Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
Solar is one of the most easily accessible forms of renewable energy for Oroville residents. Making the switch to solar power can help cut your utility bills and lower your environmental impact. But you'll want to find a reputable installation company first. That’s why we’ve researched the options and assembled a guide to the most reputable solar installation companies in Oroville. These top installers offer high-quality and reliable services.
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Family-operated business
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
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 determining whether a solar installer is reliable.
Hiring a licensed solar installer is critical. This help guarantee that the work is done correctly using current installation best practices. There are five specific levels of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. 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 Google Reviews, TrustPilot, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see customer feedback about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you evaluate a company's reliability and customer service. Use caution with providers that have hardly any reviews or mostly negative ones.
Call three to five solar companies for free, itemized quotes. The quotes should outline all costs and specify the solar equipment included. Reviewing multiple quotes helps identify the option that aligns with your budget.
Quality solar installations should include strong workmanship and performance warranties. A workmanship warranty 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 demonstrate a company's confidence in its work.
Switching to solar power can help lower your energy expenses over time. Be sure to consider these aspects when determining the cost and value of solar panels.
The cost of solar panels varies based on system capacity and the technology used. The typical Oroville solar array has a capacity of 3.1 kilowatts. Homeowners in the area should expect to pay around $3,470 per kilowatt; the average Oroville homeowners spends about $7,626 on a new solar system after accounting for federal tax breaks. (Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels to reduce upfront costs.) A personalized quote from a local solar company will account for things like the size, capacity, and panel type of the planned system, and should include prices for permit fees, preliminary work, and labor.
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 appliance or system in your home. A more specific example is installing a solar water heating system.
With home solar energy, 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. Since there's a moderate amount of snowfall in Oroville, your best time to install solar panels is in the spring and fall.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Oroville, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 7.2 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
The type of solar panels you have will have specific maintenance steps to follow. Regardless of type, you should inspect your panels for damage and clean them regularly. A majority of solar contractors in the Oroville area offer low-cost maintenance plans to help you keep your panels healthy and make the most of your system.
Net metering is a type of "power purchase agreement." If your utility or state offers net metering, you can sell the solar energy you don't use to the grid. In return, they'll give you a credit on your power bill.
The answer depends on your specific needs and goals. Generally, monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient for homes in Oroville. However, if lowering cost is your top priority, then you could thin-film or polycrystalline solar panels. When you're choosing a contractor, make sure to ask about the types of solar panels a contractor offers and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
