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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated June 2024
Solar energy is becoming increasingly popular for homeowners in East Palo Alto. A solar panel array can help you add value to your property, decrease your carbon footprint, and provide a dependable source of power. Switching to solar energy can help you save money and lower your carbon footprint, but you want to make sure you find a trustworthy installer. That’s why, after reviewing and analyzing installers, we compiled a guide to the most reliable solar companies in East Palo Alto. These companies offer excellent service.
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
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 evaluating if a solar provider is a good fit for you, consider these key factors.
It's imperative that your solar installer has the proper licensing. 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, a contractor must complete a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of experience as an apprentice or journeyman, and pass written exams.
Check TrustPilot, Google Reviews, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and other review sites to see what past customers are saying about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you assess a provider's integrity and customer service. Stay away from providers with few or mainly poor reviews.
Contact at least three solar companies to get free, detailed quotes. Quotes should clearly explain all costs and list the exact solar components included. Comparing multiple quotes helps identify the option that best fits your budget.
Quality solar installations should have strong workmanship and performance guarantees. A workmanship guarantee addresses any installation defects (such as poor alignment, poor wiring, or cracks in the panels), while a performance guarantee ensures a certain level of energy production. Strong warranties show that a company is confident in its work.
Solar energy can help you lower electricity bills over time. Make sure you consider these aspects when considering the final cost and value of solar panels.
The cost of home solar panels in East Palo Alto varies depending on several factors, including the size of the system and the type of panels you'll use. Generally speaking, a complete solar energy system will cost $3,470 per kilowatt, not including labor, permit fees, or preliminary work. Most solar systems in East Palo Alto are 3.1 kilowatts, and the typical East Palo Alto homeowners spends $7,454 after accounting for federal tax refunds. Some homeowners may prefer leasing their 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
Incentive Amount:
Single-family residential gas-displacing systems: $18.59 per therm displaced
Single-family residential electricity or propane-displacing systems: $0.54 per kWh displaced
Multifamily and Commercial gas-displacing systems: $14.53 per therm displaced
Multifamily and Commercial electricity or propane-displacing systems: $0.42 per kWh displaced
Low-Income Multifamily gas-displacing systems: $19.23/therm displaced
Low-Income Multifamily Electric or Propane Displacing systems: $0.56/kWh displaced
A solar photovoltaic (PV) array can generate power to run any electric appliance or system in your home. If you don't want to use solar power for your entire home, you can install a solar heating system for your water.
With home solar energy, you can save money on your energy bill, lower your home's carbon footprint, and be better prepared if there's an outage to the local grid.
Absolutely. The grid in East Palo Alto 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.
Generally speaking, your energy bills will significantly decrease after you install solar panels. This is because you're using the energy you generate for free rather than buying it from your power company. In East Palo Alto, the average amount someone can save is $981 per year. With net metering programs offered by many utilities, you could ultimately make a profit from your system after the payback period concludes.
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, the rate your utility charges per kilowatt of power, and their rated capacity. East Palo Alto has extremely high daily sunlight levels, so you could recoup your investment in as little as 7.6 years per 5 kW of rated capacity.
Your recommended maintenance will vary based on the type of solar panels you have. At a minimum, you should clean and inspect each panel four times a year. Your solar contractor might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance for you.
Some frequently-used types of home solar panels in East Palo Alto include thin-film, polycrystalline and monocrystalline. Monocrystalline panels are balanced and efficient, while polycrystalline and thin-film panels pair good performance with greater upfront value. Ask your local provider about what kinds of solar panels they work with.