Guide to Solar Panel Installation in Pasadena
Installing solar panels in your Pasadena house is one of the most worthy investments you could make both in terms of finances and sustainability. It is a one- time investment that continues to pay for itself for decades to come. You not only save substantially on the cost of electricity consumption over a long period of time but also significantly reduce your carbon footprint by using a most readily available source of energy to your advantage.
The initial solar panel installation costs
Depending on the discounts, government incentives and tax savings available to you, you can get a solar installation for anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000. Solar panels can instantly reduce your electricity bill by up to 90%.
How long does a solar panel take to completely recover its costs?
A solar panel cost recovery period may range from anywhere between four years and 20 years depending on how much your electricity consumption is. So in the sunny state of California with consistently high temperatures, it makes perfect economic sense for you to install a solar panel; you will be able to recover the installation costs fairly quick.
Points to consider before a solar panel installation
Before you get an installation, you and your solar contractor need to consider a few parameters for judging how big your panel is and how to make it safe for everyday domestic or commercial use. The first one is to see how much sunlight you have available – the number of sunny days annually and the number of sunshine hours per day. Next, you need to determine how much power you use on an average per day. The solar panel should be large enough to cover all or most of your electricity requirements.
After you decide the location and size of your solar panel, you need to ensure its safety. Your solar company in Pasadena should be able to guide you best on the safety norms of solar panel use.
How to choose the right solar panel contractor
- Years of experience – When it comes to solar installation for your home, you want to trust only the most adept of professionals. A flawless installation ensures you get maximum power generation from your solar cells and also that your home’s security is completely ensured. Therefore, you must go for a contractor with sufficient experience with photo voltaic systems. They should be well aware of the latest norms and permits around photo voltaic (PV) systems.
- Licenses and certifications – Check if the solar company is certified in photo voltaic system installations. According to laws, solar panel companies simply cannot operate without proper licensing. Besides the company’s license, you should also check if the exact professional coming to your place to do the installation has an electrical contractor’s license. You want only a seasoned professional to accomplish this crucial assignment for you.
- Open consumer complaints – Enquire with your state electrical board to find out if any of your prospective solar contractors has any pending complaints or judgements against them. Besides the state electrical board, the Better Business Bureau could also be a place to go to for such information.
- Check the warranty terms and period – Different contractors offer different terms and conditions of warranty. It is naturally in your favour to go for someone who is giving you the best post-installation services and the longest warranty period. So after you have listed down the most reliable solar contractors in Pasadena, you could make your final choice based on how much of a warranty term you are getting from them.
- Get bids from multiple contractors – Even if you have strongly favourable recommendations for one particular contractor, try getting a few more bids before you choose which one to go for. This way, you not only find out about who can do you the best job but also get a negotiating edge in terms of price of installation the bidders offer you.
Make sure you care comparing the solar estimates based on similar criteria, for example, the price of a ground-mounted system is intrinsically different from that of a roof-mounted system; so when you are comparing, get all bids for either one or the other.
In addition, explicitly ask the contractors to quote the rates complete with installation costs, hardware costs, grid costs, taxes and warranties. Ask them to tell you about the rebates and federal tax incentives available along with the final rates so there are no hidden costs in store for you anywhere.
Research well and choose your solar contractor judiciously before you take on this fantastic project of installing a solar panel in your house or office building. It shouldn’t take more than two weekends to completely finish the installation and start using your new, green and responsible source of energy.