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A Beginners Guide To Buying Solar Panel For Your Home
Solar panel is the way of the future, thanks to the many advantages it provides.
Choosing to power your house with solar energy will thus be a wise choice on your role. The use of solar energy to power your house will, however, require some forward preparation if you want things to run as smoothly as possible.
Fortunately, we are well-versed in the principles and procedures of bringing solar panel into your home.
When deciding to use solar energy for your house, there are a number of procedures that must be followed. Following your selection of the solar panel solution that best suits your needs, complete the procedures outlined below that pertain to you. If you need more information on the specific procedures that must be taken to have your house solar powered, your solar installer and local utility provider may supply you with that information.
• Assess the feasibility of your home’s energy use.
• Determine your solar panel potential as well as any obstacles.
• Examine your alternatives to adopting solar panel.
• Calculate the amount of solar energy you will need.
• Request quotes and site evaluations from potential contractors.
• Become familiar with the funding and incentives that are available.
• Implement the system and establish agreements with your installer and utility company.
1. Assess the feasibility of your home’s energy use.
Before deciding to use solar energy to power their house, homeowners should conduct an investigation into their energy consumption and evaluate possible energy efficiency improvements. Before deciding on solar panel, homeowners should be aware of their overall power usage and take into consideration cost-effective and simple-to-implement energy-efficiency measures.
Investigate the following sites to learn how to decrease your energy consumption:
• Home Energy Audits: A home energy audit may assist you in determining where energy is being wasted in your home and what measures need to be done to enhance the efficiency of your home’s operation.
• Equipment and electronics: Make better use of your existing equipment and electronics, or invest in items that are extremely efficient.
• Lighting: Use more energy-efficient lighting, such as LED light bulbs, to save money on your electricity bill.
• Energy requirements for heating and cooling your house are directly related to the quantity of solar energy required. Keeping your house weatherproof and effectively heating and cooling it will decrease the quantity of power you will need to generate utilizing solar energy.
2. Determine your solar potential as well as any obstacles.
To determine the most effective method to utilize solar power in your house, you need first determine how much solar energy can be produced at your location. Because photovoltaic (PV) technologies produce energy from both direct and dispersed sunlight, the solar resource in the country is adequate to power residential solar power systems.
The quantity of electricity produced by a solar system at a particular location, on the other hand, is determined by the amount of solar energy that the system receives and the size of the system itself.
There are a variety of map services and tools available to assist you in determining the solar energy potential of your house. Many of the services generally offer information on the anticipated system size, possible expenses and savings, as well as information on local contractors and suppliers.
You may use these tools to establish whether or not your house is solar-eligible, and if it is not, to find the most cost-effective method to continue receiving solar energy. While these tools are useful, they do not take into consideration all of the factors that must be addressed when designing a system for a certain application or environment.
In order to do this, you must engage directly with a solar installer who can offer an exact evaluation of your solar potential, as well as comprehensive suggestions, estimates, and expertise of the relevant equipment.
Take into account the following:
• There are some shade trees in the area. Contractors will also assist you in determining shading, but they will also take into consideration any trees on your property or in your neighbour’s property that may develop and shade your system in the future.
• What is the age of your roof and how long before it has to be replaced? Prior to installing solar panel, consider this upgrade if you anticipate to require a new roof in the future 10 to 15 years
• Restrictions or permission requirements imposed by a neighbourhood or Homeowners Association. Some jurisdictions now have “solar rules,” which limit the authority of homeowners associations to prohibit solar installations or restrict access to solar energy in certain circumstances. These laws differ from one state to another, as well as from one municipality to another.
3. Examine your alternatives to adopting solar panel.
When it comes to making the switch to solar energy, purchasing and deploying a system that you completely own and manage is no longer the only choice. Not everyone can afford a solar roof system, but there are lots of options for those who cannot.
Solar energy may be used at home in a variety of ways, as shown below. Consult your utility and local installers for programs available locally.
Solar Energy System Purchase Recommendations:
If you want to optimize the financial advantages of installing solar panels, take advantage of tax credits, and improve the market value of your house, purchasing a solar panel with cash or a loan is the best choice. There is no solarization program available or it is impracticable to use one.
The solar installer will connect the system to the electricity grid and get authorization from the utility provider to connect the system to the grid. If the PV system produces more energy than the house need, the client may be able to sell the surplus electricity back to the utility company. The residence continues to receive energy from the grid as normal if the homeowner’s power demands exceed the capacity of the system. Learn more about home energy systems that are linked to the grid.
If any of the following apply to you, then investing in a solar energy system is a wise decision:
• The purchase of a solar energy system for installation at your residence is on your wish list.
• You may be qualified for state or national tax credits for your investment.
• You are prepared to be liable for any maintenance or repairs that occur
• You’d want to lower your energy expenses, right?
• You wish to utilize a net metering arrangement to resell any unused energy generated by your system back to your electric utility company.
• You want to enhance the value of your house.
• You have the cash on hand to buy the system, or you have access to money via a lender to do so.
In most of the countries, almost half of all homes do not have enough roof space to install a solar panel system, either because they rent the space or because they do not have the money. If you are unable to host a rooftop system, you may be able to participate in a community or communal solar program instead.
These programs enable a group of participants to combine their buying power in order to acquire solar energy in the form of a solar system at a price that is appropriate for their requirements and budget. The system may be located on-site or off-site, and it can be owned by utility companies, solar developers, charitable organizations, or a group of community members working together.
If any of the following apply to you, you should think about going solar as a group.
• When it comes to installing solar panels on your house or land, you may be unable or unwilling to do so.
• The state and federal investment tax credits are not available to you at this time
• You do not want to be liable for any maintenance or repairs on your vehicle.
Solar Power Leases
Renting a solar system allows you to utilize the energy produced by the system, but the PV system equipment is owned by someone else, usually a third party. The customer is then responsible for the cost of renting the equipment. Renewable energy leases often need just a small initial investment and fixed monthly payments over a certain length of time.
According to the terms of a leasing agreement, homeowners usually pay the developer a fixed monthly price for the equipment that is based on the anticipated quantity of energy that the system would generate. This sum is often less expensive than the first energy bill.
Solar leases are an excellent choice if you fall into one or more of the following categories:
• You would want to put solar panels on your roof, but you are unable or unwilling to buy a solar energy system for your house.
• Your investment isn’t qualified for tax credits from the state or the federal government.
• You do not want to be liable for any maintenance or repairs on your vehicle.
• You’d want to lower your energy expenses, right?
• Using a net-metering setup, you would want to resell any unused energy generated by your system back to your utility company.
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
PPAs allow customers to host solar systems from solar firms while also purchasing the energy produced by the installations. This is a financial arrangement in which a developer organizes, authorizes, funds, and installs equipment on a customer’s property with little or no expense to the consumer at the time of purchase.
A fixed price per kilowatt hour of energy produced by the system is agreed upon by the host customer and the system owner for the duration of the system’s life. The purchasing price of solar energy is often less expensive than the retail price of electricity from a local utility company.
PPAs are a suitable choice if you fall into one or more of the following categories:
• You would want to put solar panels on your roof, but you are unable or unwilling to buy a solar energy system for your house.
• Your investment isn’t qualified for tax credits from the state or the federal government.
• You do not want to be liable for any maintenance or repairs on your vehicle.
• You’d want to lower your energy expenses, right?
• You wish to utilize a net-metering arrangement to resell any unused energy generated by your system back to your electric utility company.
• You are interested in obtaining solar energy at a low initial investment cost.
Solarize Programs or Environmental programs:
Communities may benefit from solar energy in a variety of ways, one of the most efficient being via a solarization program. With Solarize initiatives, a locally organized group of homes and businesses may pool their buying power in order to choose an installer in a competitive market and negotiate lower installation costs. More individuals may benefit from this bulk purchase since the group model streamlines the procedure, boosts demand for solar energy, and reduces installation costs.
Solarize programs are an excellent choice if you fall into one or more of the categories listed below:
• There is a Solarize program available in your neighbourhood.
• The purchase of a solar energy system for installation at your residence is on your wish list.
• You may be qualified for state or national tax credits for your investment.
• You are prepared to be liable for any maintenance or repairs that occur
• The goal of implementing a net-metering arrangement is to lower your energy bills while also selling any unused electricity generated by your system back to the utility.
• The worth of your house is something you want to enhance.
4. Calculate the amount of solar energy you will need.
Collect data about your house and your energy consumption to assist your contractor in making suggestions regarding the kind and size of system you should have installed.
Check your utility bills to discover how much electricity you use on a yearly basis. The amount of electricity you use is shown in kilowatt hours (kWh). Check your energy use for each month of the year; you may find that you are consuming more electricity in certain months such as summer than others. Some utilities provide features that may assist you in doing this check.
Take into consideration any modifications that are in the works. The purchase of an electric car or the construction of an expansion to your house may both raise your energy consumption. In the long run, if you continue to make substantial improvements to increase the energy efficiency of your house, you may find yourself consuming less power than you did in the previous year.
5. Request quotes and site evaluations from potential contractors.
When searching for installers, make certain that you choose experts that are certified, insured, and have the appropriate certification.The Solar Professional Certificate Program is the organization that provides the industry with the standard certification.
You may also get referrals from friends and family who have recently installed solar panels, as well as through internet sites that provide reviews. Before making any commitments, be sure that the installer has provided you with evidence of his or her license.
There are additional tools available on the internet that make it simple to locate and compare solar energy installers. To enable for comparison shopping, get at least three quotations for the installation of the PV system. Make certain that the bids are based on the same features and measurements so that you can compare apples to apples.
When interviewing installers, you may want to consider asking them the following inquiries:
• Is your organization acquainted with the permission and interconnection procedures in your area? Obtaining construction permissions and authorization to connect may be time-consuming and laborious procedures in certain instances. If the installer is unfamiliar with certain local procedures, this will help guarantee that your system is installed and operational as quickly as possible.
• Is it possible for the business to offer testimonials from several customers in your locality? Speak to other customers in the area to learn about the difficulties they were experiencing and how the business was able to assist them in overcoming those difficulties.
• Does the business have the necessary licensing or certification? PV systems should only be installed by professionals that are properly licensed. This often indicates that either the installer or a subcontractor has an electrical installation license, whichever is applicable. Whether or not a contractor has an active electrician license may be determined by contacting your state electrical engineering organization.
Local building authorities may additionally demand that the installer have a general contractor’s license in order to do the installation. For additional information about licensing, contact the city or county in where you reside for assistance. In addition, certain solarization programs may require you to engage with a particular installer in order to qualify for the discounted system price offered by the program.
• What is the system’s warranty and how does it work? Is it the system’s operator who is in charge of keeping it running and maintained? The majority of solar systems are backed by a standard industry warranty normally issuedfor the period of 20 years for the solar PV modules and 10 years for solar inverters. It is typically an indicator of high-quality equipment used by the installation if the system is backed by a substantial guarantee from the manufacturer.
Similar to this, the homeowner should specify who is responsible for doing routine maintenance and repairs on the system. Maintenance is often performed by the installer under lease or PPA agreements; several installers provide competitive O&M plans for systems that are owned by the host.
• Has the business been subject to any outstanding or current judgements or claims against it? Buffer capacity is recommended for every project involving the use of a contractor, as is the case with any other endeavor. If a state-licensed electrician is the subject of a judgment or complaint, the state electrical board may inform you of the situation. Consumers can contact their local city and county governments for advice on how to assess contractors in their area. Another good source of information is the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
The maximum generating capacity of the system – measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW) – should be explicitly stated in the proposals (kW). A rough estimate of how much energy will be produced yearly or monthly by the system should also be requested (measured in kilowatt hours). If you want to compare this figure to your current utility bills, this is the number to use.
Aside from hardware and installation expenses, bids should include all costs associated with commissioning the solar-electric system (including grid connection and permission fees), as well as sales tax and a warranty. Prices between various installers may be compared using cost per watt and cost per kWh, which are the most relevant metrics to compare since different installers may use different equipment or give estimates for systems of varying capacities.
6. Become familiar with the funding and incentives that are available.
A 30 percent tax credit is available for small solar systems until the end of 2019. It will be reduced to 26 percent in 2020, then to 22 percent in 2021, and it will be phased out completely by the end of December 2021.
You should keep in mind that if you choose a solar lease or a power purchase agreement, you will not be eligible for this tax advantage since you will not be purchasing the solar energy system.
Additionally, you may search the schemes of Government Renewable Energy Incentives and Efficiency for additional incentives from the national, state, and municipal governments.
Along with incentives, you should learn about all of the solar financing alternatives that are currently available. Every scenario is unique, and the best course of action for your property will rely on a number of variables. It is hoped that the Clean Energy States Alliance handbook would assist homeowners in better understanding their choices and explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative.
7. Implement the system and establish agreements with your installer and utility company.
If you decide to build a solar system, your solar installer should be able to assist you in obtaining the appropriate permissions and following the relevant procedures.
Your system’s size will be determined by your installer during the installation process. This is decided by your power requirements as well as the following factors:
In addition to the solar resource of the site or available sunlight, the system’s orientation and inclination, as well as its efficiency in converting sunlight into electricity, are important considerations. Other power sources, such as a utility company, a wind turbine, or a fossil fuel generator, should also be considered.
Your installer will also make certain that all of the equipment is correctly placed, as well as orientated and slanted, in order to optimize the daily and seasonal solar energy collected and generated by your system.
Examine the billing and net metering processes to ensure that you understand how they operate, as well as any extra fees or charges that may apply.