Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated April 2024
Year after year, more Eastlake homeowners use rooftop solar panels to provide a dependable source of power and add value to their property. Going solar helps cut your utility bills and reduce your environmental impact. But you'll want to find a trustworthy installation company first. Luckily, we've reviewed the options and compiled a guide to the best and most trustworthy solar installation companies in Eastlake.
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
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:
Putting solar panels on your roof could cut your electricity payments while benefiting the planet by reducing your carbon footprint through renewable energy use. Key considerations when researching local solar installers are as follows.
Verify that your solar installer is properly licensed. This helps ensure that the work is done properly using current best installation practices. Ohio may require a solar company to hold a state contractors' license, but only for commercial work. For home solar panel installations, cities can establish their own licensing or regulatory requirements.
Check review sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), TrustPilot, and Google Reviews to see feedback from past customers on local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you assess a company's reliability and customer service. Use caution with companies that have no reviews or mostly negative ones.
To find a solar company that fits your budget, ask for free, detailed quotes from three to five providers. The quotes should list all costs as well as all solar equipment included. Looking at several quotes helps you identify the option that best fits your budget.
High-quality solar installations should have robust workmanship and performance guarantees. The workmanship guarantee covers any installation issues like cracks in the panels, poor wiring, or poor alignment. The output guarantee ensures an energy generation baseline. Strong guarantees reflect a solar provider's confidence in its installations.
Solar energy can help you lower electricity bills over time. Be sure to consider these aspects when considering the final cost and value of solar panels.
Eastlake homeowners typically spend about $18,626 on home solar systems after federal tax refunds. Solar arrays in Eastlake cost approximately $3,410 per kilowatt, with an average size of 7.8 kilowatts. A personalized estimate from a local solar provider will include costs for permit fees, preliminary work, and labor, and will account for your system's size, capacity, and panel type. Some homeowners prefer to lease their solar panels to reduce upfront costs.
Incentive Type: PACE Financing
Incentive Amount:
Low-interest, 30-year loan
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can be used to power any household appliance or system that uses electricity. In the simplest case, you can use a solar water heater.
There are a number of advantages of home solar energy. You can qualify for tax benefits, reduce emissions, and save money. With the right storage equipment, solar panels can also provide you with additional energy security and offer some protection from power outages.
It depends on where you live and what type of panels you're installing. Eastlake can experience long, hard winters, so we recommend installing your system in the spring months to maximize your generation for the year.
Yes, you can use home solar energy alongside conventional power sources. In many areas, solar panels are designed to supplement your existing energy sources, meaning that you can reap the environmental benefits and savings that come from using solar energy without having to completely switch over.
Your payback period is the time to achieve an ROI on your solar panels. It will vary based on their rated capacity, the average sunlight in your area, and the rate your utility charges per kilowatt of power. Eastlake gets a moderate amount of sunlight each day, so you could expect a maximum payback period of 17.0 years per 5 kW of power depending on other factors.
The maintenance you'll need to do will vary based on the type of solar panels you have. At a minimum, you should clean and inspect each panel four times a year. Your solar contractor might offer comprehensive plans where they'll do the maintenance for you.
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 help the environment and could still qualify for distributed generation or other money-saving programs.
Yes, solar panels will still be able to provide you with energy during a grid outage. To ensure that your solar system will keep working during a power outage, make sure to choose a quality solar provider that offers battery backup systems or emergency generators.
