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 energy is becoming increasingly popular for Poway homeowners. A rooftop solar array can help you decrease your carbon footprint, add value to your property, and provide a dependable source of power. Going solar helps cut your utility bills and lower your environmental impact. But you'll want to find a trustworthy installation company first. That’s why we’ve researched the options and compiled a guide to the most reputable solar Installers in Poway. These top providers offer high-quality and dependable services.
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Family-operated business
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Family-operated business
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Family-operated business
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
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 planet by reducing your carbon footprint using renewable energy. Here are some key 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 properly using current best installation practices. There are five specific types 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 review sites like Google Reviews, TrustPilot, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see customer feedback about 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 company that works with your budget, get free, detailed quotes from at least three providers. The quotes should outline all costs and list the solar equipment included. Comparing several quotes helps you identify the best value.
Quality solar installations should come with comprehensive workmanship and performance guarantees. The workmanship guarantee covers any installation issues such as cracks in the panels, poor alignment, or poor wiring. The performance guarantee promises a specific energy output level. Strong guarantees indicate that a solar installer trusts its installations.
Solar power can help decrease your electricity costs long-term. When weighing solar panel's cost and value, be sure to factor in these considerations.
In Poway, solar panels cost an average of $3,470 per kilowatt, with an average system size of 2.8 kilowatts. The typical Poway homeowner spends $6,837 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 size, required preliminary work, panel type, and capacity. In some cases, homeowners may prefer to lease solar panels to reduce upfront costs.
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) system 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.
With home solar energy, you can recoup the cost of the system over time, lower your home's carbon footprint, and be better prepared if there's an outage to the local grid.
It depends on your home's location and the kind of panels you plan to use. With the winter months in California being very mild, you have significant leeway to install your panels, though they won't achieve 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 Poway, the average amount someone can save is $922 per year. With net metering programs offered by many utilities, you could ultimately make a profit from your system after the payback period concludes.
The specific required maintenance steps will vary based on the type of solar panels you have. At a minimum, you should clean and inspect each panel once per season. Your solar contractor might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance on your behalf.
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.
While solar energy might not be the best option for some in wet or dark areas, the latest generation of equipment and energy storage systems could boost your property's solar viability enough where you could 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.
