Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
A solar panel array will provide you with a renewable power source that will pay for itself in time. Solar power can reduce your energy costs and lower your carbon footprint. However, it's important to choose a reputable solar installer. Luckily, we've done the research and created a guide to the best and most reputable solar installation providers in Trussville.
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Today's Homeowner looks at dozens of datapoints on solar companies to come up with our data-driven rankings. It's not possible for a company to pay for preferential treatment in our rankings. We look at the following key factors in determining who should top our list:
Installing solar panels can lower your electricity costs and help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. When determining whether a solar provider is right for you, consider these key factors.
Hiring a licensed solar installer is critical. This help guarantee that the work is done correctly using current best installation practices. Alabama licenses solar contractors with similar requirements to electricians. They must have a minimum of 4 years of field experience and submit an application with the state's Electrical Contractors Board.
Check the Better Business Bureau (BBB), TrustPilot, Google Reviews, and other review sites to see what past customers are saying about local solar providers. Detailed reviews on these platforms can help you evaluate a provider's trustworthiness and customer service. Stay away from providers with few or mainly poor reviews.
Contact 3–5 solar companies to receive free, detailed quotes. Quotes should clearly explain all costs and specify the exact solar components included. By comparing multiple quotes, you can identify the option that best fits your budget.
Quality solar installations should come with strong workmanship and performance guarantees. A workmanship warranty covers any installation defects (such as poor alignment, cracks in the panels, or poor wiring), while a performance warranty ensures a certain level of energy production. Strong guarantees show that a company is confident in its work.
Solar panels can help decrease your electricity costs over time. When weighing solar panel's cost and value, be sure to weigh these considerations.
Solar panel costs vary based on system capacity and the solar technology used. The average solar system in Trussville has a capacity of 9.1 kilowatts. Homeowners in the area should expect to pay approximately $3,490 per kilowatt; the average Trussville homeowners spends about $22,308 on a new solar array after accounting for federal tax breaks. (Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels to reduce their upfront costs.) A personalized quote from a local solar company will account for factors such as the size, capacity, and panel type of the planned system, and should include costs for labor, preliminary work, and permit fees.
Incentive Type: Personal Tax Deduction
Incentive Amount:
100%
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can be used to power any household system or appliance that uses electricity. In the smallest case, you can use a solar water heater.
There are many advantages of home solar energy. You can reduce emissions, save money, and raise your property values. With the right storage equipment, solar panels can also offer you further energy independence and offer some protection from power outages.
It depends on your home's location and the kind of panels you plan to use. With the winter months in Alabama being very mild, you have a lengthy window to install your panels, though they won't reach peak performance until summer arrives.
Yes. Trussville uses an even mixture of solar energy and conventional power sources. While your panels at home will lower your home's emissions and provide cost savings, you'll still benefit from access to the local grid.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how short it takes to get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Trussville, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 10.9 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
The maintenance you'll need to do will vary based on the type of solar panels you have. At a minimum, you should clean and inspect each panel four times a year. Your solar installer might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance on your behalf.
Net metering is a type of "power purchase agreement." If your state or utility offers net metering, you can sell the solar energy you don't use to the grid. In return, they'll give you a credit on your power bill.
While solar energy might not be ideal for some in wet or dark areas, the latest generation of equipment and energy storage systems could increase your property's solar viability enough where you could achieve a return on investment. A contractor could also recommend a different primary source of renewable energy like wind or geothermal to boost your generation.
