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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated February 2024
Year after year, more Elma homeowners install rooftop solar panels to provide a dependable source of power and add value to their property. Solar power can cut your energy costs and shrink your carbon footprint. However, it's important to choose a trustworthy solar installer. That’s why we’ve analyzed the options and assembled a guide to the most dependable solar providers in Elma. These top companies offer high-quality and dependable services.
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
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 evaluating if you want to go solar, consider these key factors for choosing an installer.
Hiring a licensed solar installer is critical. This help guarantee that the work is done properly using the most up-to-date installation methods. New York state does not issue licenses to contractors, so you should check with your city or county government for its specific regulations and requirements.
Check the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Google Reviews, TrustPilot, and other review sites to see what past customers have to say about local solar companies. Detailed reviews on these platforms can help you evaluate a provider's trustworthiness and customer service. Avoid providers with few or mainly poor reviews.
Call 3–5 solar companies for free, itemized quotes. A quote should describe all costs and list the solar equipment included. Reviewing multiple quotes helps you find the option that aligns with your budget.
Quality solar installations should come with comprehensive workmanship and performance warranties. The workmanship warranty covers any installation problems such as poor alignment, cracks in the panels, or poor wiring. The performance guarantee promises a specific energy output level. Strong warranties indicate that a solar installer trusts its installations.
Solar energy can help reduce your electricity costs long-term. When evaluating solar panel's cost and value, be sure to weigh these considerations.
Elma homeowners typically spend about $11,696 on home solar systems after federal tax refunds. Solar arrays in Elma cost roughly $3,650 per kilowatt, with the average residential solar system being 4.6 kilowatts. A personalized estimate from a local solar provider will include costs for preliminary work, permit fees, and labor, and will account for your system's size, capacity, and panel type. Some homeowners prefer to lease their solar panels in order to reduce upfront costs.
Incentive Type: Sales Tax Incentive
Incentive Amount:
100% exemption
Incentive Amount:
Tier I: 10,000 kWh of expected annual energy production: $3.50/annual kWh
Tier II: 10,000 kWh - 125,000 kWh of expected annual energy production: $1.00/annual kWh
Tier III: 125,000 kWh - 1,000,000 kWh of expected annual energy production: $0.30/ annual kWh
Tier IV: Greater than 1,000,000 kWh of expected annual energy production: $0.15/ annual kWh
These incentives are additive.
Incentive Type: Sales Tax Incentive
Incentive Amount:
Upon local authorization, 100% exemption from local sales tax
Incentive Type: Corporate Tax Credit
Incentive Amount:
$0.01/gallon for each percent of biodiesel
Incentive Amount:
Incentive rates step down over time as MW goals are met. Incentive rates as of 11/27/2019 are:
Residential:
Long Island Region: $0.00/W (MW blocks have been fully subscribed)
Con Edison Region: $0.30/W
Upstate Region: $0.35/W
Low-to-Moderate income customers: $0.80/W (up to 10 kW)
Small Commercial (Non-Residential): Long Island Region: $0.00/W (MW blocks have been fully subscribed)
Con Edison Region: $0.60/W
Up State Region: $0.45/W
Multifamily Affordable Housing Adder: additional $0.40/W (up to 50 kW)
Incentive Amount:
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can be used to power any household appliance or system that uses electricity. In the smallest case, you can use a solar water heater.
With home solar PV, you can recoup the cost of the system over time, lower your home's carbon footprint, and be better prepared if there's an outage to the local grid.
Of course. The grid in Elma 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 average sunlight in your area, their rated capacity, and the rate your utility charges per kilowatt of power. Elma gets a moderate amount of sunlight each day, so you could expect a maximum payback period of 19.4 years per 5 kW of power depending on other factors.
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 your provider. In return, they'll give you a credit on your power bill.
Solar panels are becoming more popular for their high efficiency and low maintenance costs. Depending on how much sunlight your property receives, you may find they're the best performing source of renewable energy compared to others.