Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Last Updated: February 25, 2025
Solar energy is becoming increasingly popular for homeowners in Charter Oak. A solar panel array can help you add value to your property, provide a dependable source of power, and decrease your carbon footprint. Making the switch to solar power allows you to cut your utility bills and shrink your environmental impact. But you'll want to find a trustworthy installation company first. Luckily, we’ve conducted comprehensive research local solar providers and created a guide to the best solar companies in Charter Oak. These trusted providers are smart choices homeowners can depend on.
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Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
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Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
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Services Offered
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Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
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 help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. When evaluating if a solar provider is the best option for you, consider these key factors.
It's important to hire a licensed solar installer. This ensures that the work is done properly using current best installation practices. There are five specific levels of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. To earn a license, an installer must take a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Check TrustPilot, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), 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 assess a provider's reliability and customer service. Stay away from providers with few or mainly poor reviews.
Contact at least three solar companies for free, detailed quotes. Quotes should clearly explain all costs and list the exact solar components included. Comparing multiple quotes helps identify the best value based on your budget.
Quality solar installations should have comprehensive workmanship and performance guarantees. The workmanship warranty covers any installation problems such as poor wiring, cracks in the panels, or poor alignment. The performance guarantee promises a specific energy output level. Strong warranties indicate that a solar installer trusts its installations.
Switching to solar power can help lower your energy expenses over time. Be sure to evaluate these aspects when judging the cost and value of solar panels.
The average Charter Oak homeowner will spend around $6,920 on a home solar system after federal tax refunds. Solar arrays in Charter Oak cost approximately $3,470 per kilowatt, with the average residential solar system being 2.8 kilowatts. A personalized estimate from a local solar provider will include costs for preliminary work, labor, and permit fees, and will account for your system's panel type, size, and capacity. Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels 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) 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 energy, you can save money on your energy bill, lower your home's carbon footprint, and gain additional energy independence.
Absolutely. The grid in Charter Oak 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 Charter Oak amount to $757.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Charter Oak, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 9.1 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
The specific types of maintenance you need will depend on the type of panels you're using. Regardless of type, you should clean your panels regularly and inspect them for damage. A majority of solar contractors in the Charter Oak area offer comprehensive maintenance plans to help you make the most of your panels and keep them healthy for as long as possible.
While solar energy might not be ideal for some in dark or wet areas, the latest generation of equipment and energy storage systems could boost 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.
The best type of residential solar panel depends on your specific needs and goals. Generally, monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient for Charter Oak homes. 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 types of solar panels an installer offers and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
