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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated February 2024
Solar energy is becoming increasingly popular for Temescal Valley homeowners. A rooftop solar array can help you add value to your property, decrease your carbon footprint, and provide a dependable source of power. Solar power can reduce your energy costs and shrink your carbon footprint. However, it's important to choose a trustworthy solar installer. That’s why, after conducting thorough research on installers, we assembled a guide to the most dependable solar companies in Temescal Valley. These installers offer dependable quality service.
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Family-operated business
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
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 reduce electricity costs and help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint using renewable energy. Here are some key factors to consider when evaluating if a solar installer is trustworthy.
It's important to hire a licensed solar installer. This help guarantee that the work is done properly using current installation best practices. There are five distinct types of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. To earn a license, an installer must take 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 installers. Detailed reviews on these platforms can help you evaluate a provider's reliability and customer service. Stay away from companies with few or mainly poor reviews.
Contact 3–5 solar companies for free, detailed quotes. Quotes should clearly explain all costs and specify the exact solar components included. Comparing multiple quotes helps identify the most cost-effective option for you.
Quality solar installations should come with strong workmanship and performance guarantees. A workmanship guarantee addresses any installation defects (such as poor alignment, cracks in the panels, or poor wiring), while a performance warranty ensures a certain level of energy production. Strong warranties show that a company is confident in its work.
Solar energy is great for helping you lower electricity bills over time. Be sure to consider these aspects when considering the final cost and value of solar panels.
The cost of solar panels varies based on your system's capacity and the solar technology being used. The average solar system in Temescal Valley has a capacity of 2.8 kilowatts. Homeowners in the area should expect to pay around $3,470 per kilowatt; the average Temescal Valley homeowners spends roughly $6,803 on a new solar array 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 factors such as the panel type, capacity, and size of the planned system, and should include prices for preliminary work, labor, and permit fees.
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 property The 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
A solar photovoltaic (PV) system can generate power to run any electric system or appliance 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 raise your property values, reduce emissions, and qualify for tax benefits. With the right storage equipment, solar panels can also give you further energy independence and offer some protection from power outages.
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 a wide time window to install your panels, though they won't achieve peak performance until summer arrives.
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, meaning that you can reap the environmental benefits and savings that come from using solar energy without having to completely switch over.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how short it takes to get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny Temescal Valley, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 8.5 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
The maintenance you'll need to do will vary based on the type of solar panels you have. At a minimum, you should clean and inspect each panel once per season. Your solar energy company might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance for you.
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 your provider. In return, they'll give you a credit on your power bill.