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 solar panel array could give you a renewable power source that will eventually pay for itself. Solar power can cut your energy costs and lower your carbon footprint. However, it's important to select a qualified solar installer. That’s why we’ve analyzed the options and assembled a guide to the most dependable solar Installers in Monterey. These top companies consistently deliver high-quality and dependable services.
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
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 lower utility bills while benefiting the planet by reducing your carbon footprint using clean energy. If you’re determining whether 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 the most up-to-date installation methods. There are five specific 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 the Better Business Bureau (BBB), TrustPilot, Google Reviews, and other review sites to see what past customers have to say about local solar companies. Detailed reviews on these platforms can help you assess a provider's reliability and customer service. Stay away from providers with few or mainly poor reviews.
Call 3–5 solar companies for free, itemized quotes. The quotes should explain all costs and specify the solar equipment included. Reviewing multiple quotes helps identify the best option that fits your budget.
Quality solar installations should have comprehensive workmanship and performance warranties. The workmanship guarantee covers any installation problems such as cracks in the panels, poor alignment, or poor wiring. The performance warranty ensures a specific energy output level. Strong guarantees indicate that a solar installer has faith in its installations.
Solar energy can help you lower electricity bills over time. Make sure you consider these aspects when considering the final cost and value of solar panels.
In Monterey, solar panels cost an average of $3,470 per kilowatt, with an average system size of 2.9 kilowatts. The typical Monterey homeowner spends $7,050 on their solar array after federal tax refunds. An estimate from a local provider will factor in additional information based on your desired system's capacity, panel type, size, and required preliminary work. In some cases, homeowners may prefer leasing 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 system or appliance in your home. More specifically, you can install a solar heating system for your water.
There are many benefits to home solar energy. You can save money, reduce emissions, and qualify for tax benefits. With the right storage equipment, solar panels can also give you additional energy security and offer some protection from power outages.
It depends on your location and the kind of panels you plan to use. With the winter months in California being very mild, you have a lengthy window to install your panels, though they won't achieve peak performance until summer arrives.
Yes. The grid in Monterey 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.
Your payback period is the time to achieve an ROI on your solar panels. It will vary based on their rated capacity, the average sunlight in your area, and the rate your utility charges per kilowatt of power. Monterey has extremely high daily sunlight levels, so you could recoup your investment in as little as 6.7 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.
Solar panels are gaining in popularity 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.
