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 solar panel array could give you a renewable power source that will pay for itself in time. Solar power can cut your energy costs and shrink your carbon footprint. However, it's important to hire a trustworthy solar installer. Luckily, we've done the research and compiled a guide to the best and most dependable solar installation companies in Santa Maria.
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Family-operated business
Services Offered
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
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:
Putting solar panels on your roof could reduce your electricity payments while benefiting the planet 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 the most up-to-date installation methods. There are five different classifications of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. To earn licensure, an installer must complete a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of field experience, and pass written exams.
Check consumer review platforms like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), TrustPilot, and Google Reviews to see customer feedback about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you assess a company's reliability and customer service. Use caution with installers that have very few reviews or mostly negative ones.
Contact at least three solar companies for free, detailed quotes. Quotes should clearly outline all costs and list the exact solar components included. Comparing multiple quotes helps identify the most cost-effective option for you.
High-quality solar installations should come with robust workmanship and performance guarantees. The workmanship warranty covers any installation issues like poor alignment, poor wiring, or cracks in the panels. The output guarantee ensures an energy generation baseline. Strong warranties reflect a solar provider's faith in its installations.
Solar power can help reduce your electricity costs in the long run. When considering solar panel's cost and value, be sure to consider these considerations.
The cost of solar panels varies based on system capacity and the solar technology being used. The typical Santa Maria solar array has a capacity of 2.8 kilowatts. Homeowners in the area can expect to pay around $3,470 per kilowatt; the average Santa Maria homeowners spends roughly $6,836 on a new solar system after accounting for federal tax breaks. (Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels to reduce their upfront costs.) A personalized quote from a local solar company will account for things like the panel type, size, and capacity of the planned system, and should include fees for labor, permit fees, and preliminary work.
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 appliance or system in your home. More specifically, you can install a solar heating system for your water.
There are a number of advantages of home solar energy. You can reduce emissions, raise your property values, and save money. With the right storage equipment, solar panels can also give you further energy independence and offer some protection from power outages.
Yes, it's possible to use home solar energy alongside conventional power sources. In many areas, solar panels are designed to supplement your existing energy sources, which means you can reap the savings and environmental benefits that come from using 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 Maria amount to $1,053.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how short it takes to get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Santa Maria, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 6.5 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
Your recommended maintenance will vary based on the type of solar panels you have. With any system, you should clean and inspect each panel once per season. Your solar energy company might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance on your behalf.
Of course. Solar panels exist independently from the power grid in Santa Maria and will continue to generate power even if the grid is having problems. Keep in mind, however, that a solar system won't take you through a nighttime outage if you don't have a storage system. Your contractor can discuss some economical options to keep your home's power access reliable through the worst conditions, including battery backups or an emergency generator.
Solar panels can be more efficient than other forms of renewable energy. They have inexpensive upkeep and today's systems can stand up to the worst conditions.
