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 will provide you with a renewable power source that will pay for itself in time. Adopting solar energy can help you save money and shrink your carbon footprint, but you want to make sure you find a reputable installer. That’s why, after reviewing and analyzing installers, we compiled a guide to the most reliable solar companies in San Luis Obispo. These providers consistently deliver dependable quality service.
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Family-operated business
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
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 crucial factors to consider when evaluating if a solar installer is reliable.
Make sure you hire a licensed solar installer. This ensures that the work is done correctly using current installation best practices. There are five distinct levels of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. For a contractor to earn a license, a contractor must complete a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of experience as an apprentice or journeyman, and pass written exams.
Check Google Reviews, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), TrustPilot, and other review sites to see what past customers are saying about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you evaluate a provider's reliability and customer service. Stay away from providers with few or mainly poor reviews.
Get free, detailed quotes from three to five solar companies. The quotes should list all costs and identify the exact solar parts included. Looking at several quotes can help you find the option that best fits your budget.
High-quality solar installations should have robust workmanship and performance warranties. 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 reduce 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 San Luis Obispo will depend on several factors, including your system's expected capacity and the type of panels you'll use. Generally speaking, a complete solar energy system costs $3,470 per kilowatt, not including permit fees, preliminary work, or labor. Most solar systems in San Luis Obispo are 2.9 kilowatts, and the typical San Luis Obispo homeowners spends $6,986 after accounting for federal tax refunds. Some homeowners may prefer to lease solar panels and reduce upfront costs.
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 appliance or system in your home. A more specific example is installing a solar water heating system.
There are a number of advantages of home solar energy. You can qualify for tax benefits, reduce emissions, and save money. With the right storage equipment, solar panels can also provide you with further energy independence and offer some protection from power outages.
It depends on your home's 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 hit peak performance until summer arrives.
Your installer can give you an estimate of what your energy bills will look like after you install solar panels. Generally, your energy bills will decrease significantly because you'll be using energy from the sun for free, instead of buying energy from the utility company. The average annual savings in San Luis Obispo amount to $1,053.
Your payback period is the time to earn a net profit from your solar panels. It will vary based on the average sunlight in your area, their rated capacity, and the rate your utility charges per kilowatt of power. San Luis Obispo has extremely high daily sunlight levels, so you could recoup your investment in as little as 6.6 years per 5 kW of rated capacity.
Net metering is a type of "power purchase agreement." If your state or utility offers net metering, you can return the solar energy you don't use to your provider. In return, they'll give you a credit on your power bill.
The answer depends on your specific needs and goals. Generally, monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient for San Luis Obispo homes. However, if lowering cost is your top priority, then you could thin-film or polycrystalline solar panels. When you're choosing a contractor, make sure to ask about the types of solar panels a company offers and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
