WGSI Solar

Solar Panels Mariette Georgia

How much do solar panels cost in Mariette, Georgia?

The national average for solar panels is around $3 per watt, but in the state of Georgia, solar panels are somewhat cheaper. In Mariette, you can expect to pay something around $2.33 / watt. Most solar panels are sold in 250 watt increments, meaning you will pay about $582 for one 250 watt panel. You will likely need between 20 and 28 panels to operate your home independently, so your total cost for panels is going to be somewhere between $12,000 and $16,000. Again, this is going to be cheaper than in most other states, and this is your cost before applying any of the many incentives and tax credits available for solar customers. 

What are the benefits of going solar?

George could be a little more proactive when it comes to encouraging citizens to adopt solar power. However, there are a few things in place for those who want to take on a solar installation:  

  • The George Solar Power Free-Market Financing Act of 2015 makes it possible for current residents of Georgia to enter a “power purchase” agreement with a utility, which can make many solar installations more affordable for not only private citizens but also business or real estate owners who want to install solar panels. These agreements are simple contracts in which one side (a utility) agrees to purchase electricity from the other party (the owner of the solar installation) at a pre-established rate per kilowatt hour. 
  • Georgia’s version of performance based incentives, “Solar Power Performance Payments” offer cash payments to owners of solar panels based on the amount of extra electricity their system produces and feeds back into the grid. 
  • The federal investment tax credit allows any American taxpayer to claim up to 26% of the total cost of their solar installation as a credit toward their federal income tax liability in a given year. Considering that solar panels plus installation could run you upwards of $15,000 or even close to $20,000, this tax credit could be very valuable indeed. 
  • The value of your home will increase by an estimated $10,000 to $20,000 or possibly even more with the addition of a home solar electric system. A realtor can give you a better idea of exactly how much more your home may be worth with the addition of solar panels. Furthermore, for those who believe they may sell their home in the next 10-20 years, it is well established that homes with solar panels tend to sell faster than those without. 

How much solar power do you need for your home?

The average American home will need something between 6 kw and 8 kw of solar panels to be total self-sufficient, which means you will need somewhere between 20 and 30 solar panels. Your solar installer can give you a better idea of how many panels you will need to meet your needs by looking at your previous electric bills. In a place like Georgia where it’s going to be warmer most of the year, you may need a little more electricity than folks in some other places just based on air conditioner usage, so again, let your solar installer tell you how many panels you’re going to need. 

What is the “Payback” period for solar panels in Mariette, Georgia? 

Your solar panels in Mariette will likely pay for themselves in something like 12 to 12 and a half years. And by “pay for themselves”, we basically mean that through energy savings, incentives and rebates, you will have saved or made as much money as you initially paid for your solar panels. Additionally, this means that for the remaining life of your solar panels, you will actually be saving or making money instead of spending it on electricity.

How long will my solar panels last?

The average life expectancy of most solar panels is somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 years. Most solar panels even come with a manufacturer’s warranty of 20-25 years, meaning if your panels stop working due to a manufacturer’s error at any point in that time, they’ll replace them, meaning they’re pretty confident that won’t happen. Additionally, most solar installers offer a warranty as well (more on that later) and these warranties are usually for similar lengths of time- 20-25 years- which means once again if your solar panels stop working due to an installers error, they will come out and fix them. So you can safely assume that your solar panels, if properly maintained, should function well for at least 20-25 years, possibly even beyond that, which would be long, long after they had paid for themselves. 

What do I look for in a solar installer?

Obviously you’re making a big investment if you’re installing solar panels, and if you’re making an investment this big, you’re going to want to find the best company for you. So let’s take a look at a few things to look for in a solar company:

Time in the Industry: Just like with most any other industry, you’re going to find some companies that have been around longer than others. Now just because a company is new does not in any way mean they’re not good, but it does mean that they haven’t had as long to “prove” themselves as an older one. So anytime you go with a newer company, it’s harder to find information on them and harder to know exactly what you’re going to get for your money. So just understand, if you go with a newer company, they may not be what they seem, but older companies have proved that they can do the job at least well enough to not immediately go out of business. 

Types of Panels: There are lots of different kinds of solar panels out there available for home or commercial installations, and you may have done your research and think you have an idea of what kind of panels you want. Make sure your solar installer is on board with that idea- if you’re absolutely married to a certain kind of panel or company, make sure your installer is comfortable installing and using them. Some installers only work with certain kinds or companies. 

Payment Options: Bad news- you will have to pay for your solar panels. I know, I know, troubling news, but never fear- many companies offer in-house financing or payment options. Some, however, do not. So make sure you know what you’re getting into- because once those panels are installed, you’re going to be on the hook for a lot of money, and if your solar installer doesn’t offer any sort of payment plans, you’re going to have to figure something out. 

Warranties: As we talked about above, almost every solar panel comes with some kind of warranty, and most every solar installer offers a warranty as well. But buyer beware- not all warranties are good ones. Some companies will be more than happy to come out and fix your solar panels everytime a stick falls on one completely for free. On the other hand, some companies will *say* that you have a warranty and they’ll be glad to come fix your panels, but what they may not say out loud is that there’s going to be small service fee everytime they have to come out and inspect your panels, plus parts and labor for anything they have to fix, and ultimately your “warranty” may only be good enough to get you on their work schedule. So just make sure you know what you’re getting when they say “warranty”.

Reviews: And maybe the most valuable tool you or anyone else could hope for when it comes to evaluating a potential solar company, online reviews. People are, often as not, brutally honest when it comes to internet reviews, and while yes, anybody can get on the internet and lie about a company and besmirch their reputation, if you find a dozen or more bad reviews about a company, there’s a good chance they’re not all just lying. So by all means, scour the internet for any reviews you can find about a company before committing to them. 

Types of Panels

So there are two basic kinds of solar panels that people have installed- Monocrsytalline and Polycrystalline. They break down something like this:

Monocrystalline panels- These kinds of panels are the smaller ones that you most often find on rooftops. They tend to be more efficient than polycrystalline panels, and they work with less direct sunlight. They also tend to last longer, but unfortunately they’re also more expensive. 

Polycrystalline panels- These panels are bigger than monocrystalline ones and often installed on the ground in open areas. They are less efficient (thus have to be bigger to produce the same amount of electricity) and require direct sunlight to work (which means you have to avoid shady areas). They tend to not be as long lasting as monocrystalline panels, but they are cheaper, so you see these very commonly. 

Now to convert your captured sunlight into usable electricity, you’re going to need inverters- these are the devices that actually do the converting. There are several types of inverters- String inverters, power optimizers and micro-inverters are the most common kinds- but most of the time the kind of inverters you’re going to use is dictated by the kind of panels you use and their placement. So by all means, do your research, but understand that you are more than likely going to have to use a set kind of inverters and won’t have as much choice with that as you do with your kind of panels. 

Weather & Solar Panels

So in a place like Georgia, you’re going to have plenty of sun, you know that much. And as well know, the main thing you’re going to need to make your solar panels work is sunlight. But you may not know a few other weather-related tidbits about solar panels, such as:

  • Fog / Cloud cover- Solar panels can actually still work on foggy or cloudy days. As long as any sunlight is reaching your panels, they’re going to work. Granted, they may not work exceptionally well (on a very cloudy day, your panels may only produce 30% as much power as normal), but they’ll still be on their grind. 
  • Rain- Ignoring the obvious issue with cloud cover, rain is good for your solar panels. Over time, dust and grime and other detritus will gather on your panels, and an occasional rain is actually good to help clean them off. 
  • Snow- You will more than likely not have to deal with a ton of snow in Georgia, but in case you do, just know that any significant accumulation of snow will block your panels’ ability to produce electricity. So if possible / necessary, be ready to clear the snow off your panels. 
  • Temperature- This is going to be hard to hear- Warmer temperatures do not make your panels produce more electricity. Your panels don’t care how warm or cold it is. As long as they’re getting sunlight, they’re happy. However, it is worth noting that solar panels are said to lose 1% efficiency for every degree the temperature rises above 77 fahrenheit. 

How do I get solar panels installed in Mariette, Georgia? 

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but if you live in Mariette, you actually live like super close to Atlanta. Like, almost IN Atlanta. So for the purposes of this article, we’re going to just assume any company that serves Atlanta also serves Mariette because, guess what, they do. 

Company: Creative Solar

Address: 2931 Lewis Street, Suite 300, Kennesaw, GA 30144

Years in business: Unclear

Website: creativesolarusa.com/

Reviews: 4 / 5 Facebook (15 reviews), 4 / 5 Yelp (5 reviews), 1 / 5 BBB (1 review), 5 / 5 Yellow Pages (1 review)

Company: Suncatcher of Atlanta

Address: 612 Cobb Pkwy N, Marietta, GA 30062

Years in Business: Unclear

Website: solarenergycompanymarietta.com/

Reviews: 5 / 5 Facebook (3 reviews), 5 / 5 Yellowpages (3 reviews), 4.7 / 5 Angi (4 reviews), 4.8 / 5 Birdeye (28 reviews)

Company: OCI Solar Power 

Address: 5 Concourse Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30328

Years in Business: 73

Website:  https://ocisolarpower.com/

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)

Company:  Solar Sale USA

Address: 3116 Marjan Dr, Atlanta, GA 30340

Years in Business: Unclear

Website:  solarsaleusa.com/

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)

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)

Final Word: 

So in the end, Georgia is very well suited for the solar game- You’ve got plenty of sun every year, you’ll virtually never have to worry about snow accumulation, and solar panels themselves are cheaper than in most other parts of the country. There are tons of solar companies in the immediate Mariette area, as any quick cursory google search will show you. So ultimately this is an easy call- If you are financially able to take on the initial start up cost of installing solar panels, they will not only pay for themselves, but you’ll earn a return on your investment for probably 10 or more years. So if you’re able, Georgia is ready and willing to go solar.