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Last Updated: February 25, 2025
Solar is one of the most easily accessible forms of renewable energy for Riverside residents. Adopting solar energy can lower your monthly energy expenses and decrease your carbon output. Before you get started, you want to make sure you find a reputable installer. That’s why we’ve analyzed the options and compiled a guide to the most dependable solar providers in Riverside. These top installers offer high-quality and reliable services.
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Family-operated business
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
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:
Going solar can be a great way to save money on 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 ensures that the work is done properly using current installation best practices. There are five specific levels of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. For a contractor to earn a license, an installer must complete a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of experience as an apprentice or journeyman, and pass written exams.
Check review sites like TrustPilot, Google Reviews, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see customer feedback about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you assess a company's dependability and customer service. Use caution with companies that have very few reviews or mostly negative ones.
Get free, detailed quotes from three to five solar companies. The quotes should list all costs and identify the solar parts included. Looking at several quotes can help you find the best value for your budget.
High-quality solar installations should come with robust workmanship and performance warranties. The workmanship warranty covers any installation issues like poor wiring, poor alignment, or cracks in the panels. The output warranty ensures an energy generation baseline. Strong warranties reflect a solar provider's confidence in its installations.
Solar energy is great for helping you lower electricity bills over time. Make sure you consider these aspects when considering the final cost and value of solar panels.
In Riverside, solar panels cost an average of $3,470 per kilowatt, with an average system size of 2.8 kilowatts. The typical Riverside homeowner spends $6,803 on their solar array after federal tax refunds. An estimate from a local provider will consider additional information based on your desired system's panel type, size, capacity, and required preliminary work. 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 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
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 Type: PACE Financing
Incentive Amount:
Locally determined
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can be used to power any household appliance or system that uses electricity. In the smallest case, you can use a solar water heater.
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 your location and what type of panels you're installing. With the winter months in California being very mild, you have significant leeway to install your panels, though they won't reach peak performance until summer arrives.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how short it takes to get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Riverside, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 8.1 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
The specific types of maintenance you need will depend on the type of panels you're using. Regardless of type, you should clean your panels regularly and inspect them for damage. Many solar contractors in the Riverside area offer multipoint maintenance plans to help you make the most of your panels and keep them healthy for as long as possible.
Net metering is a power purchasing policy that allows solar energy system owners to receive compensation 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.
Solar energy is on par with other forms of renewable energy. They have low maintenance costs and today's systems can generate and manage energy under more conditions.
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