Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated February 2024
Rooftop solar energy is becoming increasingly popular for Windsor homeowners. A rooftop solar array can help you provide a dependable source of power, add value to your property, and decrease your carbon footprint. Transitioning to solar energy can reduce your monthly energy expenses and shrink your carbon output. Before you get started, you want to make sure you find a qualified installer. Luckily, we’ve analyzed local solar providers and compiled a guide to the best solar companies in Windsor. These reliable providers are smart choices homeowners can depend on.
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Family-operated business
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
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 lower utility bills while benefiting the planet by reducing your carbon footprint using clean energy. If you’re deciding whether to go solar, consider these key factors for choosing an installer.
Confirm that your solar installer is properly licensed. This helps ensure that the work is done properly using current installation best practices. There are five distinct classifications 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 consumer review platforms like TrustPilot, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and Google Reviews to see feedback from past customers about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you evaluate a company's dependability and level of service. Use caution with installers that have hardly any reviews or mostly negative ones.
Contact 3–5 solar companies to receive free, detailed quotes. Quotes should clearly explain all costs and specify the exact solar components included. By comparing multiple quotes, you can identify the most cost-effective option for you.
High-quality solar installations should come with robust workmanship and performance warranties. The workmanship guarantee covers any installation issues like cracks in the panels, poor wiring, or poor alignment. The output warranty guarantees an energy generation baseline. Strong warranties reflect a solar provider's faith in its installations.
Switching to solar power can help lower your energy expenses over time. Be sure to weigh these aspects when judging the cost and value of solar panels.
Windsor homeowners typically spend about $7,496 on home solar systems after federal tax refunds. Solar arrays in Windsor cost approximately $3,470 per kilowatt, with the average residential solar system being 3.1 kilowatts. A personalized estimate from a local solar provider will include costs for preliminary work, labor, and permit fees, and will account for your system's size, capacity, and panel type. 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.
With home solar panels, you can save money on your energy bill, lower your property's emissions, and be better prepared if there's an outage to the local grid.
It depends on where you live 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 reach peak performance until summer arrives.
Generally speaking, your energy bills will decrease significantly after you install solar panels. This is because you're using the energy you generate for free rather than buying it from your power company. In Windsor, the average amount someone can save is $1,048 per year. With net metering programs offered by many utilities, you could ultimately make a profit from your system when your payback period is done.
Your payback period is the time to achieve an ROI on 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. Windsor has extremely high daily sunlight levels, so you could recoup your investment in as little as 7.2 years per 5 kW of rated capacity.
Your recommended maintenance will vary based on the type of solar panels you have. At a minimum, you should clean and inspect each panel every three months. Your solar installation company might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance on your behalf.
Net metering is a type of "power purchase agreement." If your utility or state offers net metering, you can return the solar energy you don't use to the grid. In return, they'll give you a credit on your power bill.
