As a discerning and intelligent homeowner in a sunny state, you may understandably wonder if solar panels would be worth the cost of installation. You may see more and more neighbors installing solar panels and wonder if you should too.

Perhaps, you want to go ‘off-grid,’ be more environmentally conscious, save on energy bills, increase your home value, or just heat your swimming pool. 

You may wonder if solar panels offer a return on investment. Are they a smart choice? Will they provide all of your energy needs? Do they increase the market value of your property or decrease it? 

Let’s explore the cost-effectiveness of solar panels, including the results of an exciting new study that sheds new light on the topic. 

A Comprehensive First-Of-Its-Kind Study

In an article in The Appraisal Journal by Sandra Adomatis and Ben Hoen, published in 2015, entitled ‘Appraising into the Sun: Six-State Solar Home Paired-Sales Analysis,’ the authors sought to create the first paired sales analysis for solar panels. They found that, at the time, comparable sales data was lacking as many homes didn’t have solar panels installed in neighborhoods. As a result,  appraisers couldn’t do accurate comparisons and this data was often left out in home valuations. This was problematic for encouraging homeowners to make the important step of going solar.

They observed:

“This first-of-its-kind study uses appraisal methods to evaluate sale price premiums for owned PV systems on single-unit detached houses across six states that were also evaluated in a large statistical study. …The appraised premiums agree with statistical modeling results, which bolsters the suitability of both approaches for estimating PV home premiums.” (Adomatis and Hoen, 2015, p.27)

Adomatis and Hoen note, “On average, PV systems (all of which were less than 12 years old) garnered premiums in each of the six states, with an average of $3.78/W” (2015, p.38). Overall, solar is a smart choice and does provide a return on investment.

The key points of the study, which specifically focused on California, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, and Oregon, were that solar panels added more value than the cost of installation; solar added a 4% price increase of $10k increase in value for Florida homes; most of the solar panel systems on the market were around three to four years old, meaning that the PV systems are modern and effective; and homes with solar panels sold faster than those without. 

Is Solar Right for Me?

Solar energy not only saves you money but it also decreases American dependence on foreign energy sources. You can have freedom from the grid, power outages, and you could even be paid for your excess energy. If you’ve ever been subject to power outages during tropical storms and for other reasons, that might be a thing of the past. Plus, since the A/C energy bill is often people’s most dreaded bill in the summer, you can save hundreds of dollars each year on that one cost alone. 

Between 1984 and 2006, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted a southern energy expenditure study which found that there was almost a 63% increase in the price of energy. They note, ‘As a result of the sharp jump in energy prices, Southern households were allocating 9.7 percent of total expenditures to energy consumption in 2006, up from a 7.2-percent share in 2002’ (2008, p.4). 

All this means that if energy used to cost $100 per month before, it now costs around $163 per month instead. Wouldn’t you like that extra $63 bucks in your pocket? If your average monthly power bill is around $200 with an average of 4% inflation rate each year, over the next 25 years, you’ll pay the power company over $120,000 (those $60 savings add up).

In June 2021, the average cost of energy in the US is $0.142 per kilowatt, which has increased steadily every year since 2011 (with no signs of going back down), but solar energy costs less than that and, once paid for, even less.

In June, we wrote a piece called ‘How do I know if solar is right for me?‘ We talk about the booming solar industry, the trend towards this movement (thankfully for the environment), how solar can be financed, how you can have solar installed if you live in a shady spot, and how to keep excess electricity with a backup battery. 

We also wrote a piece about going solar here (‘What is the process of going solar?’) and how the consultation, energy bill analysis, installation, and final walkthrough happen to put you at ease.

How Can I Save Money On My Installation?

There are three ways you can save money on solar panel installation (if you take advantage before the incentives end): Federal Solar Tax Credit, Residential Solar Tax Exemption, and Property Tax Exemption. 

Federal Solar Tax Credit

Florida homeowners are eligible for the Federal Solar Tax Credits, which reduces the cost of solar installation by 26% and has been extended to the end of 2022 (so act quickly). In 2023, the savings will be reduced to 22% and in December 2023, the program will end.

Residential Solar System Tax Exemption

Since July 1997, the Florida Solar and CHP Sales Tax Exemption allows you to purchase solar panels without paying the 6% tax. When spending money on large purchases, the additional sales tax can really add to the cost of the project, but when saving on sales tax, tax credits, and property value, the investment definitely makes sense. 

Property Tax Exemptions

If the first two incentives weren’t enough, homeowners (and businesses) can deduct a solar power system’s value from their property value for tax purposes. The additional value that solar panels add to your home will not count towards your tax assessed value (thankfully), which means you can increase your house value without increasing your property tax expenditure. 

So, Do Solar Panels Offer Competitive ROI, and Are They Worth the Cost?

We’d say resoundingly yes. Solar panels save you money each year on energy costs, make your home independent (not reliant on power-grid failure and inflation rates), help reduce environmental impact (you can feel good about doing your bit for the planet), and make your home more valuable and sell faster (if you plan to sell and move). Overall, solar panels and PV systems offer more value over time than they cost to install and that’s a smart choice!

Are you wondering “why go solar?” Are you curious about the impact residential solar power has on the environment? 

There are many reasons to switch to solar power, from reduced electric bills to electricity security. But, one of the main reasons is to reduce the number of nonrenewable energy sources used daily. 

In the United States, the electric power sector is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, clocking in at 28%. When you use solar panels instead of traditionally generated electricity, you can dramatically make an impact on the environment. 

How Does Solar Power Work? 

Installig solar panels on your home is easier than you may think!

The first step in getting solar panels is to inspect your roof. Make sure there are no damaged shingles or areas with mold. Finding these and fixing them earlier in the process will save you money in the long run. 

Then, decide on the solar panels you want. There are 3 main types of solar panels to choose from: 

• Monocrystalline
• Polycrystalline
• Thin-fim

Each of these have pros and cons to help you reach your energy-saving goals. 

Monocrystalline panels are made from a singular silicon crystal to absorb the solar energy. They look sleek and are high-efficiency, but also come at a higher cost. 

Polycrystalline panels on the other hand are a cheaper option and are a bit lower efficiency. They are made from fragments of silicon crystals and melted together. 

Thin-film panels are the most notably different, as they are made from a variety of materials. As the name implies, they are thin and lightweight, but have a much lower efficiency than mono or polycrystalline panels. 

When sunlight hits the panels, solar cells in the panels begin warming up. This gets the electrons, the positively charged cells, flowing within the panels. The flow creates an electrical current.

The electrical current created by the excited electrons is detected by wiring on the panels. This is when the electricity is created and transferred to your building. All the electrical currents from the solar panels are combined to power your home!

Benefits of Solar Power

Wihen it comes to solar power, panel installation is the trickiest part! When the sun begins to shine on your home’s panels, energy is organically generated. This is beneficial because now you no longer need to rely on fossil fuels like petroleum to power your home!

Using fossil fuels may not like sound a big deal, as homeowners have been using them for decades to power their homes. But, each time electricity is used in your home, power companies must burn fossil fuels, releasing carbon dioxide. 

Going solar instead of using fossil fuels is such a big deal that users receive rebates and incentives. Both federal and state governments offer tax credits to solar users, and some municipalities and utility companies may offer cash rebates. 

You also reap the benefits of solar power in your monthly electric bill. When you are not using power from the electric company, you don’t have to worry about paying them for your power! This could be a savings of hundreds of dollars every year. 

For this reason, when you install solar panels on your home, your property also increases in value. For those looking for an eco-friendly and cheaper month-to-month home, yours will be the obvious choice. 

Environmental Benefits of Going Solar

If earning and saving money is not enough of an incentive, helping save the Earth might be. 

When powerful gases such as carbon dioxide released into the air, air pollution is created. Air pollution makes it harder to breathe and may contribute to greenhouse gases, reportedly a cause of a warming climate. 

Cutting back on your consumption of nonrenewable resources like fossil fuels makes a difference in how much carbon dioxide is in the air. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average household emits approximately 20 metric tons of carbon pollution yearly. When you go solar, you decrease that amount by three tons. 

Though reducing carbon emissions sounds like only one specific goal is accomplished, the environmental impacts are significant.

When less carbon is in the air, you can breathe easily. Fewer air pollutants means you are less likely to develop bronchitis and other respiratory issues. This is because there are fewer irritants in the air to breathe in. 

Plants and animals reap these benefits, too. They are less likely to get sick from noxious gases. When they can carry out their normal functions, the environment flourishes. 

One heavily debated topic is that of carbon dioxide’s contribution to a warming climate. The dangers of a warming climate are more extreme weather patterns and changing temperatures. When each of these factors comes into play, no member of an ecosystem can properly carry out their daily functions. 

If plants, animals, and humans are all worried about if they’re going to have enough oxygen supply to breathe well, then they cannot perform their normal tasks. 

Still Wondering “Why Go Solar?”

Are you still asking yourself “why go solar?” Considering looking into companies that help you every step of the way. 

Many businesses offer financing so you can pay for your solar panels on your time. They’ll also help you decide which solar panels will work best in your space and how to reap the benefits of solar power in other areas of your home as well! 

Check out our Contact page to get a free solar quote and talk with us about your solar power vision.

Did you know that the world’s most ample source of energy is actually solar, not natural gas or petroleum? Surprising, isn’t it?

To put things into perspective, the sun delivers a consistent 173,000~ watts of solar energy daily. That amount of energy is much more (about 10,000 times) than what the world currently uses. 

But the concept of solar energy is a bit of a tricky one. Chances are you’ve seen solar panels on the tops of homes or buildings and found yourself wondering “how do solar panels work?”

In this post, we’ll be explaining how solar energy and solar panels work, as well as some benefits of using solar energy.

How Does Solar Energy Work?

Solar energy is one of the world’s few sources of renewable energy. A renewable energy source is any type of energy that the world can constantly use without fear of running out of resources. Some other types of renewable energy sources are wind, hydro, and geothermal energy.

The Sun acts as a continuous stream of energy for our planet. The Sun is fundamentally just a huge ball of hot, flaming gas called a star. Like all other stars, the Sun creates energy through a process called nuclear fusion.

This process then releases a huge amount of heat and light that will eventually reach our planet’s atmosphere. The heat and light produced from the sun come in tight little packages called photons. These photons reach the Earth in merely minutes, despite us being about 90 million miles away from the Sun. 

Thus, the Sun proves to be the quickest and most efficient source of energy for life on Earth.

The Structure of Solar Panels

Before knowing how solar panels can collect energy from the sun, it’s important to have a basic understanding of how solar panels are structured. Solar panels are made up of numerous amounts of small photovoltaic (PV) cells. Photovoltaic simply means that these cells convert sunlight energy into electricity. 

The most common material used to make photovoltaic cells is silicon. Silicon is a semiconductor, and one of the most widely available elements on Earth. For solar cells to work, silicon is placed between two layers of conductive material. 

The specific makeup of a single solar cell is rather complex. Simply put, there are actually two layers of silicon in a solar cell with a negative side and one positive side. When energy from the sun hits these layers, the energy flows through the negative and positive ends.

How Do Solar Panels Work

Now that you know how solar panels are made, we can now look at the science of solar panels.  First, sunlight hits the solar panel which causes an electric current to generate and for electrons in the solar cell to get knocked around.

Think of the whole solar panel as sort of a pool table. The sunlight is the white ball, and the negative electrons in the solar cells are the colored and striped balls.

The electrons in the solar cell are designed in a way to bounce to a specific direction, much like how pool balls are supposed to go in holes. This is an energy current. When electrons hit one of the metal plates, the current is directed into wires similar to other sources of electricity. 

Next, the current is funneled from the wires into an inverter. The inverter converts direct current electricity (DC) into alternating current electricity (AC). Solar energy itself creates DC, but most houses and buildings need AC to function properly. 

The AC then moves to your home or building’s breaker box and supplies energy to rooms the way any other source of electricity would. Excess energy from solar panels flows into a grid. If more energy is needed (such as nighttime), buildings and homes draw energy from the grid as well.

Benefits of Solar Panels

As a homeowner, you might be wondering if solar panels are right for you. Here are some of the benefits of solar panels that you may be interested in knowing about.

1. Solar energy is clean

Solar energy, as mentioned earlier, is a renewable resource. This means that there is no need to exploit the Earth for its resources when looking for energy. Additionally, solar panels reduce emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that come from power plants.

2. Solar energy is affordable

One of the primary questions people have about solar energy is whether it’s expensive or not. You’d be happy to know that recent technology has actually reduced the upfront cost of installations by about 25%! However, the overall cost of installing solar panels is different for everyone. 

3. Solar energy is reliable

When hurricanes and other natural disasters wipe out electricity, you can rely on solar energy to power your home or building. Solar energy is an efficient backup supply of energy. 

Visit here to learn more about the benefits of solar panels.

Installing solar panels

Solar panels are typically attached to roofs via stainless steel mounts and sealed with polyurethane. Did you know that installing solar panels can actually increase the strength of your current roof? 

Wires are then run through solar panels into the inverter. The inverter is generally placed right next to the pre-installed circuit breaker in your home or building.

While installing solar panels might seem like it would benefit your home, the installation of solar panels is best left to certified professionals. At Solar Compass, we’ve provided top-notch solar design and installation in Florida ever since 1998. Our team of specialists in photovoltaic solar panels will not disappoint you with their work. 

Solar Compass offers service to both commercial and residential customers. Both commercial and residential customers are eligible for our financing plans as well. Our services are compliant with federal, state, and local government regulations.  So don’t hesitate to give us a call with any questions you might have. 

A Brighter Future with Solar Panels

Now that you’re no longer wondering how do solar panels work, are you interested in installing some for your home? Solar panels are a great way to reduce harmful emissions and are a great investment.

If you’re wanting to install solar panels, then feel free to give us a call or visit our contact page to get advice from an expert today!

If you’re interested in installing solar panels on your property, you’re not alone. Solar is proving itself a reliable source of power and clean energy as we move further into the 21st Century. It’s predicted that by the end of 2021, the United States will have 3 million solar installations. 

Not to mention that installing solar panels on your property can help you reap tons of benefits of solar energy and make a profit! 

Ready to see how one change can increase your home’s selling price by over 4 percent? 

Solar Panel Mechanics

Before you decide whether you should install solar panels on your home, you need to know the ins and outs! These tips will walk you through the process.

How Solar Panels Work

To understand exactly how solar panels benefit your home, you must know how the energy is converted. The key to solar panels’ success is the electrons inside them. 

Electrons are negatively charged particles inside atoms. Atoms build up the materials of the solar panel. 

When sunlight hits the panels, the electrons begin to rapidly bounce around the atom. The excited electrons moving around create an electric current inside the solar panels. This electricity is detected by wiring inside the solar panels that then transfer the energy into your home. 

This energy is created without having to burn fossil fuels which release carbon dioxide into the air!

Types of Solar Panels

Now that you know how solar panels convert energy from the sun to power for your home, it’s time to look at the different types of panels. 

There are three main types of solar panels:

• Monocrystalline
• Polycrystalline
• Thin-film

Each of these adds unique benefits for your home, depending on your energy-saving needs. 

Monocrystalline panels are made from one silicon crystal. These are more expensive as the silicon crystal is pure and unblemished, making them aesthetically pleasing. Monocrystalline panels are high-efficiency, so they are worth your money in energy savings. 

Polycrystalline panels are made from fractured silicon crystals, melded together to create a less expensive solar mosaic. The downside to these panels is that they are less efficient than monocrystalline panels. 

Thin-film panels are not made from silicon crystals like the others. Thin-film panels are made from varied materials and are a sleek option at the lowest cost. As the name implies, these panels are lightweight and less efficient than crystalline panels. 

Benefits of Solar Energy

No matter which option you choose for your home, these solar panels will increase your selling rate and provide you with clean energy. You may also qualify for federal and state rebates and incentives. 

Environmental Benefits

It’s no secret that renewable energy is cleaner than nonrenewable. Materials like oil, carbon, petroleum, and fossil fuels create sometimes toxic fumes when they are burned. These gases get trapped in the atmosphere and make our breathing air dirty. 

Polluted air contributes to things like cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. This lowers the quality of life for not only humans but plants and animals as well. 

Renewable energy sources produce no waste when used. They are also more reliable than nonrenewable sources, as they can be continuously generated. This means that if fossil fuels and oil supplies disappear, renewable sources will still provide energy. 

Monetary Benefits

Aside from the increase in your home’s selling price, solar power pays off. When you have solar panels, you no longer need to buy electricity from utility companies. This saves you hundreds of dollars each year just in electric bills. 

Additionally, there are federal and state rebate policies that give you tax breaks for producing your own energy. Plus, you can sell your extra energy to the power companies to receive more revenue. 

Though installing solar panels may have a large price tag upfront, they pay for themselves within a few years of installation. For panels that last anywhere from 25 to 30 years, your electric savings will only continue to increase. 

Solar Panels Increase Your Property Value

Because you’re the one investing the money for the solar panel installation, buyers will happily reap the benefits of solar energy. 

This means you can sell your property at a much higher rate. According to the  National Renewable Energy Laboratory, your home’s value increases by $20 for every $1 saved in energy bills from your panels. 

Your home’s value may also increase based on other various factors including:

• Where your home is located and the demand for solar energy 
• The number of solar panels you have installed
• The size of your home
• The quality of the solar panels

Though it may seem like solar panel installation is a phone call away, you’ll want to make sure you contact a quality solar installation company. If your solar panels are damaged or not installed properly, you or the home buyers will have to invest more money later on to fix these problems. 

The main reason your home will sell for more, though? 

You are providing a quality amenity that is in high demand. Buyers in today’s market are expecting to get the highest quality for their money. When you offer an eco-friendly home to the market, you will benefit. 

Modern buyers are more interested in environmentally conscious products than ever before. With solar panels, they get the best of both a clean choice and a trendy one. 

Solar Panels For Your Home

Are you ready to invest in your property by installing solar panels? Are you looking to find a high-quality solar installation company? 

Check out our website to receive a free consultation and discover why your should go solar. 

There is a surge of homeowners electing to say “YES” to solar energy all over the United States and data suggests this solar boom is happening all over the world. Compass Solar Energyis based out of the northwest Florida panhandle. While we do occasionally venture outside of our immediate geographical service area for large government contracted solar farms or commercial building rooftop solar installations. However, our typical day-to-day operations keep us plenty busy with residential installations and service calls within our own local community.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), as of 2019, a total of more than 2 million solar PV installations have been performed all across the U.S. It took 4 decades to reach 1 million solar installations, and about 3 years to double that amount. In general, solar is considered to be a booming industry. You can find article after article explaining why solar makes sense for homeowners, how solar helps the environment, Federal or State tax incentives, and a myriad of other positive reasons why a person should say “YES” to solar.

If you can find every reason under the sun in favor of going solar; how can there be any reasonable explanation as to why people hesitate to go solar? Especially considering that in today’s market, there are zero money down, 100% finance options to go with a grid-tied or off-grid whole home solar installation, and have battery/generator backup as well.It makes total sense for most homeowners to say “YES” to solar ASAP. However, it does not necessarily make perfect sense for everyone. There are a couple of reasons where solar simply won’t work for its intended purpose or is not a realistic option. 

Should I go solar if my roof is shaded or covered in trees?

There are plenty of times when some simple tree trimming can open up the sky and let the light shine all over your roof. Even the occasional tree removal is a feasible option for those interested in making the switch to solar. 

Every solar project proposal we create calculates the positive environmental impact that each specific solar project makes. By installing solar panels, there is less air pollution. By lessening the pollution in the air, it’s equivalent to planting a certain number of trees that would filter the air. I love trees, and I am not promoting getting rid of trees. I will say though, if removing one tree from the southern corner of the house allows a homeowner to make the switch to solar, which will have the environmental impact equivalent of planting 1500 trees, I’d say that is a more than fair trade off. 

However, every once in a while, a yard is so packed with tall, mature, protected trees that there is just no way that solar makes sense. 

Old Live Oak trees are protected in a lot of areas in northwest Florida. Heavy shade will drastically reduce the production of solar panels to the point where it really isn’t worth the investment to go solar. There are other areas all around the U.S. that protect certain designated species of trees as well. If your yard is covered in shade from protected trees, or trees that you refuse to trim or possibly remove, it probably doesn’t make sense to go solar. This is the only situation in which we believe solar does not make sense. The ROI, or return on investment just is not there.

Should I go solar if I don’t have the cash?

Compass Solar Energy takes a “Golden Rule” approach to business. I would want to be thoroughly informed and given options, so that is what we do for our clients. The average grid-tied rooftop solar PV project we sell and install, at the time of this article, is about 12.5KW of solar at around $40,000 – $60,000 depending on the difficulty of the project and different equipment combinations and/or options, such as batteries and generators, selected by the client. We are a custom design company and offer multiple panel and inverter options to our clients, so our prices vary from project to project. Unlike other solar companies that have cookie cutter prices and equipment, we want to make sure you have a system that is custom tailored to your unique situation and solar needs. 

Paying for these projects is fairly straight-forward. You pay for it with money that you have, or if not, you pay for it by borrowing money. The easiest way to pay for most people seems to be a solar loan. Solar loans are available now with no down payment and very low interest rates. Just a few years ago, going solar was cash, borrowing against the house, or using a credit card. Today, solar loans make it easy to say yes. If you are working with a good solar installation company, your solar loan is going to take the place of your existing electric bill. In other words, you stop paying $150 – $300/month to the electric company, which you will pay forever, and you start paying $150 – $300/month for your solar project, which will eventually be paid off. As a result, the bill for electricity is all but gone; with the exception of some standardized nominal fees and the rare occasional high electricity usage that goes beyond what your system produces in a given month. 

The 100% financed option makes total sense for most homeowners. It really turns the whole process into an easy decision. The only thing stopping a homeowner from going solar is if they do not have the money to pay for the project, or they do not have the credit score or available credit to qualify for a solar financing or lease option. The credit requirements are a 650 FICO or higher and the DTI, or debt to income ratio requirement varies from lender to lender. If you don’t have over a 650 FICO and you don’t have the cash to pay for solar outright, unfortunately solar is just not an option.

Is solar right for me? 

If you don’t fall into one of these two categories, either tons of shade from protected trees or no cash/credit to pay for the project, then solar would be a smart financial decision for your home. Not every solar sale and installation company is created equal, so do your due diligence when shopping around. Check the BBB (Better Business Bureau) ratings before deciding. Sit down with 3 companies to make sure that the company you choose is the most experienced and most qualified company for the job. Whatever you do, if you are in our service area, before signing any paperwork with any other company, make sure you sit down with a Solar Analyst from Compass Solar Energy for an honest and transparent evaluation and recommendation. Our Solar Analysts are thoroughly trained and will provide you with more information than you could ever hope to learn on your own. Don’t go at it alone. Find the most experienced company in your area and call them for a consultation. 

Solar is a new buzzword. Everywhere I look, I see ads offering to help people “Go Solar”. Looking it up online, there seems to be very little clear-cut information. It’s all ads, size estimating tools, and opinions from people who have had a good or bad experience. There is not much in the way of practical information on what to expect during the process of “Going Solar”.

For the most part, when you hear or read the phrase, “Going Solar”, what is being referred to is a grid-tied roof-top solar installation. That is what the majority of this surge of solar installations all over the US consists of; grid-tied residential roof-top solar installations. 

Compass Solar Energy offers battery and/or generator options for back-up energy storage during an outage or to offset peak usage. We also provide ground-mount and off-grid installations. Whatever option you choose, it’s available to any qualified homeowner. However, the most common and most affordable option is the grid-tied roof-top installation. That’s the option that typically provides the fastest ROI (Return On Investment) thanks to net-metering. Net-metering, in a very small nut shell, refers to the process of overproducing energy with solar panels to then sell back to the electric company, which lowers or possibly eliminates your usage charges from your electric company. 

The process of going solar is still a mystery for most homeowners. A person can spend hours online researching and still not know what to do or how it happens. For anyone that is wanting to have a professional licensed solar PV contractor, here are the 8 basic steps to “Going Solar”.

1. Choosing an installer

Choosing a solar installer seems like a daunting task. Mostly good reviews are a good sign, mostly bad reviews are a bad sign. That is a quick way to filter out the companies to avoid calling. Once you have your list of potential installers with mostly good reviews, do some deeper digging into the companies. The first place you should check is with the Better Business Bureau. The BBB can tell you how long a company has been around. It’s important that you go with an established and experienced contractor. 

There is nothing inherently wrong with a new company or an out-of-town contractor, but it’s always safer to go with an established, local company. Since our company was founded in the Florida Panhandle, we are very accustomed to out-of-town contractors flooding the area every time we have a bad storm come through. Some do a great job and really help out; others do a bad job and leave people in a bind. The problem with new companies and out of town contractors, not just with solar or even construction, but just in general, is you don’t know who will be here and who will not be here a year or two from now. So, the safest bet on a long-term investment like solar, is to go with a local, reputable, and experienced company.

2. Energy Bill Analysis

 After narrowing down your choices for solar installers to the best 1 or 2, the next step is to get quotes. In order for a professional solar estimator to accurately create a proposal for work to be done, it must first be established how much solar is needed to meet your energy requirements. The best way to accomplish this is to perform an energy bill analysis. You will be required to submit your previous 12 months of usage, as provided by your most recent electric bills for review. As long as there are no major life or lifestyle changes set to occur, the assumption is that your future energy consumption will be similar to the previous energy consumption. If you have done something to drastically reduce or increase your consumption within the previous 12 months, that is important information to pass along to your solar professional. If you have future plans to reduce or increase your energy consumption, that is also something that you will want to address with your solar analyst so that they can give you an accurate assessment of how much solar is required to meet your needs or achieve your energy production goals.

3. Sit Through a Consultation

Not every solar installer is created equal. In addition, this is a large and long-term investment. You can’t just spend a little time on the internet researching it and expect to understand all the information that goes into and is outlined within a solar energy project proposal. You need to do yourself the favor of sitting through a consultation. If the professional you are working with does not want to take the time to give you a detailed consultation, that is a huge red flag and probably not the company you want to deal with. Even after sitting through one consultation, not every company is the same. A lot of solar companies train their salespeople to sell one specific system and nothing else. You want to find a company that trains their salespeople to actually consult and educate homeowners so that the homeowner can make a truly informed decision. You should know exactly which panel and inverter is being proposed in the project. You should know exactly how your electric company pays for overproduction and how much they pay. You should know the terms of the product warranty, the production guarantee, and be able to read the fine print before signing anything. You should also fully understand how the solar tax credits work and if you even qualify to receive it; as not everyone qualifies. If your solar professional doesn’t give you all the information you need up front, go with someone else. This is way too important of a decision to leave things to chance. Take the time, sit through the consultations, ask the questions, get everything in writing up front.

4. Authorization and Paperwork

Once you sign off on the project, usually you will also need to give authorization for interconnection to the grid, allow for a building permit, and if you are financing the project with a solar loan; go through that application process for approval. The entire process from authorization to permission to operate is usually 2 – 6 months, depending on the circumstances.

5. Site Survey 

Once you have selected an installer and authorized the project, your solar installer should be performing a site survey. Some companies train their sales professionals to perform this task, others have a dedicated site survey professional. Either way, this has to happen before installation. The site survey involves inspecting and photographing the roof, the attic, the meter, and breaker panel. This should also include a shade analysis to be certain that the production listed in the signed proposal is accurate prior to installation. You definitely want to ask your solar professional if they are going to be performing a professional site survey prior to installation. That is the only way to catch potential problems beforehand that would stop or slow the installation process.

6. Engineering, Design & Order

The information collected during the site survey, along with the system specs from the proposal, is passed on to an engineer for planning and design. Once the engineer maps out the project’s technical specifications, the system can be designed for final approval and permitting. When the permit is approved by the county or city, that would typically be the time to order materials and schedule the date of installation.

7. Installation & PTO (Permission to Operate)

After the system is installed, it will have to be inspected by the building department. Once the installation passes inspection, technically the installation is complete and the solar installer has met their primary obligation. However, the project for the homeowner is not done yet. Most solar companies will assist the homeowner with the interconnection to the grid. I know that is what we do at Compass Solar Energy. The interconnection process only begins after the installation passes inspection from the building department. The electric company, once they received the application and required documentation to interconnect, will perform their own inspection to ensure all safety protocols are met and the system is ready for use. The electric company will notify either the solar installer, or the homeowner, or both that the system is ok to turn on.

8. Final Walkthrough

Now that the electric company has given permission to turn on the system, the final step in the process is to have your solar professional come out and walk you through powering on the system. At this time, if you have not already received it, you should be given all of your manuals and product warranty registration information. Along with instructions on how to power your system on and off, you should also receive instructions on what to do if you need service, how net metering works, how to check your monitoring app, how to claim the tax credit and who to call for loan billing questions. At this point, it would have been 2 – 6 months since you first decided to say, “Yes”, to solar and signed an agreement with a solar installer.

Solar makes sense for most homeowners. The only way to find out for sure is by reaching out and booking a consultation. It’s worth the time to find out if saying, “Yes”, to solar is right for you.