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. Switching to solar energy can help you save money and shrink your carbon footprint, but you want to make sure you find a trustworthy installer. Luckily, we've reviewed the options and assembled a guide to the best and most dependable solar installation companies in Visalia.
Reliable customer support
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Clear pricing policy
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Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Family-operated business
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
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Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
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:
Adopting solar power lets homeowners cut utility bills while helping the environment by reducing your carbon footprint using clean energy. If you’re determining whether to go solar, consider these key factors for choosing an installer.
Verify that your solar installer is properly licensed. This helps ensure that the work is done correctly using the most up-to-date installation methods. There are five distinct 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 Google Reviews, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), TrustPilot, and other review sites to see what past customers have to say about local solar installers. Detailed reviews can help you evaluate a provider's trustworthiness and customer service. Be wary of companies with few or mainly poor reviews.
Call three to five solar companies for free, itemized quotes. These quotes should explain all costs and specify the solar equipment included. Reviewing multiple quotes helps you find the option that aligns with your budget.
High-quality solar installations should have robust workmanship and performance guarantees. The workmanship warranty covers any installation issues like poor alignment, cracks in the panels, or poor wiring. The output guarantee ensures an energy generation baseline. Strong guarantees reflect a solar provider's confidence in its installations.
Solar panels can help lower your electricity costs over time. When weighing solar panel's cost and value, be sure to weigh these considerations.
The cost of home solar panels in Visalia depends on several factors, including the size of the system and the type of panels you'll use. Generally speaking, a complete solar energy system will cost $3,470 per kilowatt, not including labor, preliminary work, or permit fees. Most solar systems in Visalia are 3.0 kilowatts, and the typical Visalia homeowners spends $7,187 after accounting for federal tax refunds. Some homeowners may prefer leasing their 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
A solar photovoltaic (PV) array can generate power to run any electric system or appliance in your home. If you don't want to use solar power for your entire home, you can install a solar water heating system.
There are a number of advantages of home solar energy. You can qualify for tax benefits, raise your property values, and save money. With the right storage equipment, solar panels can also offer you additional energy security and offer some protection from power outages.
Yes. The grid in Visalia already uses a large share of renewable energy sources, and you may be able to sell your excess generated energy to your utility for additional cost savings.
Your payback period is the time to earn a net profit from your solar panels. It will vary based on their rated capacity, the rate your utility charges per kilowatt of power, and the average sunlight in your area. Visalia has extremely high daily sunlight levels, so you could recoup your investment in as little as 8.2 years per 5 kW of rated capacity.
Although solar energy is a great option for many, it might not be ideal for homeowners in wet, dark areas. In these cases, you could consider other forms of renewable energy, such as wind or geothermal power, as a primary source. It is also important to speak to a qualified installer to determine if their solar system is compatible with the climate and environment of your area. Even if you choose a different form of renewable energy altogether, you'll still lower your emissions and could still qualify for distributed generation or other money-saving programs.
Solar panels are gaining traction for their low upkeep costs and high efficiency under a variety of conditions. Depending on how much sunlight your property receives, you may find they're the best performing source of renewable energy compared to others.
