Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
Every year, more Alum Rock homeowners use rooftop solar panels to provide a dependable source of power and lower their carbon footprint. Making the transition to solar energy can help you save money and reduce your carbon footprint, but you want to make sure you find a reputable installer. That’s why, after reviewing and analyzing providers, we compiled a guide to the most reputable solar companies in Alum Rock. These companies consistently deliver excellent service.
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
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 cut your electricity costs and benefit the planet by reducing your carbon footprint. When determining whether a solar provider is right for you, consider these key factors.
It's important to hire a licensed solar installer. This help guarantee that the work is done properly using current installation best practices. There are five different classifications of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. For a contractor to earn a license, a contractor must complete a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Check review sites like Google Reviews, TrustPilot, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see feedback from past customers about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you assess a company's reliability and customer service. Use caution with companies that have hardly any reviews or mostly negative ones.
Contact at least three solar companies to get free, detailed quotes. Quotes should clearly explain all costs and specify the exact solar components included. Comparing multiple quotes helps identify the best value based on your budget.
Quality solar installations should include strong workmanship and performance warranties. A workmanship warranty addresses any installation defects (such as cracks in the panels, poor alignment, or poor wiring), while a performance guarantee ensures a certain level of energy production. Strong guarantees show that a company is confident in its work.
Solar energy can help reduce your electricity costs in the long run. When weighing solar panel's cost and value, be sure to consider these considerations.
The cost of solar panels varies based on your system's capacity and the solar technology used. The typical Alum Rock solar array has a capacity of 3.0 kilowatts. Homeowners in the area can expect to pay around $3,470 per kilowatt; the average Alum Rock homeowners spends roughly $7,249 on a new solar system after accounting for federal tax breaks. (Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels to lower their upfront costs.) A personalized quote from a local solar installer will account for things like the size, capacity, and panel type of the planned system, and should include costs for preliminary work, labor, and permit fees.
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) 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.
With home solar panels, you can save money on your energy bill, lower your home's carbon footprint, and gain additional energy independence.
It depends on where you live and the kind of panels you plan to use. With the winter months in California being very mild, you have significant leeway to install your panels, though they won't achieve peak performance until summer arrives.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Alum Rock, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 6.9 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
While solar energy might not be ideal for some in dark or wet 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.
Solar energy can be more efficient than other forms of renewable energy. They have low maintenance costs and today's systems can stand up to the worst conditions.
