Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
Solar is one of the most easily accessible forms of renewable energy for Arroyo Grande homeowners. Adopting solar energy can allow you to save money and reduce your carbon footprint, but you want to make sure you find a qualified installer. Luckily, we’ve conducted comprehensive research local solar providers and compiled a guide to the best solar companies in Arroyo Grande. These trusted providers are reliable options known for their quality services.
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Family-operated business
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
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:
Putting solar panels on your roof could reduce your electricity payments while benefiting the planet by reducing your carbon footprint through renewable energy use. Key considerations when looking at local solar installers are as follows.
Confirm that your solar installer is properly licensed. This help guarantee 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. To earn a license, a contractor must take a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Check consumer review platforms like TrustPilot, Google Reviews, 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 installers that have hardly any reviews or mostly negative ones.
Get free, detailed quotes from 3–5 solar companies. The quotes should outline all costs and identify the exact solar parts included. Comparing several quotes can help you find the most cost-effective option.
High-quality solar installations should include robust workmanship and performance guarantees. The workmanship guarantee covers any installation issues like poor wiring, cracks in the panels, or poor alignment. The output warranty guarantees an energy generation baseline. Strong guarantees reflect a solar provider's confidence in its installations.
Solar energy can help decrease your energy expenses over time. Be sure to evaluate these aspects when judging the cost and value of solar panels.
The cost of home solar panels in Arroyo Grande will depend on several factors, including the size of the system and the type of panels you'll use. Generally speaking, a complete solar energy system costs $3,470 per kilowatt, not including labor, permit fees, or preliminary work. Most solar systems in Arroyo Grande are 2.9 kilowatts, and the typical Arroyo Grande homeowners spends $6,986 after accounting for federal tax refunds. Some homeowners may prefer leasing their solar panels to reduce upfront costs.
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 smallest case, you can use a solar water heater.
With home solar panels, you can recoup the cost of the system over time, lower your property's emissions, and be better prepared if there's an outage to the local grid.
Absolutely. The grid in Arroyo Grande already uses a large share of renewable energy sources, and you may be able to sell your excess generated energy to your utility for additional cost savings.
Your installer can give you an estimate of what your energy bills will look like after you install solar panels. Generally, your energy bills will decrease significantly because you'll be using energy from the sun for free, instead of buying energy from the utility company. The average annual savings in Arroyo Grande amount to $1,053.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how short it takes to get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Arroyo Grande, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 6.6 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. With any system, you should clean and inspect each panel four times a year. Your solar contractor might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance on your behalf.
Net metering is a power purchasing policy that allows solar energy system owners to receive bill credits or payments for the amount of energy they put back into the grid. It's available in most states and is a great way to reduce energy costs.
Although solar energy is an ideal option for many, it might not be ideal for homeowners in wet, dark areas. In these cases, you could consider other forms of renewable energy, such as wind or geothermal power, as a primary source. It is also important to speak to a qualified installer to determine if their solar system is compatible with the climate and environment of your area. Even if you choose a different form of renewable energy altogether, you'll still lower your emissions and could still qualify for distributed generation or other money-saving programs.
