Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Last Updated: February 25, 2025
Rooftop solar is one of the most easily accessible forms of renewable energy for Live Oak residents. Switching to solar energy can allow you to save money and shrink your carbon footprint, but you want to make sure you find a reputable installer. That’s why we’ve reviewed the options and compiled a guide to the most reliable solar installation companies in Live Oak. These top installers offer high-quality and reliable services.
Our Rating
User Rating
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
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:
Going solar can be a great way to save money on electricity costs and help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint using renewable energy. Here are some crucial factors to consider when determining whether a solar installer is trustworthy.
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 distinct 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 take a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Check review sites like TrustPilot, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and Google Reviews to see customer feedback about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you assess a company's dependability and customer service. Use caution with companies that have barely any reviews or mostly negative ones.
To find a solar installer that works with your budget, ask for free, detailed quotes from at least three providers. The quotes should outline all costs and list the solar equipment included. Comparing several quotes helps you identify the most cost-effective option.
Quality solar installations should include strong workmanship and performance guarantees. A workmanship guarantee addresses any installation defects (such as poor wiring, cracks in the panels, or poor alignment), 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 lower your electric bills over time. When considering the total price and value of solar panels, be sure to consider these factors.
Solar panel costs vary based on system capacity and the technology used. The average solar system in Live Oak has a capacity of 3.1 kilowatts. Homeowners in the area should expect to pay around $3,470 per kilowatt; the average Live Oak homeowners spends about $7,464 on a new solar array after accounting for federal tax breaks. (Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels to lower their upfront costs.) A personalized quote from a local solar company will account for things like the panel type, size, and capacity of the planned system, and should include fees for preliminary work, permit fees, and labor.
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. More specifically, you can install a solar heating system for your water.
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 where you live and the kind of panels you plan to use. With the winter months in California being very mild, you have significant leeway to install your panels, though they won't hit peak performance until summer arrives.
Yes, it's possible to use home solar energy alongside conventional power sources. In many areas, solar panels are designed to supplement your existing energy sources, which means you can reap the savings and environmental benefits that come from using solar energy without having to completely switch over.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Live Oak, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 7.1 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
Of course. Solar panels don't depend on the grid to work and will continue to generate power even if the grid is having problems. Bear in mind, however, that a solar system without a storage system cannot keep you running through a nighttime outage. 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.
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.
