Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
A rooftop solar array will provide you with a renewable power source that will eventually pay for itself. Solar power can cut your energy costs and shrink your carbon footprint. However, it's important to choose a reputable solar installer. Luckily, we’ve conducted comprehensive research local solar installers and compiled a guide to the best solar companies in Fort Irwin. These trusted providers are smart choices homeowners can depend on.
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Family-operated business
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
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 helping the environment by reducing your carbon footprint using clean energy. If you’re evaluating if you want to go solar, consider these key factors for choosing an installer.
It's important to hire a licensed solar installer. This help guarantee that the work is done correctly using the most up-to-date installation methods. There are five different classifications 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 field experience, and pass written exams.
Check review sites like Google Reviews, TrustPilot, 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 dependability and level of service. Use caution with companies that have hardly any reviews or mostly negative ones.
Contact three to five solar companies to get free, detailed quotes. Quotes should clearly outline all costs and specify the exact solar components included. By comparing multiple quotes, you can identify the best value based on your budget.
Quality solar installations should come with comprehensive workmanship and performance warranties. The workmanship warranty covers any installation issues such as cracks in the panels, poor wiring, or poor alignment. The performance guarantee promises a specific energy output level. Strong warranties indicate that a solar installer has faith in its installations.
Switching to solar power can help lower your energy expenses. Be sure to weigh these aspects when judging the cost and value of solar panels.
In Fort Irwin, solar panels cost an average of $3,470 per kilowatt, with an average system size of 2.9 kilowatts. The typical Fort Irwin homeowner spends $6,973 on their solar array after federal tax refunds. An estimate from a local provider will consider additional information based on your desired system's required preliminary work, capacity, size, and panel type. In some cases, homeowners may 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
A solar photovoltaic (PV) array can generate power to run any electric appliance or system in your home. A more specific example is installing a solar water heating system.
With home solar energy, you can recoup the cost of the system over time, lower your home's carbon footprint, and gain additional energy independence.
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 Fort Irwin amount to $751.
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, their rated capacity, and the rate your utility charges per kilowatt of power. Fort Irwin has extremely high daily sunlight levels, so you could recoup your investment in as little as 9.3 years per 5 kW of rated capacity.
The answer ultimately depends on your specific situation. You can take advantage of a federal tax credit of up to 30% of the system's cost, as well as state or local incentives depending on where you are. As for insurance, you'll need to inform your insurance company about your new solar panels. Your premium may increase due to added property values, but you'll have peace of mind if a covered event happens to the system.
Solar panels are becoming more relevant than ever for their high efficiency and low maintenance costs. Depending on how much sunlight your property receives, you may find they're the best performing source of renewable energy compared to others.
