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 Modesto residents. 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 qualified installer. That’s why, after reviewing and analyzing providers, we assembled a guide to the most trusted solar companies in Modesto. These providers consistently deliver dependable quality service.
Our Rating
User Rating
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
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 reduce electricity costs and help the planet by reducing your carbon footprint using renewable energy. Here are some crucial factors to consider when evaluating if a solar installer is reliable.
Confirm that your solar installer is properly licensed. This helps ensure that the work is done properly using current installation best practices. There are five different 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 take a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Check consumer review platforms like TrustPilot, Google Reviews, 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 reliability and customer service. Use caution with companies that have very few reviews or mostly negative ones.
Get free, detailed quotes from 3–5 solar companies. A quote should describe all costs and identify the exact solar parts included. Comparing several quotes can help you find the option that best fits your budget.
Quality solar installations should have strong workmanship and performance warranties. A workmanship guarantee addresses any installation defects (such as poor wiring, cracks in the panels, or poor alignment), while a performance warranty ensures a certain level of energy production. Strong warranties show that a company is confident in its work.
Solar panels can help decrease your electricity costs over time. When considering solar panel's cost and value, be sure to factor in these considerations.
Modesto homeowners typically spend about $7,258 on home solar systems after federal tax refunds. Solar arrays in Modesto cost approximately $3,470 per kilowatt, with an average size of 3.0 kilowatts. A personalized estimate from a local solar provider will include costs for labor, permit fees, and preliminary work, and will account for your system's size, capacity, and panel type. Some homeowners prefer to lease their 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
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) array can be used to power any household appliance or system that uses electricity. In the smallest case, you can use a solar water heating system.
There are a number of advantages of home solar energy. You can save money, raise your property values, and qualify for tax benefits. With the right storage equipment, solar panels can also give you further energy independence and offer some protection from power outages.
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 environmental benefits and savings of solar energy without having to completely switch over.
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. Modesto has extremely high daily sunlight levels, so you could recoup your investment in as little as 7.0 years per 5 kW of rated capacity.
Net metering is a power purchasing policy that allows solar energy system owners to receive bill credits or payments 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.
While solar energy might not be the best performing choice for some in dark or wet areas, the latest generation of equipment and energy storage systems could boost your property's solar viability enough to achieve a return on investment. A contractor could also recommend a different primary source of renewable energy like wind or geothermal to boost your generation.
