WGSI Solar

Solar Power in Clearwater, Florida: Is It worthwhile?

Is investing in the solar power really worth it in Clearwater? This is the most significant and frequently asked question. It’s not only about saving money and protecting the environment; there are many more benefits to using this method.

  • 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.