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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
Rooftop solar is one of the most easily accessible forms of renewable energy for Chatham homeowners. Switching to solar energy can lower your monthly energy expenses and decrease your carbon output. Before you begin the process, you want to make sure you find a trustworthy installer. That’s why, after reviewing and analyzing providers, we put together a guide to the most dependable solar companies in Chatham. These installers offer dependable quality service.
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Our Rating
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Family-operated business
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Our Rating
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Our Rating
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Our Rating
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Our Rating
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Our Rating
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Prompt service delivery
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 reduce 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.
It's important to hire a licensed solar installer. This helps ensure that the work is done correctly using current installation best practices. Licensing requirements mean that your New Jersey solar installation team will likely have a variety of different professionals, including . The most experienced professionals on the team will also liaise with your local government and utility on permit matters.
Check consumer review platforms like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Google Reviews, and TrustPilot to see customer feedback about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you evaluate a company's reliability and customer service. Use caution with providers that have no reviews or mostly negative ones.
To find a solar installer that fits your budget, ask for free, detailed quotes from 3–5 providers. The quotes should list all costs as well as all solar equipment included. Comparing several quotes helps you identify the best value.
Quality solar installations should have comprehensive workmanship and performance guarantees. The workmanship warranty covers any installation problems such as poor wiring, poor alignment, or cracks in the panels. The performance guarantee promises a specific energy output level. Strong warranties indicate that a solar installer trusts its installations.
Solar 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.
The cost of solar panels varies based on your system's capacity and the technology being used. The average solar system in Chatham has a capacity of 4.8 kilowatts. Homeowners in the area can expect to pay approximately $3,530 per kilowatt; the average Chatham homeowners spends roughly $11,808 on a new solar array after accounting for federal tax breaks. (Some homeowners prefer to lease solar panels to lower upfront costs.) A personalized quote from a local solar installer will account for things like the panel type, capacity, and size of the planned system, and should include costs for permit fees, labor, and preliminary work.
Incentive Type: Sales Tax Incentive
Incentive Amount:
100% exemption
Incentive Amount:
Net-Metered Residential: $90/SREC-II
Small Net-Metered Non-Residential located on Rooftop, Carport, Canopy and Floating Solar
Projects smaller than 1 MW (dc): $100/SREC-II, $120 for public entities
Projects 1 MW to 5 MW (dc): $90/SREC-II, $110 for public entities
Net Metered Non-Residential Ground Mount
Projects smaller than 1 MW (dc): $85/SREC-II, $105 for public entities
Projects 1 MW to 5 MW (dc): $80/SREC-II, $100 for public entities
Community Solar LMI: $90/SREC-II
Community Solar Non-LMI: $70/SREC-II
Incentive Type: Property Tax Incentive
Incentive Amount:
100% of value added by renewable system
Incentive Amount:
Rebates
Single family : $2,000 to $4,000
Multi-family : $500-$1,500 per unit
Rebates for single family and multi-family should not exceed 50% of the cost of the measures used to calculate total estimated savings (TES)
See table below for details
Loans
Single-family: $5,000 (Tier II) or $10,000 (Tier III)4.99% interest loans up to $15,000 (where utility 0% financing is unavailable)
Incentive Amount:
Residential Electric Customers (including municipal utility customers):
Solar Hot Water Heater: $1,200
Heat Pump Water Heater: $500
Geothermal Heat Pump: $500
Air-Source or Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump: $300- $500
Residential Gas Customers (including propane):
Gas Furnace: $250- $500
Gas Boiler: $300
Gas Water Heater: $300
Solar Hot Water Heater: $1,200
Oil Heating Customers:
Oil Furnace: $250
Oil Boiler: $300
Combination Rebate
Boiler and Water Heater Combination Rebate: $700
Furnace and Water Heater Combination Rebate: $700- $950
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) array 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 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 the kind of panels you plan to use. Since there's a moderate amount of snowfall in Chatham, your best time to install solar panels is in the spring and fall.
Yes. The grid in Chatham 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 the rate your utility charges per kilowatt of power, the average sunlight in your area, and their rated capacity. Chatham gets quite a bit of sunlight per day, so an average payback period could last up to 13.9 years per 5 kW of capacity.
The maintenance you'll need to do will vary based on the type of solar panels you have. With any system, you should clean and inspect each panel once per season. Your solar installation company might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance for you.
Net metering is a power purchasing policy that allows solar energy system owners to get paid for the amount of energy they put back into the grid. It's available in most states and is a great way to reduce energy costs.
Yes, solar panels can still generate energy during a grid outage. To ensure that your solar system can keep working during a power outage, make sure to choose a quality solar provider and look for a solar system that includes a battery backup.