Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
Solar energy is becoming increasingly popular for homeowners in St. Cloud. A new solar energy system can help you decrease your carbon footprint, provide a dependable source of power, and add value to your property. Solar power can reduce your energy costs and lower your carbon footprint. However, it's important to choose a reputable solar installer. Luckily, we’ve conducted comprehensive research local solar providers and put together a guide to the best solar companies in St. Cloud. These reputable providers are reliable options known for their quality services.
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
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:
Going solar can be a great way to lower electricity costs and help the planet by reducing your carbon footprint using renewable energy. Here are some crucial factors to consider when evaluating if a solar installer is trustworthy.
It's important to hire a licensed solar installer. This helps ensure that the work is done correctly using the most up-to-date installation methods. Once an electrical professional in Florida has four years of field experience, including one year as an apprentice, they can pass two exams to earn a CV license with the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board. The Sunshine State also allows electrical contractors to install solar panels, but they may need to subcontract some tasks to a licensed roofer.
Check the Better Business Bureau (BBB), TrustPilot, Google Reviews, and other review sites to see what past customers are saying about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you assess a provider's integrity and customer service. Stay away from providers with few or mainly poor reviews.
Get free, detailed quotes from three to five solar companies. The quotes should outline all costs and identify the solar parts included. Comparing several quotes can help you find the option that best fits your budget.
Quality solar installations should come with strong workmanship and performance guarantees. A workmanship warranty covers any installation defects (such as cracks in the panels, poor alignment, or poor wiring), while a performance guarantee ensures a certain level of energy production. Strong guarantees demonstrate a company's confidence in its work.
Switching to solar power can help decrease your energy expenses over time. Be sure to consider these aspects when determining the cost and value of solar panels.
In St. Cloud, solar panels cost an average of $3,210 per kilowatt, with an average system size of 5.4 kilowatts. The typical St. Cloud homeowner spends $12,187 on their solar array after federal tax refunds. An estimate from a local provider will consider additional information based on your desired system's required preliminary work, size, panel type, and capacity. In some cases, homeowners may prefer leasing solar panels to reduce upfront costs.
Incentive Type: Sales Tax Incentive
Incentive Amount:
All
Incentive Type: Property Tax Incentive
Incentive Amount:
Residential: 100% of the added value
Non-Residential: 80% of the added value
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can be used to power any household system or appliance that uses electricity. In the simplest case, you can use a solar water heater.
There are many 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 further energy independence and offer some protection from power outages.
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 St. Cloud amount to $1,262.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how short it takes to get a return on investment from your solar panels. In perennially-sunny St. Cloud, you could make enough from your solar panels to recoup your investment in 9.7 years per 5 kW of rated capacity at maximum.
While solar energy is a valuable option for many, it might not be ideal for homeowners in wet, dark areas. In these cases, a contractor might recommend 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 energy can be more efficient than other forms of renewable energy. They have low maintenance costs and today's systems can work in a variety of conditions.
