Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
Every year, more Orange Cove homeowners turn to rooftop solar panels to add value to their property and provide a dependable source of power. Making the switch to solar power can help cut your utility bills and reduce your environmental impact. But you'll want to find a trustworthy installation company first. Luckily, we've done the research and assembled a guide to the best and most reliable solar installation companies in Orange Cove.
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Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
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Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
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 planet by reducing your carbon footprint using renewable energy. Here are some crucial factors to consider when determining whether a solar installer is reliable.
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 types 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), Google Reviews, and TrustPilot to see feedback from past customers on local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you assess a company's reliability and customer service. Use caution with companies that have no reviews or mostly negative ones.
To find a solar installer that works with your budget, get free, detailed quotes from at least three providers. The quotes should list all costs as well as all solar equipment included. Comparing several quotes helps you identify the most cost-effective option.
Quality solar installations should come with strong workmanship and performance warranties. A workmanship guarantee addresses any installation defects (such as poor alignment, poor wiring, or cracks in the panels), 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 decrease your electric bills over time. When considering the total price and value of solar panels, make sure to consider these factors.
The cost of solar panels varies based on system capacity and the technology being used. The average solar system in Orange Cove has a capacity of 3.0 kilowatts. Homeowners in the area should expect to pay approximately $3,470 per kilowatt; the average Orange Cove homeowners spends about $7,234 on a new solar system after accounting for federal tax breaks. (Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels to reduce their upfront costs.) A personalized quote from a local solar company will account for factors such as the size, panel type, and capacity of the planned system, and should include prices for permit fees, labor, and preliminary work.
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) system 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.
With home solar PV, you can recoup the cost of the system over time, lower your property's emissions, and gain additional energy independence.
It depends on your location and the kind of panels you plan to use. Orange Cove can experience long, hard winters, so we recommend installing your system in the springtime to maximize your generation for the year.
Yes, you can use home solar energy alongside conventional power sources. In many areas, solar panels are designed to supplement your existing energy sources, so you can reap the environmental benefits and savings of solar energy without having to completely switch over.
Your payback period is the time to earn a net profit from 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. Orange Cove has extremely high daily sunlight levels, so you could recoup your investment in as little as 6.9 years per 5 kW of rated capacity.
The specific required maintenance steps will vary based on the type of solar panels you have. With any system, you should clean and inspect each panel once per season. Your solar installer might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance on your behalf.
The best type of residential solar panel depends on your specific needs and goals. For a typical home, monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient for Orange Cove homes. However, if lowering cost is your top priority, then you could thin-film or polycrystalline solar panels. When you're gathering estimates, make sure to ask about the different types of solar panels a contractor offers and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Solar panels are on par with other forms of renewable energy. They have inexpensive upkeep and today's systems can stand up to the worst conditions.
