Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated February 2024
Solar is one of the most easily accessible forms of renewable energy for Ottawa homes. Making the switch to solar power allows you to cut your utility bills and shrink your environmental impact. But you'll want to find a qualified installation company first. Luckily, we’ve analyzed local solar installers and put together a guide to the best solar companies in Ottawa. These reliable providers are smart choices homeowners can depend on.
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Family-operated business
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Prompt service delivery
Family-operated business
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
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:
Installing solar panels can reduce your electricity costs and benefit the planet by reducing your carbon footprint. When evaluating if a solar provider is right for you, consider these key factors.
Make sure you hire a licensed solar installer. This helps ensure that the work is done correctly using current installation best practices. In Kansas, the state government doesn't issue solar contracting licenses, though some counties issue and require their own licenses for projects within their borders.
Check Google Reviews, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), TrustPilot, and other review sites to see what past customers are saying about local solar companies. Detailed reviews on these platforms can help you assess a provider's trustworthiness and customer service. Avoid providers with few or mainly poor reviews.
To find a solar installer that works with your budget, get free, detailed quotes from three to five providers. The quotes should list all costs as well as all solar equipment included. Comparing several quotes helps you identify the option that best fits your budget.
Top-notch solar installations should come with strong workmanship and performance warranties. A workmanship guarantee covers installation issues, such as poor wiring, cracks in the panels, or poor alignment. A performance warranty ensures a minimum energy output. Comprehensive warranties indicate that a solar company believes in its work.
Solar energy is great for helping you lower electricity bills over time. Make sure you consider these aspects when considering the final cost and value of solar panels.
Solar panel costs vary based on your system's capacity and the solar technology used. The average solar system in Ottawa has a capacity of 7.8 kilowatts. Homeowners in the area should expect to pay approximately $3,340 per kilowatt; the average Ottawa homeowners spends about $18,188 on a new solar system after accounting for federal tax breaks. (Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels to lower upfront costs.) A personalized quote from a local solar company will account for factors such as the panel type, size, and capacity of the planned system, and should include prices for permit fees, labor, and preliminary work.
Incentive Amount:
Solar energy systems used for heating or cooling: out-of-pocket expenditures by the owner for the components and labor
Wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, solar thermal, solar PV, and other solar energy systems: the assessed value of the system
A solar photovoltaic (PV) array can generate power to run any electric appliance or system in your home. If you don't want to use solar power for your entire home, you can install a solar water heating system.
With home solar energy, you can recoup the cost of the system over time, lower your property's emissions, and gain additional energy independence.
It depends on your location and what type of panels you're installing. Since there's a moderate amount of snowfall in Ottawa, your best time to install solar panels is in the spring and fall.
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 Ottawa amount to $1,635.
Your payback period is the time to earn a net profit from your solar panels. It will vary based on the average sunlight in your area, their rated capacity, and the rate your utility charges per kilowatt of power. Ottawa gets quite a bit of sunlight per day, so an average payback period could last up to 11.1 years per 5 kW of capacity.
The specific types of maintenance you need will depend on the type of panels you're using. Regardless of type, you should clean your panels regularly and inspect them for damage. A majority of solar contractors in the Ottawa area offer low-cost maintenance plans to help you make the most of your panels and keep them healthy for as long as possible.
Of course. Solar panels are independent of the Ottawa grid and will continue to generate power even if the grid is having problems. Bear in mind, however, that a solar system without a storage system cannot keep you running through a nighttime outage. 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.
The best type of residential solar panel will depend on your specific needs and goals. For a typical home, monocrystalline solar panels are the most efficient for homes in Ottawa. However, if you have a limited budget, then you could thin-film or polycrystalline solar panels. When you're choosing a contractor, make sure to ask about the different types of solar panels a contractor offers and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
