Installing solar panels is a safe investment with a high return for Massachusetts homeowners. But as with any major investment, it’s important to do your research before making a final decision. Getting answers to all your questions before going solar will help you make the best decision for your home and ensure you receive the highest return on your investment.
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Here are 10 questions to ask before installing solar panels in Massachusetts:
Before investing in a solar panel installation, you should learn a little bit about how solar panels work. You don’t have to master all the technical details, but having a basic understanding will be extremely helpful as you move forward with your solar journey.
Here’s an overview of how solar panels produce energy:
1. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels absorb sunlight, creating an electric current.
2. The current is directed toward an inverter, which transforms it into usable electricity.
3. The electricity is sent to your electrical panel and distributed throughout your home.
4. Excess electricity is either sent to the grid or stored in a solar battery.
Almost any homeowner in Massachusetts can benefit from solar panels, but some houses are better suited to a rooftop solar installation than others. Before you install a home solar system, you should consider which direction your roof faces (south-facing roofs are typically best for solar panels), how much roof space you have available, and whether there are any shading concerns like surrounding trees.
Solar panels save you money on your utility bills by allowing you to produce your own electricity. But before you invest in a home solar system installation, you should make sure your electricity bill is high enough to justify going solar.
In most cases, installing solar panels makes financial sense–as long as you’re using an average amount of electricity, you’ll save money with solar panels. If your electric bills are about $50 or less, however, solar might not be worth it for the electricity bill savings alone, unless you’re planning to electrify your home.
Solar batteries are becoming increasingly popular among homeowners, and you’ll want to consider installing them when you go solar. It’s possible to add solar batteries after you install solar panels, but it’s easier and more affordable to install them at the same time.
Solar batteries will add to your solar installation costs, but the benefits are worth it. With battery storage, you’ll be able to keep your solar panels on during a grid outage, helping you avoid blackouts. Batteries can also be used as a backup power source at night, so you can use more clean energy.
You can’t make a decision about installing solar panels until you know how much it’s going to cost. Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Home solar installation costs can vary significantly depending on how much electricity you use, the slope and design of your roof, the type and number of panels you want to install, whether you include solar battery storage, and many other factors.
Scheduling a consultation with a reliable solar installer near you is the best way to get an accurate solar installation cost estimate. At Boston Solar, we analyze your home and your recent electric bills so we can provide the most accurate quote possible.
There are several solar incentives available to make home solar and battery installation more affordable, and you don’t want to miss out on any! Finding out which rebates and incentives you qualify for will help you get the best deal on your solar installation.
Home solar and battery installation qualifies for the federal solar tax credit. With the credit, you can get a tax break worth 30% of your total costs, making solar panel installation and ownership significantly more affordable. Other incentives, like net metering, SMART, and ConnectedSolutions, can make your solar installation even more financially rewarding.
Nearly all residential solar installation companies offer financing and many homeowners take advantage of it. Financing makes it easier to pay for a solar installation and is a much better option than leasing solar panels. When you finance your solar energy system, you are its owner and remain eligible for all applicable tax breaks and incentives.
Boston Solar can speak to financing options to help you get past the hurdle of upfront solar installation costs.
Most solar panels come with a manufacturer’s warranty and, depending on the installation company, a workmanship warranty. Solar warranties give you peace of mind and help protect your investment in solar energy.
At Boston Solar, we back our installations with a 25-year solar panel and inverter warranty and a 10-year workmanship guarantee.
When you’re researching solar companies near you in Massachusetts, experience is an important factor to consider. You want to make sure the installer you choose knows what they’re doing and won’t be using your solar panel installation as a practice run.
Boston Solar has been in business for more than 10 years and installed over 5,000 solar energy systems. We know the ins and outs of solar installation in Massachusetts and will take care of your project seamlessly, from system design and permitting to installation, net metering application, and grid interconnection.
Reading reviews and testimonials is one of the best ways to vet a solar company and decide whether you want to work with them. Past customers can provide valuable insights that you won’t get from company representatives.
Boston Solar has a 4.8-star rating with over 800 Google reviews. We encourage you to read our customer testimonials and take a look at our completed residential solar projects to see why so many Massachusetts homeowners have trusted us with their solar panel installations.
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When you’re looking to switch to solar energy, it’s important to take time to research your options. Similar to purchasing a home or car, it can be one of your largest investments. Although it is a considerable decision, taking the time to research and investigate should not be stressful nor overly complicated.
That’s why the Dominion Energy Solutions team is happy to provide potential customers with answers to all your questions when looking into making the switch to solar.
There are many different reasons why homeowners decide to switch to solar, but the vast majority initially do it to cut on their utility bills. However, many homeowners later realize that switching to solar can enable you to control your electricity bill and increase your home value at the same time.
In several states, solar system owners can sell their excess electricity produced. This is called net energy metering. It is also worth mentioning that another reason why people are switching to solar more is due to the lower environmental impact as well as the creation of a huge amount of jobs in the United States. So a win-win situation! Whichever is your main reason to switch to a greener energy source like solar, the answers below will give you extra insight on the matter.
This is probably the most important question on the list as it can directly affect the expenses and savings generated by the solar energy system.
Although it is not the easiest question to answer as there are several factors and specifications to keep in mind, we listed below the three main things to consider to help you understand if solar is indeed a good fit for you and your property:
Ideally, your property ticks all of the three boxes above, which then makes it a perfect candidate for solar energy.
Even if you have the ideal property to install solar, if your electricity bill isn’t high enough, it may not justify the switch to solar energy. We recommend potential solar customers with higher bills than $75 a month to look into solar energy as financially it makes more sense. The higher the bill, the quicker the system will pay itself off. If your household is not using a lot of electricity, then solar may not be the best option for you to realize utility bill savings.
There are different ways to pay for and finance your solar panel system; the most common in Virginia being solar loans and cash purchases. Before committing to any financing option, it’s important for your to and assess your budget and future solar savings.
How much you can save depends on how much electricity your property consumes and how much available space your roof has for solar. Because of roof layouts and orientation savings will differ even if two homes have similar energy expenses. It is not very straightforward to estimate an exact quote without specific details and assessment.
Reputable solar companies often calculate this estimate based on how much you paid in utility bills for the last twelve months. This also depends on whether you’re using a sun tracking software to confirm what solar system size is required by your property to offset 100% of the energy consumption.
It is important to keep in mind that it is not necessary to buy a solar system that offsets the full 100%. Often you can customize the system to produce a smaller percentage of electricity, ideally more than 25% up to 100%. Additionally, the price of solar energy can be affected by the providers.
It’s important to work out how much savings you can generate before installing a solar system. Luckily, here at Dominion Energy Solutions we would be more than happy to help you determine that! First of all, keep in mind that it’s several factors that determine the total amount of savings. Secondly, if you decide to buy the system, you are entitled to the federal solar tax credit. This is an excellent incentive that allows you to take 30% off the total cost of your solar system and use it as a tax credit for the following year.
For example, if your solar system costs $20,000, you can take $6,000 off your next year’s federal income tax bill. Also, how you finance your system can affect the amount of savings. If purchased through a loan, the loan would usually be less than your electricity bill, helping you save on your energy budget each month.
With solar technology evolving more every year, solar panels now come in different sizes, efficiency and power production. It’s important to do proper research before committing, without focusing too much on looks rather than technology. Obviously aesthetics can play an important part, especially with different options of panels such as blue, black, or mounted.
The most common manufacturer brands like REC, Silfab, Axitec, LG, Tesla, Jinko, and Trina, are usually the ones considered of highest quality and efficiency. It’s important to consider the KwH (kilowatt-hour), which is the amount of kilowatts a panel will produce when exposed to sunlight.
Usually the higher the number, the more the panel will cost. In terms of quality, Dominion Energy Solutions only offers the highest quality panels for our customers.
Because solar panel technology has improved so much in the last decade, it’s hard to know exactly how long your panels will last. For the most part, the majority of solar companies claim that their solar panels will produce at a profitable efficiency for at least 25 years. This means that over time your solar panels will suffer a slight degradation, which is about 0.8-1.2 percent per year of original efficiency.
The degradation is often caused by dirt, pollen, and other external factors, so it is important to remember to clean your panels every once in a while. Although your panels will become slightly less efficient over time, it’s important to remember that the degradation won’t be significant until after several decades of high efficiency production.
We understand that finding the best solar company isn’t easy especially with so many new companies popping up every year. Shopping around takes time and effort and confusion and doubts can arise.
Rest assured that with Dominion Energy Solutions, you are in capable, expert hands that will guide you every step of the way in making the best decision with a solar system. We never use pushy sales tactics or pressure you into making a decision. Our goal is to provide customers with all of the facts in order to make an informed decision that is best for their family. Our customers are of utmost importance and we want to ensure they have a stress-free solar experience every step of the way.
A reputable solar company will provide customers with energy, workmanship and panel warranties. If you’re considering adding solar panels to your home, Dominion Energy Solutions offers best-in-class warranties on all their systems. Our production warranty is for 25 years from our panel manufacturers, and we offer a 10-year workmanship warranty from all our licensed installers. Additionally, we offer a 1-year production guarantee. If your system production doesn’t match our estimates, we compensate you for the difference.
For more Commercial Solar Energy Systeminformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.