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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated June 2024
Solar is one of the most easily accessible forms of renewable energy for Larkspur homes. Switching to solar energy can allow you to save money and reduce your carbon footprint, but you want to make sure you find a qualified installer. Luckily, we’ve conducted comprehensive research local solar providers and put together a guide to the best solar companies in Larkspur. These proven and dependable providers are smart choices homeowners can depend on.
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
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.
Make sure you hire a licensed solar installer. 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. To earn licensure, an installer must take a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Check review sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), TrustPilot, and Google Reviews to see feedback from past customers about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you evaluate a company's dependability and level of service. Use caution with installers that have very few reviews or mostly negative ones.
Call 3–5 solar companies for free, itemized quotes. A quote should describe all costs and list the solar equipment included. Reviewing multiple quotes helps you find the best option that fits your budget.
High-quality solar installations should come with robust workmanship and performance guarantees. The workmanship guarantee covers any installation issues like poor alignment, poor wiring, or cracks in the panels. The output guarantee ensures an energy generation baseline. Strong warranties reflect a solar provider's faith in its installations.
Solar panels can help decrease your electricity costs long-term. When evaluating solar panel's cost and value, be sure to consider these considerations.
The cost of home solar panels in Larkspur depends on several factors, including your system's expected capacity and the type of solar technology being used. Generally speaking, a complete solar energy system costs $3,470 per kilowatt, not including permit fees, labor, or preliminary work. Most solar systems in Larkspur are 3.2 kilowatts, and the typical Larkspur homeowners spends $7,653 after accounting for federal tax refunds. Some homeowners may prefer leasing their solar panels to reduce upfront costs.
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
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can be used to power any household system or appliance that uses electricity. In the smallest case, you can use a solar water heater.
With home solar energy, you can recoup the cost of the system over time, lower your property's emissions, and be better prepared if there's an outage to the local grid.
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 Larkspur amount to $1,053.
Your payback period is the time to earn a net profit from 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. Larkspur has extremely high daily sunlight levels, so you could recoup your investment in as little as 7.3 years per 5 kW of rated capacity.
Net metering is a power purchasing policy that allows solar energy system owners to be compensated for the amount of energy they put back into the grid. It's available in most states and is a great way to reduce energy costs.
Although solar energy is a valuable option for many, it might not be ideal for homeowners in wet, dark areas. In these cases, you could consider 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 lower your emissions and could still qualify for distributed generation or other money-saving programs.
Of course. Solar panels are independent of the Larkspur grid and will continue to generate power even if the grid is having problems. Keep in mind, however, that a solar system won't take you through a nighttime outage if you don't have a storage system. Your contractor can discuss some economical options to keep your home's power access reliable through the worst conditions, including battery backups or an emergency generator.