Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated February 2024
A rooftop solar array will provide you with a renewable power source that will pay for itself in time. Switching to solar energy can help you save money and lower your carbon footprint, but you want to make sure you find a reputable installer. Luckily, we've done the research and compiled a guide to the best and most reliable solar installation companies in Alpine.
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Family-operated business
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
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:
Adopting solar power lets homeowners reduce utility bills while helping the environment by reducing your carbon footprint using clean energy. If you’re evaluating if you want to go solar, consider these key factors for choosing an installer.
Verify that your solar installer is properly licensed. This helps ensure that the work is done correctly using current best installation practices. There are five distinct levels of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. For a contractor to earn a license, an installer must take a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of experience as an apprentice or journeyman, and pass written exams.
Check review sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Google Reviews, and TrustPilot to see customer feedback about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you assess a company's dependability and customer service. Use caution with companies that have very few reviews or mostly negative ones.
To find a solar company that fits your budget, get free, detailed quotes from at least three providers. The quotes should outline all costs and list the solar equipment included. Looking at several quotes helps you identify the option that best fits your budget.
Top-notch solar installations should include strong workmanship and performance warranties. A workmanship warranty covers installation defects, such as cracks in the panels, poor wiring, or poor alignment. A performance guarantee ensures a minimum energy output. Comprehensive guarantees indicate that a solar company believes in its work.
Solar energy can help you lower electricity bills over time. Be sure to consider these aspects when considering the final cost and value of solar panels.
The average Alpine homeowner will spend around $6,837 on a home solar system after federal tax refunds. Solar arrays in Alpine cost roughly $3,470 per kilowatt, with an average size of 2.8 kilowatts. A personalized estimate from a local solar provider will include costs for labor, preliminary work, and permit fees, and will account for your system's capacity, size, and panel type. Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels in order to reduce upfront costs.
Incentive Amount:
Eligible products can be financed for up to 25 years, depending on the useful life of the eligible product.
Minimum financing: $5,000
The financing may not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the market value of the property, up to the first seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) of the property’s market value, and ten percent (10%) of the remaining value of the Property above seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) minus any PACE assessment on the propertyThe total amount of any annual property taxes and assessments shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the property's fair market value, determined at the time program financing is approved.
Incentive Type: PACE Financing
Incentive Amount:
Locally determined
Incentive Amount:
For projects 30 kW or larger, 50% of incentive will be received up-front; 50% will be received based on actual kWh production over the first 5 years. For projects under 30kW, 100% of the incentive will be paid up front.
Incentives will step down over time. See below for incentive amounts.
Incentive Amount:
Step 1 Incentive Rates (contact utility to determine current incentive levels):
Single Family Residential Incentives:
Systems that displace natural gas: $29.85 per estimated therm displaced
Systems that displace electricity or propane: Funding has been exhausted
Commercial/Multifamily Incentives:
Systems that displace natural gas: $20.19 per estimated therm displaced
Systems that displace electricity or propane: $0.42 per estimated kWh displaced *** Note, funding has been exhausted in this category for SCE and PG&E
Solar Pool heating: $5.00 per estimated therm displaced
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) array can be used to power any household appliance or system that uses electricity. In the simplest case, you can use a solar water heating system.
With home solar PV, you can save money on your energy bill, lower your property's emissions, and gain additional energy independence.
It depends on your location and the kind of panels you plan to use. With the winter months in California being very mild, you have a wide time window to install your panels, though they won't hit peak performance until summer arrives.
Yes, you can use home solar energy alongside conventional power sources. In many areas, solar panels are designed to supplement your existing energy sources, which means you can reap the environmental benefits and savings of solar energy without having to completely switch over.
Your payback period is the time to achieve an ROI on your solar panels. It will vary based on the average sunlight in your area, their rated capacity, and the rate your utility charges per kilowatt of power. Alpine has extremely high daily sunlight levels, so you could recoup your investment in as little as 7.4 years per 5 kW of rated capacity.
The type of solar panels you have will have specific maintenance steps to follow. Regardless of type, you should inspect your panels for damage and clean them regularly. Many solar contractors in the Alpine area offer low-cost maintenance plans to help you make the most of your panels and keep them healthy for as long as possible.
The best type of residential solar panel depends on your specific needs and goals. In most cases, monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient for homes in Alpine. However, if lowering cost is your top priority, then you may want to consider thin-film or polycrystalline solar panels. When you're gathering estimates, make sure to ask about the brand names and models of solar panels a company offers and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
