Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
Rooftop solar energy is becoming increasingly popular for Morro Bay homeowners. A solar panel array can help you decrease your carbon footprint, add value to your property, and provide a dependable source of power. Adopting solar energy can help you save money and reduce your carbon footprint, but you want to make sure you find a qualified installer. That’s why, after conducting thorough research on providers, we put together a guide to the most trusted solar companies in Morro Bay. These companies consistently deliver dependable quality service.
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Family-operated business
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
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 reduce electricity costs and help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint using renewable energy. Here are some crucial factors to consider when deciding if a solar installer is reliable.
It's imperative that your solar installer has the proper licensing. This helps ensure that the work is done correctly using the most up-to-date installation methods. There are five different 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.
Look at review platforms such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Google Reviews, and TrustPilot to find out what previous customers have to say about local solar providers. Reviews can give you an idea of a company’s reliability and customer service. Be wary of companies lacking reviews or with predominantly negative feedback.
Call three to five solar companies for free, itemized quotes. These quotes should describe all costs and specify the solar equipment included. Reviewing multiple quotes helps you find the option that aligns with your budget.
Quality solar installations should have comprehensive workmanship and performance warranties. The workmanship warranty covers any installation issues such as poor wiring, poor alignment, or cracks in the panels. The performance guarantee ensures a specific energy output level. Strong warranties indicate that a solar installer trusts its installations.
Solar energy can help lower your electricity costs long-term. When evaluating solar panel's cost and value, be sure to consider these considerations.
In Morro Bay, solar panels cost an average of $3,470 per kilowatt, with an average system size of 2.9 kilowatts. The typical Morro Bay homeowner spends $6,986 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 required preliminary work, size, capacity, and panel type. In some cases, homeowners may prefer to lease 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) array 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 PV, 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.
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 a wide time window to install your panels, though they won't reach peak performance until summer arrives.
Generally speaking, your energy bills will decrease significantly 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 Morro Bay, the average amount someone can save is $1,053 per year. With net metering programs offered by many utilities, you could ultimately make a profit from your system after the payback period concludes.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how short it takes to get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Morro Bay, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 6.6 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
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.
The best type of residential solar panel depends on your specific needs and goals. In most cases, monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient for Morro Bay homes. However, if you have a limited budget, then you could polycrystalline or thin-film solar panels. When you're gathering estimates, make sure to ask about the brand names and models of solar panels an installer offers and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
