Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
Solar is one of the most easily accessible forms of renewable energy for Lake Arrowhead homeowners. Transitioning to solar energy can lower your monthly energy expenses and shrink your carbon output. Before you get started, you want to make sure you find a trustworthy installer. That’s why, after properly vetting installers, we assembled a guide to the most reputable solar companies in Lake Arrowhead. These installers offer excellent service.
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Family-operated business
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
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 cut utility bills while benefiting the planet 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.
Verify that your solar installer is properly licensed. This helps ensure that the work is done correctly using current best installation practices. There are five specific 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 review sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Google Reviews, and TrustPilot to see customer feedback about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you assess a company's reliability and customer service. Use caution with companies that have very few reviews or mostly negative ones.
Get free, detailed quotes from three to five solar companies. The quotes should describe all costs and identify the exact solar parts included. Comparing several quotes can help you find the best value for your budget.
Top-notch solar installations should come with strong workmanship and performance warranties. A workmanship guarantee covers installation issues, such as poor alignment, poor wiring, or cracks in the panels. A performance warranty guarantees a minimum energy output. Comprehensive guarantees show that a solar company believes in its work.
Solar energy can help reduce your energy expenses. Be sure to evaluate these aspects when judging the cost and value of solar panels.
Lake Arrowhead homeowners typically spend about $6,973 on home solar systems after federal tax refunds. Solar arrays in Lake Arrowhead cost approximately $3,470 per kilowatt, with the average residential solar system being 2.9 kilowatts. An estimate from a local solar provider will include costs for preliminary work, permit fees, and labor, and will account for your system's panel type, capacity, and size. Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels in order 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 appliance or system 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.
Of course. The grid in Lake Arrowhead 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 Lake Arrowhead, the average amount someone can save is $751 per year. With net metering programs offered by many utilities, you could ultimately make a profit from your system when your payback period is done.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how short it takes to get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Lake Arrowhead, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 9.3 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
While solar energy is an ideal option for many, it might not be ideal for homeowners in wet, dark areas. In these cases, a contractor might recommend other forms of renewable energy, such as wind or geothermal power, as a primary source. It is also important to speak to a qualified installer to determine if their solar system is compatible with the climate and environment of your area. Even if you choose a different form of renewable energy altogether, you'll still help the environment and could still qualify for distributed generation or other money-saving programs.
The best type of residential solar panel depends on your specific needs and goals. For a typical home, monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient for houses in Lake Arrowhead. However, if lowering cost is your top priority, then you may want to consider polycrystalline or thin-film solar panels. When you're gathering estimates, make sure to ask about the types of solar panels a contractor offers and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Solar panels are gaining traction 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.
