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 Redwood City homes. Transitioning to solar energy can lower your monthly energy expenses and decrease your carbon output. Before you begin the process, you want to make sure you find a qualified installer. That’s why we’ve researched the options and compiled a guide to the most reputable solar providers in Redwood City. These top installers offer high-quality and dependable services.
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Family-operated business
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
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:
Adopting solar power lets homeowners reduce utility bills while helping the environment by reducing your carbon footprint using clean energy. If you’re deciding whether to go solar, consider these key factors for choosing an installer.
Hiring a licensed solar installer is critical. This ensures that the work is done properly 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, a contractor must take a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of experience as an apprentice or journeyman, and pass written exams.
Check review sites like Google Reviews, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and TrustPilot to see feedback from past customers on local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you evaluate a company's reliability and customer service. Use caution with companies that have barely any reviews or mostly negative ones.
To find a solar company that works with your budget, get free, detailed quotes from three to five providers. The quotes should outline all costs and list the solar equipment included. Looking at several quotes helps you identify the option that best fits your budget.
High-quality solar installations should have robust workmanship and performance guarantees. The workmanship warranty covers any installation issues like cracks in the panels, poor alignment, or poor wiring. The output guarantee ensures an energy generation baseline. Strong guarantees reflect a solar provider's confidence in its installations.
Installing solar panels can help lower your electric bills over time. When evaluating the total price and value of solar panels, make sure to consider these factors.
The cost of home solar panels in Redwood City will depend on several factors, including the size of the system and the type of panels you'll use. Generally speaking, a typical solar energy system will cost $3,470 per kilowatt, not including permit fees, labor, or preliminary work. Most solar systems in Redwood City are 3.1 kilowatts, and the typical Redwood City homeowners spends $7,454 after accounting for federal tax refunds. Some homeowners may prefer leasing their 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. More specifically, you can install a solar water heating system.
With home solar panels, you can save money on your energy bill, 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.
Absolutely. The grid in Redwood City 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 significantly decrease 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 Redwood City, the average amount someone can save is $1,053 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 answer will depend on your specific needs and goals. In most cases, monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient for Redwood City homes. However, if lowering cost is your top priority, then you could polycrystalline or thin-film solar panels. When you're gathering estimates, make sure to ask about the different types of solar panels an installer offers and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Solar panels are gaining wider adoption for their high efficiency and low maintenance costs. Depending on how much sunlight your property receives, you may find they're the best performing source of renewable energy compared to others.
