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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated June 2024
Year after year, more St. James homeowners install rooftop solar panels to add value to their property and lower their carbon footprint. Adopting solar energy can help you save money and reduce your carbon footprint, but you want to make sure you find a qualified installer. Luckily, we’ve conducted comprehensive research local solar installers and created a guide to the best solar companies in St. James. These trusted providers are reliable options known for their quality services.
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Informative resources
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Prompt service delivery
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Services Offered
Free quotes
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Informative resources
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 deciding whether to go solar, consider these key factors for choosing an installer.
It's imperative that your solar installer has the proper licensing. This ensures that the work is done correctly using current best installation practices. The New York state government does not issue licenses to contractors, so you should check with your city or county government for its specific regulations and requirements.
Check review sites like Google Reviews, TrustPilot, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see customer feedback about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you evaluate a company's reliability and customer service. Use caution with companies that have no reviews or mostly negative ones.
Call three to five solar companies for free, itemized quotes. These quotes should describe all costs and list the solar equipment included. Reviewing multiple quotes helps identify the option that aligns with your budget.
Quality solar installations should have strong workmanship and performance guarantees. A workmanship guarantee addresses any installation defects (such as poor wiring, cracks in the panels, or poor alignment), while a performance guarantee ensures a certain level of energy production. Strong warranties show that a company is confident in its work.
Solar energy can help reduce your electricity costs in the long run. When considering solar panel's cost and value, be sure to consider these considerations.
In St. James, solar panels cost an average of $3,650 per kilowatt, with an average system size of 3.9 kilowatts. The typical St. James homeowner spends $9,930 on their solar array after federal tax refunds. An estimate from a local provider will take into account additional information reflecting your desired system's capacity, required preliminary work, panel type, and size. In some cases, homeowners may prefer to lease solar panels to reduce upfront costs.
Incentive Type: Corporate Tax Credit
Incentive Amount:
$0.01/gallon for each percent of biodiesel
Incentive Type: Sales Tax Incentive
Incentive Amount:
100% exemption
Incentive Type: Sales Tax Incentive
Incentive Amount:
Upon local authorization, 100% exemption from local sales tax
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:
Appliances
Advanced Power Strips: $10 - $20
Air Purifier: $25 - $50
Clothes Dryer: $50 - $250
Clothes Washer: $50
Dehumidifier: $30
Dishwasher: $50
Exhaust Fan: $20 - $25
Electric Freezer: $30
Heat Pump Water Heater: $650
Pool Pumps: $150 - $350
Refrigerator: $50
Refrigerator Recycling: $50
Lighting
Instant Rebates Vary by Product
Bulk Light Purchases: Up to $2 - $3/unit
Cooling & Heating
Central Air Conditioning: $450
Smart Thermostat: $85
Ground Source Heat Pump: $2,000/ton
A solar photovoltaic (PV) system can generate power to run any electric system or appliance in your home. More specifically, you can install a solar water heating system.
With home solar energy, 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.
Absolutely. The grid in St. James 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.
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 St. James, the average amount someone can save is $895 per year. With net metering programs offered by many utilities, you could ultimately make a profit from your system after the payback period concludes.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can get a return on investment from your solar panels. The sun shines frequently in St. James, meaning your payback period could last 11.1 years per 5 kW of capacity on the high end.
The specific required maintenance steps will vary based on the type of solar panels you have. With any system, you should clean and inspect each panel once a quarter. Your solar installer might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance for you.
While solar energy might not be the best option for some in wet or dark areas, the latest generation of equipment and energy storage systems could boost your property's solar viability enough where you could achieve a return on investment. A contractor could also recommend a different primary source of renewable energy like wind or geothermal to boost your generation.
Yes. Solar panels don't depend on the grid to work and will continue to generate power even if the grid is having problems. Keep in mind, however, that a solar system won't take you through a nighttime outage if you don't have a storage system. 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.