FAQs
What is net metering?
Net metering is an option available to residents of many states (including California), in which solar system owners can sell surplus power to the grid. At the end of the year, if you’ve supplied more power back to the grid than you’ve consumed, it's possible you’ll receive a check from your electric company with your earnings.
How much will solar increase my property value?
On average, houses with solar panels installed are listed for at least $20,000 more than homes without. This, of course, varies depending on a handful of factors but you can be assured that solar consistently increases the value of the home.
What kind of tax incentives are there?
The Solar Investment Tax Credit is available for owners of solar electricity systems. This is a credit of 30% of the total cost of your system, available to you in the first year of your purchase. Claim it on your federal tax return and you will be automatically credited. Click here to download a free ebook that we wrote on Financial Incentives.
Will I still have a bill from PG&E?
PG&E has a $10 meter fee per month and some small non-bypassable charges. Besides that, it's possible you won’t have a bill from PG&E as long as you stay within the limits of your solar energy usage. Solar batteries and energy storage help ensure you’ll have a sufficient amount of energy, even if the sun isn’t out.
Am I ready for solar?
A few factors to consider before you invest in solar are the status of your credit, your current monthly energy bill, and the amount of time you plan to stay in your current home.
What are my financing options?
With a cash purchase, you’ll own your system and the energy it produces. This is the best way to maximize your savings and take advantage of tax incentives. We also offer secured loans which are attached to your house, and unsecured loans that use your panels as collateral.
Are solar panels worth the cost?
While it may seem like a large investment up front, you’ll have savings from day one and your solar panels will actually end up making you money for years to come. Generally, customers see at least a 20% return on investment from their solar panels.
How do PV Panels work?
The panels are made up of Photovoltaic cells that capture the sunlight as direct current electricity, or DC. DC is electricity that flows in only one direction. It takes an inverter connected to the panels to convert the DC into alternating current electricity (AC), which is the current used in our homes.
Do my solar panels produce power when the sun isn’t shining?
Even on cloudy days, your solar panels will produce power as they will still be collecting solar energy from indirect sunlight. When the sun goes down, you can use the energy your solar panels collected during the day if you purchase energy storage, or pull energy from the grid.
What happens when the grid goes down?
When you invest in solar energy and batteries, your dependence on the grid is gone. You don’t have to worry about losing electricity when the grid goes down, because everything you need is coming from your own solar system.
Are there costs of maintenance?
All systems that we install come with a 10-year warranty. That means no out-of-pocket costs for you. If we aren’t the installer, we can still repair your system and simply charge you for our maintenance services.
Should I buy or lease my solar panel system?
If you’re in the position to purchase a solar panel system, we recommend it. This way, you’ll have access to the 30% federal tax credit, you won’t waste money in unnecessary fees, and you’ll have complete ownership of your system.
Can I afford to go solar?
If you have good credit, and you currently pay more than $150 per month on your energy bill, you can afford to go solar. Typically, the monthly payments you make on your solar loan will cost less than what you had previously paid on energy.
Is my roof suitable for solar panels?
Rooftop installation is most common and allows for your solar panels to fit seamlessly into your pre-existing roof. It’s ideal for a streamlined, more aesthetic appearance and optimizing the space of your property. If your roof doesn’t receive sunlight, we can ground-mount your system for maximum efficiency.
How many solar panels do I need?
The solar company looks at the last twelve months of utility bills in order to build the size of system needed for the home. The kilowatt usage per hour (kWh) is the deciding factor in this process. The average homeowner will accrue about 900 kWh in a month’s time, and a solar panel will produce 30 kWh a month. With a simple calculation, we can determine the amount of panels needed. The system is typically built to offset all energy costs, and will do so as long as the homeowner stays inside the kWh usage the system was designed for.
How long will my system last?
Most systems last anywhere from 25-35 years before it’s time to upgrade. We have a 10-year warranty on all products we install at your home, so you can trust your investment will be covered until you’re making a profit.
Do I need to purchase solar batteries for my system?
Solar batteries are one of the most underutilized aspects of the solar industry. With solar batteries, you can have complete independence from the grid, and also get paid for the surplus energy that your system produces.
Can my energy bill really be $0?
Close. Once you pay off your investment for the solar panels, you’ll be living on free energy for the rest of the life of your system. As long as your family’s usage stays under the capacity of your solar panels, you’ll no longer be getting an energy bill. However, PG&E still has a $10 meter fee per month and some small non-bypassable charges.
Do I get paid for my extra energy production?
With net metering, it's possible that you'll have the ability to sell back your extra solar energy to the grid. They’ll pay the normal retail rate per kilowatt hour, and in some cases you’ll receive a check at the end of the year if your amount consumed was lower than the amount that you gave back to the grid.
How do I know if my panels are performing at their best?
With our monitoring packages, we can analyze the performance of your solar panels in real time. We’ll review data every week so you’ll be able to see if there are trees impeding the collection of sunlight and which panels are performing the best.