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Last Updated: February 25, 2025
Year after year, more Clearlake homeowners use rooftop solar panels to lower their carbon footprint and provide a dependable source of power. Adopting solar energy can allow you to save money and shrink your carbon footprint, but you want to make sure you find a reputable installer. Luckily, we've reviewed the options and created a guide to the best and most trustworthy solar installation providers in Clearlake.
Our Rating
User Rating
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Informative resources
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 help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. When evaluating if a solar provider is the best option for you, consider these key factors.
Confirm that your solar installer is properly licensed. This help guarantee that the work is done correctly using current installation best practices. There are five distinct classifications of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. To earn a license, a contractor must complete a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Check Google Reviews, TrustPilot, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and other review sites to see what past customers have to say about local solar providers. Detailed reviews on these platforms can help you assess a provider's integrity and customer service. Avoid companies with few or mainly poor reviews.
Call three to five solar companies for free, itemized quotes. These quotes should explain all costs and list the solar equipment included. Reviewing multiple quotes helps you find the best option that fits your budget.
Top-notch solar installations should come with strong workmanship and performance warranties. A workmanship guarantee 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 is great for helping you lower electricity bills over time. Be sure to consider these aspects when considering the final cost and value of solar panels.
In Clearlake, solar panels cost an average of $3,470 per kilowatt, with an average system size of 3.1 kilowatts. The typical Clearlake homeowner spends $7,436 on their solar array after federal tax refunds. An estimate from a local provider will consider additional information based on your desired system's capacity, panel type, required preliminary work, and size. In some cases, homeowners may prefer leasing solar panels to reduce upfront costs.
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
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 Type: PACE Financing
Incentive Amount:
Locally determined
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can be used to power any household system or appliance that uses electricity. In the simplest case, you can use a solar water heater.
With home solar PV, you can recoup the cost of the system over time, lower your home's carbon footprint, and be better prepared if there's an outage to the local grid.
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 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 Clearlake amount to $1,053.
Your recommended maintenance 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 installation company might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance on your behalf.
While solar energy might not be the best option for some in dark or wet areas, the latest generation of equipment and energy storage systems could increase your property's solar viability enough to 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.
Yes, solar panels will still be able to supply you with energy during a grid outage. To ensure that your solar system is able to keep working during a power outage, make sure to choose a quality solar provider that offers battery backup systems or emergency generators.
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