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Find the Best Solar Power Companies Local Solar energy providers

Solar

Looking to find the best solar power companies near you? Want a list of recommended best Solar energy providers? Solar power for residential and commercial use has become more and more popular across the world. For instance, California has mandated that as of 2020 new residences be built with solar panels. is solar right for your home?

This article will guide you to some basic understanding as well as good questions to be aware of as you consider residential solar options. The topic is too complex to determine your specific opportunity, but we can help you get started. 

In the USA, federal tax grants are scheduled to be reduced by 4% as of January 2020, with other reductions planned after that. Some states and counties offer incentives in the form of solar grants or property tax credits.

Home owners consider solar for various reasons. Here are four. For some, protecting the planet with a green footprint is a reason. The more solar energy that is captured means there is less reliance on fossil fuels. For others, the motivation is financial savings now. Some like the peace of mind that comes with knowing their electric rate from solar sourced energy will never increase (though this option is not available to all who have installed solar … more on that below). A small number go off grid with solar where their energy needs are provided with no connection to a conventional utility company at all. Whatever your motivation in seeing if solar is right for you, be aware that it is not a financial advantage to everyone but it is a cost savings for many.

Residential solar converts the sun’s UV rays into direct current (DC) energy. For homes, this is inverted to alternating current (AC) which is used just as electric from any other source such as your traditional utility company. Unless you invest in battery backup storage, most with solar have no electric when their neighborhood grid is down. This is true because most residential solar installs use net-metering.

With net-metering, energy from solar panels which is not used at the moment it is produced is transferred to the grid to be retrieved by the home owner later. When the grid is down, the solar system is down as well for these people. The life expectancy of solar panels is 35 years. There are different options for paying for solar and installing it. Here are four. 

  1. You may install it yourself with a kit. Be sure you don’t void warrantees with a poor install.
  2. You may pay someone the full amount to install solar for you (which can cost less than $10,000 to well $70,000).
  3. You may take out a loan with an install and service company.
  4. You may get solar with a lease (or power purchase agreement). The loan option and the lease option are often no money down and the monthly payments may be similar to what you pay your current utility company. Some loans have a cost for energy that never increases. Many leases are sold with an annual increase in cost of 2.9%. 

There are home owners saving substantial money with these options. There are some, particularly those with an agreement that has an annual price increase, that come to a place where their solar energy is not cheaper than their conventional provider.

Questions to keep in mind:

  • What direction does your main roof face (… a south facing roof is best)?
  • How much of a factor is shade and the pitch of the roof?
  • How old is the roof?
  • Will your main electric panel support a solar system, or will you need an upgrade?
  • Do you have power outages frequently enough that you’ll consider one or more batteries so that your system provides power when the grid is down? Most home owners do not see the value of batteries outweighing the cost.
  • If you have a company install your system, ask about warrantees for workmanship, roof penetration, parts maintenance, labor costs for maintenance, and power production warrantees which guarantee how much power the solar system will produce as it gets older.
  • If you install yourself, permits are usually required from a local government as well as inspections by the local government and inspections by the conventional utility before the solar system is placed in operation. Be careful not to void manufacturer warrantees.

As you consider residential solar, you can likely find a company that will provide a no-cost consult to specifically review with you solar for your home.