Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated February 2024
Solar is one of the most easily accessible forms of renewable energy for Piedmont residents. Transitioning to solar energy can reduce your monthly energy expenses and shrink your carbon output. Before you get started, you want to make sure you find a trustworthy installer. That’s why, after conducting thorough research on installers, we put together a guide to the most reputable solar companies in Piedmont. These providers have a reputation for excellent service.
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
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:
Putting solar panels on your roof could reduce your electricity payments while benefiting the planet by reducing your carbon footprint through renewable energy use. Key considerations when looking at local solar installers are as follows.
Confirm that your solar installer is properly licensed. This ensures that the work is done properly using the most up-to-date installation methods. There are five distinct classifications of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. For a contractor to earn a license, an installer must take a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Check TrustPilot, Google Reviews, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and other review sites to see what past customers are saying about local solar providers. Detailed reviews on these platforms can help you assess a provider's reliability and customer service. Avoid providers with few or mainly poor reviews.
Call three to five solar companies for free, itemized quotes. A quote should describe all costs and list the solar equipment included. Reviewing multiple quotes helps identify the best option that fits your budget.
Quality solar installations should include strong workmanship and performance guarantees. A workmanship guarantee covers any installation defects (such as poor wiring, poor alignment, or cracks in the panels), while a performance guarantee ensures a certain level of energy production. Strong guarantees show that a company is confident in its work.
Switching to solar power can help reduce your energy expenses over time. Be sure to evaluate these aspects when judging the cost and value of solar panels.
Solar panel costs vary based on your system's capacity and the solar technology being used. The typical Piedmont solar array has a capacity of 3.0 kilowatts. Homeowners in the area can expect to pay approximately $3,470 per kilowatt; the average Piedmont homeowners spends roughly $7,314 on a new solar array after accounting for federal tax breaks. (Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels to lower their upfront costs.) A personalized quote from a local solar installer will account for factors such as the capacity, size, and panel type of the planned system, and should include costs for labor, permit fees, 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
A solar photovoltaic (PV) array can generate power to run any electric system or appliance in your home. If you don't want to use solar power for your entire home, you can install a solar heating system for your water.
There are a number of advantages of home solar energy. You can raise your property values, reduce emissions, and qualify for tax benefits. With the right storage equipment, solar panels can also offer you additional energy security and offer some protection from power outages.
Of course. The grid in Piedmont 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.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Piedmont, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 6.9 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. Many solar contractors in the Piedmont area offer multipoint maintenance plans to help you keep your panels healthy and make the most of your system.
While solar energy might not be ideal for some in wet or dark areas, the latest generation of equipment and energy storage systems could increase your property's solar viability enough to achieve a return on investment. A contractor could also recommend a different primary source of renewable energy like wind or geothermal to boost your generation.
Solar panels are becoming more relevant than ever for their low upkeep costs and high efficiency under a variety of conditions. Depending on how much sunlight your property receives, you may find they're the best performing source of renewable energy compared to others.
