Did you know that more than 2 million households in the United States of America have a solar panel installation at their house? There are many different things that you need to think about when you commit to getting solar panels for your home’s energy needs. The number of panels, their location, and the brands you’ll use is all things you’ll have on your mind.
Another big thing to consider is how to find the best solar panel installers near me to handle the installation of your solar energy system. Finding the right solar panel installation firm will make your life easier since they’ll help you with each step of the process.
If you’re interested in getting solar panels for your home and want to find a great solar panel installer, today is your lucky day. With this solar panel installation guide, you’ve come to the perfect place to learn all about finding installers.
Keep reading this article for some helpful tips today!
Have the Right Mindset
You need to have the right mindset when you start your journey towards finding the right company for solar panel installation at your home. Most homeowners have experience calling a plumber or an electrician to fix minor issues around the home. Unless you’ve had solar panels before, the odds are that you don’t have experience finding a solar panel installation company.
You’ll need to do a bit of legwork to get the process started, but it shouldn’t be daunting. Go online and check out the best solar panel installers near me to see your options. Do your background research and have a firm idea of getting yourself into.
It’s also a great idea to be prepared to meet the company in person to get a feel for what they’re like to work with. This is a great chance to ask any questions that you might have and get answers from experts.
Don’t Trust Cost Comparison Websites.
A big thing that many homeowners fall for when considering getting a solar panel installation for their home is trusting cost comparison websites on the internet. You might compare this approach to getting a hotel and comparing costs on a website. This is far too simple to take when making a big investment like getting solar panels for your home.
Avoid taking the cheapest route to have solar energy for your home. There is a lot of technology and expensive equipment to have a solar energy system for renewable energy. Your system is only as good as its weakest or cheapest component.
You also need to find a top-notch solar panel installer to ensure that each part of the system is working in sync with the others. Without that, your solar energy system will fail to produce the power necessary for running your home.
Get Multiple Quotes
Another thing that you shouldn’t skip over when it comes to finding the best solar panel installers near me, is the chance to get multiple quotes. When you start searching for someone that can do solar panel installation for your home, you’re always better off having multiple options.
It is essential to get multiple quotes to get the best price possible for your solar system. It also gives you access to people with different credentials and additional experience installing these complex energy systems.
The best approach to finding top installers for your solar panels is to find a good honest company upfront with you. They’ll let you know if your home is a good fit for solar panels and whether or not your roof can support them. These installers would rather walk away than sell you a system that won’t pay for itself over some time.
Avoid Choosing Based on Price
Price is an important component to consider, but it isn’t everything about solar energy. Everyone likes to save money, but there is more to solar panels than the upfront cost. It’s also a good strategy to avoid choosing a solar installer based on price alone.
You’ll get access to great government incentives from the local, state, and federal governments. Thanks to these government incentives, you can knock out close to half of the upfront cost of getting solar panels installed.
You also don’t want to spend a lot of money getting inferior quality from your solar panels. Top-notch solar panels should last you up to 30 years before they need to be replaced. You’re better off paying more to get a product that will last longer.
Avoid Leases
Leases are another thing to avoid if you want to get solar panels at your home. Some big solar companies are more interested in leasing solar panels to you rather than selling and installing a solar energy system at your home. They’d rather rent you solar panels since they’ll get more of a profit from it over a long period.
You’ll also get less of a return on your investment if you’re leasing solar rather than owning your solar panels. You also need to keep elevator clauses in mind when choosing between leasing and buying. You’ll pay more each year for your electricity due to these clauses, so you won’t save that much over the years.
Choose a Local Solar Panel Installer
You should try to find a local solar panel installer to work with, especially if they’ve been in the business for a long time. Brand new solar companies should scare you away, especially if they’ve only been up and running for two years. You want to find an installer who knows all solar panel installation tips and has years of experience.
Make sure that you ask the solar company plenty of questions to better understand their experience level. It’s also wise to look the solar company up and see if they have good reviews with the Better Business Bureau.
Companies with vast experience are better because they’ve seen and handled several tricky situations with solar technology. They’re likely to have high competence in installing solar energy systems in homes of all sizes.
These companies are also likely to have great warranties when you’re getting your panels installed. The best solar installers will offer warranties covering your solar energy system for up to 25 years. Your best bet for getting great service is to find a local solar installer that has been in the business for five or more years.
Read Online Reviews
Another key to finding the best solar panel installers near me is to read online reviews about the solar companies you’re considering. The Better Business Bureau is a great starting point for finding out if a solar installer is good to work with. They focus on collecting complaints from consumers that worked with different businesses.
You could learn more about the negative aspects and experiences of other people’s issues when getting their solar panels installed. Make sure that you read closely about what happened to understand if the consumer or the solar company is at fault in those situations.
Another thing to check is whether the complaints with the BBB are resolved or not. Resolved complaints should be far less concerning than complaints that remain open and unsolved.
Keep in mind that it is inevitable that there will be some level of complaints with the BBB no matter how good a company is. Don’t let these complaints scare you away from working with the best solar panel installers near me.
Facebook and Google will give you access to additional customer reviews. These reviews are great for gaining insight into what you should expect as a customer of those businesses. You can do other things to see if a solar panel installer is good to work with.
Make Sure the Installer Is Licensed
Each state has different licensing requirements for installing solar panels at commercial and residential locations. Certain states require a special license to install solar panels. Look up the requirements for your state to determine if the solar installer you’re considering is qualified to work with.
Other states require only an electrician’s license to install a solar energy system. Even states don’t require any licenses or certificates at all. If your state requires a license, you need to get the license number of the solar company before signing any documents with them.
If you’re getting solar energy in California, you can look up the solar company online for easy access to their license information. Some states will give you the bare minimum about the solar license, like whether it is active or not. California gives you additional information like any violations of the license.
Get More Info About Warranties
Many different components make up a solar energy system. It is a large investment that requires a significant amount of money upfront. You need to ensure that you’re getting warranties that cover each aspect of your solar energy system.
The first thing to get covered by a warranty for your solar system is the workmanship and components of the solar panel system. This warranty needs to cover the labor and replacement costs of anything that falls within the solar system.
The solar panels themselves should have a warranty covering any damage or failure. One warranty covers the materials and workmanship of the solar panels, while the other covers the power output for the panels.
Keep in mind that solar panels degrade with each year. The solar panel warranty is great because it guarantees a certain percentage of energy collecting power. Most solar panel companies offer a warranty covering your system for up to 25 years.
If you don’t have a string inverter with a good warranty, your solar system will also struggle. A warranty for the inverter should cover at least ten years, though the best warranty coverage will cover your inverter for up to 25 years.
The racking system is what holds the solar panels, and it needs to be sturdy enough to stand up to severe weather and storms for years to come. The racking system also needs warranty coverage before signing on the dotted line with any solar panel installer. Aim for a warranty of 20 years for your solar panel racking system.
The last thing to get warranty coverage for is your solar battery system. It is arguably the most expensive part of the solar energy system, so you’ll regret a failure to get warranty coverage if something goes wrong prematurely.
Avoid High-Pressure Sales Tactics
More than one great solar panel installation company creates incentives for its employees to sell more solar panel systems. It isn’t an automatic disqualification or red flag if a solar company puts a lot of effort into making a sale. High-pressure sales tactics are a different matter altogether.
Avoid solar companies that try to sell solar systems on a door-to-door basis. These companies will try to convince you that your home is a great fit for solar panels, even if it isn’t. Another red flags are aggressive “no money down” sales tactics from the solar company to get you to agree to get a solar energy system.
Find the Best Solar Panel Installers Near Me Today
It could seem daunting to find the best solar panel installers near me, but it is important to do the legwork to get the best solar panel installer in your area. Make sure you check out reviews with the Better Business Bureau and check Google’s reviews. Avoid pushy solar installation firms that use aggressive sales tactics, and make sure you get warranty coverage.
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