Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated June 2024
Year after year, more El Cerrito residents use rooftop solar panels to lower their carbon footprint and provide a dependable source of power. Making the switch to solar power can help cut your utility bills and lower your environmental impact. But you'll want to find a qualified installation company first. That’s why, after properly vetting installers, we compiled a guide to the most reputable solar companies in El Cerrito. These companies consistently deliver dependable quality service.
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
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:
Adopting solar power lets homeowners lower utility bills while benefiting the planet by reducing your carbon footprint using clean energy. If you’re determining whether to go solar, consider these key factors for choosing an installer.
Make sure you hire a licensed solar installer. This helps ensure that the work is done properly 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 take a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Look at review platforms such as TrustPilot, Google Reviews, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to find out what previous customers say about local solar installers. Reviews can give you an idea of a company’s reliability and customer service. Avoid companies with no reviews or with predominantly negative feedback.
Get free, detailed quotes from three to five solar companies. The quotes should describe all costs and identify the solar parts included. Comparing several quotes can help you find the best value for your budget.
Quality solar installations should have comprehensive workmanship and performance warranties. The workmanship guarantee covers any installation problems such as cracks in the panels, poor wiring, or poor alignment. The performance guarantee ensures a specific energy output level. Strong guarantees indicate that a solar installer has faith in its installations.
Solar energy can help reduce your electricity costs over time. When considering solar panel's cost and value, be sure to factor in these considerations.
The cost of home solar panels in El Cerrito varies depending on several factors, including the area and generating capacity of your panel array and the type of panels you'll use. Generally speaking, a complete solar energy system costs $3,470 per kilowatt, not including preliminary work, permit fees, or labor. Most solar systems in El Cerrito are 3.0 kilowatts, and the typical El Cerrito homeowners spends $7,395 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
A solar photovoltaic (PV) system can generate power to run any electric system or appliance in your home. A more specific example is installing a solar water heating system.
With home solar PV, you can save money on your energy bill, lower your property's emissions, and be better prepared if there's an outage to the local grid.
It depends on your home's location and what type of panels you're installing. With the winter months in California being very mild, you have a wide time window to install your panels, though they won't hit peak performance until summer arrives.
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 El Cerrito amount to $1,053.
The maintenance you'll need to do will vary based on the type of solar panels you have. At a minimum, you should clean and inspect each panel once per season. Your solar installer might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance for you.
Solar panels are gaining traction for their low upkeep costs and high efficiency under a variety of conditions. Depending on how much sunlight your property receives, you may find they're the best performing source of renewable energy compared to others.
