It should come as no surprise that most homeowners tend to spend all their time researching the price differentiation between one type of solar panel and the next. (Did you think you were the only one Googling ‘Tesla solar panels’?) We’re here to tell you. It is hugely important that you invest just as much time (if not more) in researching and selecting your solar panel installer.
In our last piece, Solar Savvy: Choosing the Right Panels and Determining the True Cost, we discussed the typical expense associated with a solar panel system and the role that materials play in determining the cost of your solar panels. Now, it’s time to talk about solar panel installation and what separates one solar panel installer from the next. There are a lot of solar installation companies out there. As you shop around you should look for one critical factor. That would be how good of a partner they are to their customers.
How to Find the Right Installer
Picking your solar panel installer is just as important as picking your preferred solar panels. Think back to when you purchased your home. When picking a home, it’s all about ‘location, location, location’. When increasing your home’s value by adding solar panels with the right installer, it’s all about ‘research, research, research’. You’ve answered the question of ‘how many solar panels and batteries do I need?’ Now you have a whole new host of questions to ask yourself about commercial solar panel installation and solar panel maintenance. But let’s start with the big one: how do I find solar installers near me? There are countless online resources to help you discover, learn about, and connect with solar panel installers in your area, so press pause on your Tesla solar panel research and turn your attention toward the available solar contractors in your area.
What To Know About Solar Companies
Choosing a company to take care of your solar panel installation can get a little tricky. The solar system installation company you choose to move forward with will play a critical part in the future solar repair or maintenance your system will need and, ultimately, how much enjoyment you get out of your new solar panel system. That being said, the solar contractors in your immediate surrounding area might organically rise to the top of your shortlist, but be careful, your best choice for solar installation might not be in your zip code. Consider a company with broader reach to make sure that whoever ends up installing a solar panel system on your property is ideal for your unique needs.
Particularly, what you get when you choose Freedom Solar Power as your installer is integral. A capable team that can work on most roof types, including shingle, metal, tile, or flat roofs. A pre-construction consultation with your assigned builder/contractor, a have-it-your-way installation process that can adapt to any of the multiple ways solar can be installed on your home, and if that wasn’t enough, a finished product that employs best-in-class SunPower solar technology. Above all, when you choose Freedom Solar Power to execute your solar panel system installation, you also get the Complete Freedom warranty. The most comprehensive warranty in the solar panel industry—from our friends at SunPower.
Seriously though (we can’t stress this enough). When taking a huge step like installing solar panels on your property, do your research.
Questions to Ask Your Installer
Your solar panel installer is your partner in an important investment for your home, life, and finances. You should feel empowered to ask every question that pops into your mind. Here’s a few to start:
- Is my house right for solar?
- Is my electricity bill high enough to justify going solar?
- What type of solar panels will we be installing?
- Are we going to install an on-grid or off-grid system?
- What type of inverter will we be using?
- Where will my solar panels be placed?
- How much power will I need for the panels?
- How do you determine your pricing model?
- How should I finance this?
- How much money will I get back in government incentives?
- Who will be doing the installation?
- How long does it take to install?
- Who will handle the paperwork?
If this seems like a lot of questions, here’s one more for you: are you willing to risk not asking them? Installing a solar panel system is the game-changing (dare we say, life-altering) move that will help you love your home even more, so a few questions are warranted. To that end, whoever you choose to install solar panels on your property should have an answer to every one of these questions in the can and ready to discuss.
So far, we’ve kept things pretty casual in discussing the ins and outs of making a switch to solar. But at this point in your journey, things get serious. That’s right, we’re about to talk about checklists. In our next piece, Maximize Savings with a Smart Strategy for Transitioning to Solar, we’ll talk about your solar panel maintenance checklist, your solar panel inspection checklist, and your solar site assessment checklist (just kidding, there’s only one checklist). You are so close to the solar finish line. Curious what’s on the other side? Download our Project Planner eBook.
See you on the bright side.
Featured image from Pexels.