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 allow you to 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 providers, we put together a guide to the most dependable solar companies in Santa Barbara. These installers offer high-quality service.
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Family-operated business
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
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 helping the environment by reducing your carbon footprint through renewable energy use. Key considerations when researching local solar installers are as follows.
Confirm that your solar installer is properly licensed. This ensures that the work is done properly using current best installation practices. There are five distinct levels of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. To earn a license, a contractor must complete a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Check Google Reviews, TrustPilot, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and other review sites to see what past customers have to say about local solar providers. Detailed reviews can help you assess a provider's trustworthiness and customer service. Avoid companies with few or mainly poor reviews.
Call 3–5 solar companies for free, itemized quotes. A quote should outline all costs and list the solar equipment included. Reviewing multiple quotes helps you find the best option that fits your budget.
Top-notch solar installations should include strong workmanship and performance guarantees. A workmanship guarantee covers installation issues, such as poor alignment, poor wiring, or cracks in the panels. A performance warranty ensures a minimum energy output. Comprehensive guarantees show that a solar company believes in its work.
Going solar can help lower your energy expenses over time. Be sure to weigh these aspects when determining the cost and value of solar panels.
The average Santa Barbara homeowner will spend around $6,836 on a home solar system after federal tax refunds. Solar arrays in Santa Barbara cost roughly $3,470 per kilowatt, with the average residential solar system being 2.8 kilowatts. An estimate from a local solar provider will include costs for permit fees, labor, and preliminary work, and will account for your system's panel type, size, and capacity. Some homeowners 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
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can be used to power any household appliance or system that uses electricity. In the simplest case, you can use a solar water heating system.
There are many advantages of home solar energy. You can raise your property values, qualify for tax benefits, and reduce emissions. With the right storage equipment, solar panels can also offer you additional energy security and offer some protection from power outages.
Yes, you can use home solar energy alongside conventional power sources. In most parts of the country, solar panels are designed to supplement your existing energy sources, which means you can reap the environmental benefits and savings of solar energy without having to completely switch over.
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 Santa Barbara amount to $818.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how short it takes to get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Santa Barbara, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 8.4 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
Net metering is a type of "power purchase agreement." If your utility or state offers net metering, you can sell the solar energy you don't use to the grid. In return, they'll give you a credit on your power bill.
Yes, solar panels will still be able to supply you with energy during a grid outage. To ensure that your solar system is able to keep working during a power outage, make sure to choose a quality solar provider that offers battery backup systems or emergency generators.
