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 rooftop solar array could give you a renewable power source that will eventually pay for itself. Making the switch to solar power allows you to cut your utility bills and reduce your environmental impact. But you'll want to find a qualified installation company first. Luckily, we've done the research and created a guide to the best and most trustworthy solar installation providers in Patterson.
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
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:
Going solar can be a great way to lower electricity costs and help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint using renewable energy. Here are some key factors to consider when evaluating if a solar installer is trustworthy.
Verify that your solar installer is properly licensed. This help guarantee that the work is done correctly using the most up-to-date installation methods. There are five different types of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. To earn licensure, a contractor must take a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Check review sites 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 evaluate a company's reliability and customer service. Use caution with providers that have hardly any reviews or mostly negative ones.
Get free, detailed quotes from at least three solar companies. A quote should describe all costs and identify the solar parts included. Comparing several quotes can help you find the option that best fits your budget.
High-quality solar installations should have robust workmanship and performance guarantees. The workmanship guarantee covers any installation issues like poor wiring, cracks in the panels, or poor alignment. The output guarantee ensures an energy generation baseline. Strong warranties reflect a solar provider's confidence in its installations.
Going solar can help reduce your energy expenses. Be sure to evaluate these aspects when determining the cost and value of solar panels.
Solar panel costs vary based on system capacity and the solar technology being used. The typical Patterson solar array has a capacity of 3.0 kilowatts. Homeowners in the area can expect to pay approximately $3,470 per kilowatt; the average Patterson homeowners spends about $7,258 on a new solar array after accounting for federal tax breaks. (Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels to lower upfront costs.) A personalized quote from a local solar installer will account for things like the size, capacity, and panel type of the planned system, and should include fees for preliminary work, permit fees, and labor.
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 system or appliance that uses electricity. In the smallest case, you can use a solar water heater.
With home solar panels, you can recoup the cost of the system over time, lower your home's carbon footprint, and gain additional energy independence.
Absolutely. The grid in Patterson 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.
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 Patterson, the average amount someone can save is $1,030 per year. With net metering programs offered by many utilities, you could ultimately make a profit from your system when your payback period is done.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Patterson, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 7.0 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 clean your panels regularly and inspect them for damage. Full-service solar contractors in the Patterson area offer low-cost maintenance plans to help you keep your panels healthy and make the most of your system.
While 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 help the environment and could still qualify for distributed generation or other money-saving programs.
The most common types of home solar panels in Patterson include thin-film, polycrystalline and monocrystalline. Monocrystalline panels are balanced and efficient, while thin-film and polycrystalline panels pair good performance with greater upfront value. Talk with your local provider about which solar panels they work with.
