Solar Riverside

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.

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.

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.

How Much do Solar Panels Cost in Riverside?

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.

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.

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.

What are the benefits of going solar?

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

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:

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

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

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

What effect does net metering have on my system?

Address:  3080 12th St, Riverside, CA 92507

Years in Business: 14

Website: solarmaxtech.com/

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

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

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

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

How long do solar panels last?

Address: 887 Marlborough Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

Years in Business: 12

Website:  socalsunshinesolutions.com/location-contact

Things to look for in a solar company:

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

Types of Solar Panels & inverters

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

How does weather affect solar panels?

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

Years in Business: 4

Website:  optimumsolarpower.com/

How do I get solar panels installed in Riverside?

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

Final Word:

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.

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!