelp (1 review), 4.5 / 5 Birdseye (84 reviews), 4 / 5 Facebook (10 reviews)

 Business Quote: olar Works Energy is committed to offering the best product and the best experience to our customers in the industry. Please see our extensive customer reviews on Google and give us a call to see exactly what solar can do for you. 

The Good: Great website, lots of FAQs and videos, positive reviews, no BBB complaints. 

The Bad: 6 years in business, a handful of really bad reviews about them out there. 

Summary: Solar works seems to be an up and coming company. They have a good web presence and a big coverage area that goes all the from way Texas to Utah, so if you’re anywhere in northern New Mexico they’ll likely come to you. There are a few really ugly reviews out there about them however, so it’s possible their aftercare isn’t all that good. But by all means, check them out and make your own decision. 

Company: Poulin Solar Pro

Address: 8600 Pan American Fwy NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113

Years in Business: 38 (sort of)

Website:  https://poulinsolarpro.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Yelp (1 review), 4.7 / 5 ChamberofCommerce.com (48 reviews), 4.8 / 5 Birdseye (48 reviews)

 Business Quote: Poulin Solar Pro is the #1 Solar Installer in New Mexico*.Solar Pro at the Poulin Design Center is located in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, providing quality solar panel installation. * According to Solar Reviews, the nation’s leading, independent source for solar companies.

The Good: Lots of good reviews, 38 years in the business

The Bad: A few complaints with the BBB

Summary: A lot of years in business, Poulin appears to have started a solar division at some point. They have a lot of really good reviews and there’s virtually nothing negative out there about them. 

Company: Amenergy 

Address: 3212 Richards Ln, Santa Fe, NM 87507

Years in Business: 12

Website:  https://www.amenergynm.com/about-us

Reviews: 2.6 / 5 Birdseye (5 reviews), 5 / 5 Facebook (2 reviews)

The Good: Very nice website

The Bad: Not a lot of reviews available out there, and half of them are aren’t good. 

Summary: The majority of the big solar companies in New Mexico seem to be based in Albuquerque, but Amenergy seems to be based in Santa Fe. They have 12 years in the business, but hardly any web presence. Their reputation isn’t immaculate at this point but the company may be good. Just check them out thoroughly before taking the plunge. 

Final Word: 

New Mexico has some of the best and most incentives for going solar. The state itself is pushing hard for its residents to get into the solar business, and if you’re financially able to make a long term commitment, your panels can pay for themselves in a fairly short amount of time. So if you’re considering going solar, this is one place where you won’t regret it. 

• The state of Rhode Island has a couple of the most attractive incentives of any state in the union when it comes to going solar. Probably the biggest and best is the state’s REF or “Renewable Energy Fund” rebate program. This rebate, based on the size of the system installed, provides a maximum award of up to $75,000 for installation of a solar power system through the Commerce RI grant foundation, designed to help fund renewable energy projects of all kinds. The size of the rebate is determined by total contract price. More money is available with the addition of solar carports to your project. 

US Solarworks handles rebate applications for the REF program. The customer receives their rebate once construction of their solar project is complete. Taking advantage of the REF state rebate program also makes you eligible to receive state net metering rebates for an even greater advantage in your solar power system. 

• The “Renewable Energy Growth Program” on the other hand, is run through National Grid and offers a 20 year contract for the purchase of excess electricity produced by your system. The energy is purchased at a “premium price” which may be more than what you would get paid for it by your normal utility- which can add up nicely over the course of 20 years. The catch here is that if you contract with the REG program, you are not eligible to receive the REF rebate. For 2021, the PBI (performance based incentive) payment was between $.25 and $.29 cents per kilowatt hour (KwH). The PBI is split between a cash payment and a credit on your electric bill. Though that doesn’t sound like a lot, you have to understand that a regular 6 kw system will create about 10,000 KwH of electricity on an annual basis, which would equate to around a $2,500 worth of payments and credits every year for the term of your 20 year contract. Some quick math will show you how valuable this incentive really is. Naturally, Uncle Sam sees this as taxable income because of course. But either way, it’s free money. 

• Rhode Island guarantees net metering for 100% of the power you generate and use on site. Net metering is the process by which a utility company measures the energy produced, used and fed back into the grid by any energy producing system, such as solar panels. Obviously, a big bonus to solar panels is the ability to “sell” energy back to your utility company, so strong net metering is a huge bonus for anyone producing energy with solar panels, as it ensures that your panels will not only cover your electric bill but possibly also give you credits that will carry over into future electric bills. 

• Renewable Energy Certificates or RECs are a system by which anyone in Rhode Island who installs a solar energy system can accumulate credits based on how much energy your system generates. RECs are credits that count as the equivalent of one megawatt hour (MwH) of energy generated by your renewable energy system, such as solar panels. Solar production is monitored automatically through net metering equipment and reported to an REC broker who packages these megawatt hours into consolidated blocks to be sold. Then you will received quarterly cash payments for RECs produced by your system and fed back into the grid. 

• The “Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit” offers a writeoff to your federal tax liability equivalent to 26% of the total price of your system and installation. Depending on how big of a system you install, this could equate to a saving of thousands of dollars in and of itself. 
• The Rhode Island “Residential Solar Energy Property Tax Exemption” guarantees by law that your property tax liability cannot be reassessed based on the addition of solar panels to your home. In other words, your property taxes will not go up due to your solar panels, and they cannot by state law. 

• Thanks to the “Renewable Energy Products, Sales and Use Tax Exemption”, Rhode Island residents do not have to pay any taxes on the purchase or installation of their solar energy system- Once again, a savings of possibly thousands of dollars, depending on the size of your system. 

• Rhode Island’s weather lends itself quite well to solar power as well. They are right at the national average in terms of sunny days per calendar year (Rhode Island averages around 202 days of sun per year while the U.S. average is 205). Combined with that, Rhode Island’s monthly average temperatures rarely reach above 80 degrees, which is great for solar panels, as their ideal operating temperature is 78 degrees fahrenheit and below. For every degree temperatures rise above 78, solar panels are estimated to lose 1% efficiency, but in Rhode Island this will rarely if ever become a major issue. 

• Solar Panels will, on average, increase a home’s value between $10,000 and $20,000. There are a lot of different metrics people use to estimate exactly how much you can expect a home’s value to increase due to the addition of solar panels, but ultimately the value of solar panels are in the eye of the potential home buyer- some will be willing to pay more for a home with them while some wont. One indisputable fact however is that homes with solar panels do tend to sell faster on average than homes without, however. 

• Lifetime energy savings with a full solar power system can be as high as $50,000 or more, depending on your home energy consumption. So just ignore all the rebates, all the tax incentives, everything else, and ultimately your solar panels will more than pay for themselves over the course of their lifetime simply due to savings in electric bills- realistically, they’ll pay for themselves many times over. 

So, as you can see, there are few states more ready for you to install solar panels than sunny little Rhode Island. It’s not the first state that pops into most people’s minds when they think of solar power, but the incentives and bonuses the state has in place for you are better than virtually any other. So by all means, if you’re a Rhode Island residence with the ability to take on a long term project like a solar panel installation, don’t hesitate to make it happen. 

Solar panels in the state of Florida are some of the cheapest in the United States. Estimates range between about $2.28 to $2.48 per watt, and the national average is something like $3.00. Most solar panels are sold in 250 watt sizes, which means each panel will run you between $570 and $620, and you will need between 20 and 30 panels to be completely self-sufficient from the electrical grid. So a low estimate of how much you’ll spend just on solar panels themselves is around $11,400, while a higher estimate looks more like $18,600. While this is a lot of money, keep in mind that especially in Florida there are a ton of incentives, rebates and credits you can take advantage of to defray that cost, not to mention the fact that your solar panels in Florida will pay for themselves a lot faster than they would in other places. 

What are the benefits of going solar? 

The state of Florida has got a lot of incentives in place for citizens who want to go solar, much more than in some other states. Couple that with the fact that Florida has some of the cheapest panels in the union and you can see that solar power in Florida has a lot going for it. Here are just a few of the incentives and credits available for solar customers in Florida:

• Florida has strong net metering laws, which means your utility company will have to pay you for any excess energy your solar power system generates and feeds back into the grid. In other words, anything you don’t use will earn you money or credits toward future electric bills. This can come in extremely handy for those who aren’t home a lot or for people who want to install a lot of extra solar panels and create a small solar farm in their yard or on their roof. 

• The state of Florida also has statewide interconnection standards, meaning connecting your solar system to the grid anywhere in the state is going to be standardized. This is extremely helpful because your solar installer shouldn’t have to do anything different for your system than they do for anybody else, meaning it should go quicker, easier and save you some money in the process. 

• Florida offers PBIS- Performance based incentive payments, based on the amount of electricity your system actually creates and feeds back into the grid (though in Florida they are called “Solar Power Performance Payments”). The payment is based on the amount of kilowatt-hours (kWh) your system is able to generate according to your home’s electric meter. The energy produced is then credits to you as SRECs (solar renewable energy credits) 

• The state of Florida offers a property tax exemption on all solar installations- Meaning your property taxes cannot legally be reassessed based on the installation of a solar power system. So your property taxes should not go up, while your property value will. 

• The state of Florida also offers an exemption from state sales taxes when paying for your solar panels or their installation. And while that small little bit may not sound like a whole lot- State sales tax in Florida is only 6%-  when you’re talking about something that is going to cost in the tens of thousands of dollars, that 6% adds up really quickly. 

• The federal government also offers a federal income tax credit of 26% of the total cost of your solar system installation. Once again, if you’re spending $12-18,000 on this installation, you’re saving somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000 with this one incentive alone. 

• Your home’s value will increase by an estimated $10-20,000 as a result of the addition of a solar energy system, possibly even more than that depending on the size of the system and its energy output. This is an especially big deal for someone who might be considering selling their home in the next 10-20 years, as this increase in value alone will just about pay for the entire system by itself. A realtor can give you a better estimate on how much the value of your home may increase with the addition of solar panels, but one thing that isn’t in dispute- homes with solar panels  sell faster than homes without them, almost 100% of the time. 

How much solar power do I need to power my home?

The average American home is going to require somewhere between 6 and 8 kw of solar panels to operate completely independent of the grid. This is going to workout to something between 20 and 30 solar panels total. Your solar installer will be able to give you a better idea of how many solar panels you’ll need by looking over your past electric bills, so leave this one to the experts. 

How long do solar panels last?

Most solar panels come with a 20-25 year warranty, meaning the manufacturer will replace or pay  for the repair of your panels if they should fail due to a manufacturing error within that time period. Most solar installers offer a similar warranty, usually guaranteeing their own work for 20-25 years, meaning they will fix basically anything that goes wrong with your solar panels due to an installers error within that time period as well. Therefore, it is a pretty safe bet that you can expect your solar panels to last about 20-25 years, roughly. 

What is the “Payback” period for Solar Panels in Florida?

Your solar panels will eventually pay for themselves, everybody knows that. Through rebates, incentives, tax breaks, etc. This figure depends heavily on your own personal situation- size of your home, temperature preferences, how many people live in your home, etc. Current estimates suggest that in the state of Florida your solar panels will likely pay for themselves in 12-14 years, and while this may seem like a lot, keep in mind that your panels are going to last for at least 20 years, probably more, which means that once they’ve “paid” for themselves, you’ll still have them for many years, producing “free” electricity for the rest of their life. 

Types of Solar Panels & inverters

So solar panels are obviously the devices that actually capture sunlight, but what are inverters? Inverters are the devices that actually convert captured sunlight into usable electricity, and obviously any solar energy system requires inverters to work. So let’s take a look at what kinds are available. 

First off, solar panels- There are two basic kinds that are usually used in home installations: Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline. Monocrystalline panels are the smaller kind- They tend to be more expensive and work with less direct sunlight, and they last longer than polycrystalline panels. The downside here is that monocrystalline panels are more expensive, so there’s a good chance that a lot of homeowners are going to go for the cheaper kind. Polycrystalline panels on the other hand are bigger, less efficient and don’t last as long as monocrystalline panels, but of course, they’re cheaper. 

As far as inverters go, there are three basic types- String inverters, Micro-Inverters and Power Optimizers. The thing with inverters is that the kind of inverters you use is going to be largely dictated by the kind of panels you’re using and they’re placement. So you have less choice here, but just know that these inverters are the kinds you’re more than likely going to be dealing with in a home installation scenario. 

How Does Weather Affect Solar Panels?

Obviously sunlight = good for solar panels. But there’s a lot more to consider in terms of weather. Here’s a few things you may want to think about before making a decision on solar panels in Florida:

• Fog / Cloud Cover- On a foggy or cloudy day, your solar panels will actually only generate 10-30% as much energy as they would on a normal day. The reason of course is obvious- the less sunlight that makes it to the panels, the less they can produce. 
•  Rain-Aside from the obvious problems with cloud cover, rain is actually a good thing for your solar panels. It helps clean off the associated dirt and dust that will settle on them over time, so frequent showers will actually do your solar panels some good. 
• Snow- Snow is bad for solar panels because it blocks the sunlight from reaching them. Luckily, you will literally never have to deal with this in Florida, and if you do, you have much bigger problems than your solar panels. 
• Temperature- One negative for solar panels in Florida is that their optimal operating temperature is 77 degrees fahrenheit and below. And you are pretty much always going to be above that temperature. However, your solar panels only lose an estimated 1% efficiency for each degree you rise above 77, so for the most part you’re not losing a huge amount of efficiency, and if you lose more than 30% efficiency, you’re probably going to die anyway. So there’s that. 

Things to look for in a solar company:

So you’re not an expert in solar energy, and that’s ok. But if you’re looking for a solar company, you need to know a little bit about what you’re looking at, so here’s just a few things to keep in mind- 

Time in industry: Obviously new companies are hard to tell much about. If they haven’t done much work, then you won’t be able to find much out there about them. And that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t trust newer companies; But, when evaluating your choices for a solar company, especially if you’re in a non-standard situation, you might want to consider going with a more experienced company, one that has been around long enough that they have probably seen any kind of strange situation you can throw at them. 

Types of panels: As we covered above, there’s more than one kind of solar panel, and not all companies are completely comfortable with working with every kind of panel and inverter. So if you have a preference for solar panels- IE, you don’t want them on your roof, or your only want them on your roof, etc- You need to make that clear up front so the company you’re dealing with can communicate clearly with you whether or not they can or will do that. 

Payment options: So your solar panels are going to cost you between $11,000 and $18,000. Then the company is going to charge you for labor and materials- So assume you’re going to tack on a solid $5,000-$8,000 on any solar installation. Ok, cool, so you’re just gonna write a check for $20-25,000 right? Because you have that money just laying around, right? No? Neither do I. So you’re going to need to confirm with your installation company that they have some sort of payment options available- And if they don’t, you’re going to need to secure your own loan. Either way, make sure you know what is going to be expected of you payment-wise before making a commitment. 

Warranties: Almost every solar installation company will offer some sort of warranty- But what exactly does that mean? Most of the time, a “warranty” only covers an installer’s error- Meaning if they, the installation company, make a mistake in the installation, they’ll come back and fix it (usually for free, though not always). Furthermore, most solar installers’ “warranties” do not cover manufacturer’s errors (IE, the solar panel itself breaks), nor do warranties cover any incidental damage that might come up with your panels (meteor strikes, squirrel attacks, etc). So make sure you understand your warranty before making a decision! Some installers offer better warranties than others. 

Reviews: Probably the best tool we have for evaluating the work any company does is reviews on the internet. Because if it’s on the internet, it has to be true, right? Actually though, people are very likely to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth on the internet if they’re dissatisfied with the work of a solar installer. So do your research and find any reviews you can for the company you’re considering- They may not all be good, but the main thing to be on alert for is if they have a *lot* of bad reviews. Almost every company is going to have a few, but not everybody is going to have a ton of them. So do your research, and remember that just because a company has a few bad reviews it doesn’t mean they’re not good- but it’s something to be aware of. 

Final Word: 

So here’s the conclusion- Florida is as solar-ready if not more so than any other state in the U.S. The state itself is taking lots of steps to offer incentives to residents who choose to go solar, and Florida is literally known for its sunshine. There are a TON of solar installers available all around the state, and even if there’s not one you like in your area, there’s a very good chance you’ll be able to find more than a few who are willing to travel to your area to get your business. So what it boils down to is this- If you’re considering solar panels in Florida, stop considering and do it. End of story. 

So this is a good news/bad news situation- The bad news is: There aren’t a ton of solar installers in the state of New Mexico. Though the state itself is very solar-ready, there just apparently aren’t a whole ton of installers out there in the state. 

The good news, however, is that almost all of the solar installers in New Mexico are in Albuquerque or Santa Fe, which means that in Rio Rancho you have a lot of options. So in this article, we’re going to start off looking into some of the better reviewed companies in the greater Rio Rancho area- which for our purposes will include both Albuquerque and Santa Fe. So lets take a look at some of the more notable solar installers in the area. 

Company: Earthstar Energy Consultants LLC

Address: Rio Rancho, NM

Website:  earthstar-energy.com/

Reviews: 5 /5 Yellowpages (1 reviews), 5/5 Angi (8 reviews)

Company Quote: “Combining years of experience with a dedication to client satisfaction, EarthStar Energy Consultants, LLC has established itself as the local leader in Custom Solar Photovoltaic Systems, Solar Thermal System Installation and Solar Thermal System Customizations.”

Company: Affordable Solar

Address: 4840 Pan American, Albuquerque, NM 87109

Years in Business: 23

Website: affordable-solar.com/

Reviews: 4.6 / 5 Solar reviews (79 reviews), 4 / 5 Yelp (14 reviews), 4.8 / 5 Angi (39 reviews), 4.6 / 5 Birdseye (182 reviews), 4.5 / 5 Facebook (61 reviews)

Company Quote: “Affordable Solar … remains committed to the principles on which the company was founded. And we’re making the world a better place. One solar installation at a time.”

Company: Triple H Solar LLC

Address: 940 Saratoga Dr NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144

Website:  triplehsolar.com/

Company: Solar Works Energy 

Address: 500 Marquette Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Years in Business: 6

Website:  http://solarworksenergy.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Yelp (1 review), 4.5 / 5 Birdseye (84 reviews), 4 / 5 Facebook (10 reviews)

Company Quote: “Get green energy to go with your blue skies and save an average of 40% on your electric bill.”

Company: Siempre Sol Solar and Electric

Address: 5466 Roosevelt Loop NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144

Website:  siempresolar.com/

Company: Poulin Solar Pro

Address: 8600 Pan American Fwy NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113

Years in Business: 38 (sort of)

Website:  https://poulinsolarpro.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Yelp (1 review), 4.7 / 5 ChamberofCommerce.com (48 reviews), 4.8 / 5 Birdseye (48 reviews)

Company Quote: “Go Solar and own your system for the same payment you pay to PNM every month! Get rid of your electric bill and Go Green”

Company: Enchanted Solar

Address: 3409 Bryn Mawr Dr NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107

Website:  solarcontractorsalbuquerquenm.com/

Reviews: 4 / 5 Birdeye (1 review), 5/5 Facebook ( 1 review )

Company Quote: “Affordable Solar Power Systems in Albuquerque, NM. Lower Your Electric Bills with Grid Tie Systems and Full Off Grid Battery Storage Systems. “

Company: Amenergy 

Address: 3212 Richards Ln, Santa Fe, NM 87507

Years in Business: 12

Website:  https://www.amenergynm.com/about-us

Reviews: 2.6 / 5 Birdseye (5 reviews), 5 / 5 Facebook (2 reviews)

Company: New Mexico Solar Group

Address: 4140 Jackie Rd SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124

Years in Business: 7

Website: nmsolargroup.com/

Reviews: 4.7 / 5 HomeAdvisor (3 reviews), 1.8 / 5 PissedConsumer (2 reviews), 4.9/5 SolarForYourHouse (50 reviews), 3.5 / 5 Yelp (7 reviews), 4.6/5 Facebook (78 reviews)

Company Quote: “NM Solar group is a locally owned and homegrown solar company originally based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded by Ryan Wallace in 2015, NM Solar Group has helped over 500 homeowners own their own energy with solar.”

Company: SolExergy, LLC.

Address: 5540 Cody Rd NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144

Website:  solexergy.com/

Company Quote: “Our unique hands-on experience with the design, installation and maintenance of every kind of solar system is unsurpassed. We specialize in systems that pay for themselves and provide a green energy alternative.”

Company: Vivint Solar

Address: 5600 Venice Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113

Website:  vivintsolar.com/state/new-mexico/albuquerque-solar/?sfexid=153272

Reviews: 2.5 / 5 Yelp (11 reviews), 3.7 / 5 Birdeye (110 reviews)

Company Quote: “Vivint Solar is changing the way Albuquerque creates and consumes electricity, by affordably connecting homes to the Sun. We understand the importance of renewable energy. That’s why we’re dedicated to designing, installing, and maintaining affordable home”

Company: Ion Solar – New Mexico

Address: 6816 Academy Parkway East NE Ste A, Albuquerque, NM 87109

Website:  https://ionsolar.com/ (Link is dead as of 5/4/2022)

Reviews: 2 / 5 Yelp (10 reviews)

Note: Company may be defunct- Also may be the same company as DKD Electric (dkdelectric.com/) which is located at 6801 Academy Parkway West NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109

Company: Unirac

Address: 1411 Broadway Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Website:  unirac.com

Reviews: 4.5 / 5 Facebook (15 reviews), 4.5 / 5 Birdeye (25 reviews)

Business Quote: “Established in 1998, Unirac is one of the leading manufacturers of solar photovoltaic mounting solutions in North America.”

Company: Global Solar Network, LLC

Address: 701 Osuna Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113

Website: getsolarize.com/

Reviews: 4.5 / 5 Facebook (6 reviews)

Company: Consolidated Solar Technology

Address: 5225 Pino Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109

Reviews: 3.6 / 5 Bestimprovers (10 reviews), 1 / 5 Yelp (3 reviews), 2.5 / 5 Birdeye (27 reviews)

Business Quote: “We provide all the resources you need to familiarize yourself with the financial and environmental benefits of integrating a clean, renewable energy source into your business or home with the ultimate goal of saving you money and helping the environment.”

Company: Zomeworks Corp

Address: 1011 Sawmill Rd NW Ste A, Albuquerque, NM 87104

Years in Business: 53

Website: zomeworks.com/ 

Company Quote: “Zomeworks manufactures Cool Cell® battery boxes & electronic enclosure products, as well as Track Racks, a cost-effective solar tracker “

Company: O E Solar

Address: 1300 1st St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Website: osceolaenergy.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Yelp (4 reviews), 5 / 5 Unilocal (2 reviews)

Company Quote: “O E Solar Provides Energy Generating, Solar Installations, Solar Inspections, Solar Cleaning, PV System Removal & Replacement, Solar Repair & Maintenance, Electrical Repair to the Albuquerque, NM Area.”

Company: Sun Logic

Address: 1380 Rio Rancho Dr SE # 363, Rio Rancho, NM 87124

Website:  sun-logic.com/

Company Quote: “Rio Rancho solar is growing at the fastest pace in history. Getting the right solar system for your Rio Rancho home is key to maximizing your return.”

Company: MySolar

Address: 6310 Edith Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107

Website:  mysolarnm.com/

Company: Advantage Energy Solutions

Address: 1453 W Ella Dr, Corrales, NM 87048

Website:  corralessolar.com/

Business Quote: “We work with owners to size a solar system that will offset as much power as possible, but no more than necessary”

Company: Awe-Sun Energy, LLC

Address: 5304 College Heights Dr NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120

Website: solarforyourhouse.com/new-mexico/albuquerque/awe-sun-energy-llc/

Reviews: 5 / 5 SolarforYourHouse (2 reviews)

Company Quote: “Are you considering switching to solar electricity for your home? If so, here’s a list of everything you need to know about this clean energy source.”

Company: Solcius Solar

Address: 5901 Pan American West Fwy NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109

Website:  solcius.com/

Reviews: 4 / 5 SolarForYourHouse (30 Reviews)

Company Quote: “Solcius fulfills each of the steps to go solar. After your initial free consultation with one of our solar advisers, your job is done! We take care of everything for you. Just sit back and enjoy your solar savings after activation.”

Company: SunState Solar Inc

Address: 9600 Tennyson St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122

Website: sunstatesolar.net/

Reviews: 4.9 / 5 Porch (67 Reviews), 5 / 5 Yelp ( 1 Review)

Company Quote: “Our reputation matters. When you consider making the switch to solar; make sure you give us a chance to show you how we can deliver superior value and a lifetime of savings for your home”

Company: Meraki solutions Santa Fe

Address: 5901 Pan American West Fwy NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109

Website:  merakisolutions.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (4 Reviews), 

Company Quote: “Meraki Solar Solutions provides Zero Down solar services, which improves energy efficiency, lowers your electric bills, and increases the value of your home”

Company: EcoSave Solar

Address: 2900 Louisiana Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110

Website:  ecosavesolar.com/

Company Quote: “EcoSave Solar was built on integrity as well as offering the highest quality solar installations on the market.”

Company: Encor Solar – Albuquerque

Address: 4700 lincoln Rd NE, albuquerque, NM 87109

Website:  encorsolar.com/

Company Quote: “With Encōr Solar you can you choose the program that gives you the best savings for your home, trusting in us to deliver the quality and simplicity you deserve.”

Company: SunPower by Positive Energy Solar

Address: 3651 Princeton Dr NE Ste D, Albuquerque, NM 87107

Website:  positiveenergysolar.com/

Company Quote: “We ASPIRE to be New Mexico’s most trusted and reliable partner for sustainable energy solutions, delivered with integrity, passion, expertise, teamwork, and a persistent focus on customer satisfaction.”

Company: Hi Solar

Address: 3207 Manzano St NE, Albuquerque, NM

Website:  hisolaralbuquerque.com/

Company: Experienced Solar

Address: 4000 Vassar Dr NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107

Years in Business: 20+

Website:  experiencedsolar.net/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Yelp (2 Reviews)

Company Quote: “Experienced Solar is a licensed electrical contractor, EE98 # 39045 and is NABCEP PV installer certified and has been designing and engineering remote solar electric systems for over 20 years. “

Company: Titan Solar Power

Address: 900 Lamberton Pl NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107

Website:  titansolarpower.com/

Ok, so that’s a lot of Solar Installers- But what do you look for?

As with anything else in life, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you might not find it. Really though, let’s just say you’re not an expert in solar energy or in looking for solar companies- What are some of the things you need to pay special attention to when looking for a company to do your solar installation? Here’s a few key things to keep in mind:

Time in industry: In almost every situation, experience is important. Not only does it just make you feel better to know that your company has been around a long time and probably isn’t going anywhere, you can also usually assume that businesses with substantial longevity are ones that treat their customers decently at least. And when it comes to the actual installation, you don’t want it done by someone who just started doing this a week ago Tuesday. You want someone who has been around, seen some things, and knows what to do in pretty much any given situation. Now this is not to say that you shouldn’t go with a new company. Not at all- many of them are very good. This is just one thing to consider when evaluating your options. 

Types of panels: Without going into a ton of detail, let’s just say there are two main kinds of panels- Polycrystalline and Monocrystalline. In short, one is really big and one is smaller. The big ones are cheaper than the small ones. The big ones often need to be installed on the ground to get the most affect out of them, while the smaller ones can almost always go on rooftops. So if you have a definite preference in which type of panel you get on your house, make sure your installer is comfortable using them. Not all companies work with all kinds of panels, so you should make sure they can and will do what you want them to do before starting the process. 

Payment options: Unfortunately you will have to pay for your solar panels before they can pay for themselves. Sad but true. And what’s even sadder is that this is not going to be a cheap project- You’re looking at shelling out something in the neighborhood of $20-25,000 before it’s all over with, maybe even more depending on a few factors. Now, unless you have that just laying around, you’re going to need to know what your options are for paying for these things. Some companies offer in-house financing of some sort, but many companies do not, so make sure you’re going to be able to secure a loan or whatever you’re going to need to do to pay for your panels. 

Warranties: Almost every company offers a warranty, but some are very simple service warranties- IE, If you call us for service, we promise to show up (sometimes for a fee)- While others are fairly comprehensive (If a squirrel chews through these wires 20 years from now, we will teleport in with a tactical squad of technicians to fix it immediately). Make sure you know what kind of warranty your company offers before signing a deal, because some companies are far better about backing up their work than others. 

Reviews: And lastly, make sure you read up on your chosen company before you put your name on any piece of paper! The internet gives us a great research tool to dig up any available dirt on a company long before you make a mistake. And internet reviews are often brutally honest- Some people will always be nice, but other people will tell it all. Pay special attention to the negative reviews, because they tend to be the most honest ones out there. 

Final Word: 

So there you have it. The Rio Rancho area is absolutely crawling with solar installers of all kinds- Small local operations, huge national corporations, brand new start up companies and others with 50+ years of experience. Some will naturally be a better fit for you than others, so make sure you find the one that matches your preferences the best. Happy hunting!