collaborative post // Many solar companies market, sell and mount panels for residential properties. The best solar panel companies can be found online. Certain shops, including Home Depot, also sell panels. These shops can recommend the best solar companies for installation at your home.
Photo by Benjamin Jopen on Unsplash
The best solar companies in California can assist you in finding a loan or financing for your home installation. Panels can be rented and paid for month-by-month. Choosing between leasing and buying solar panels is a personal preference, with both aspects having their own sets of pros and cons. Financing can start with no down payment and refunds, or repayments are a possibility, through a district utility firm.
An applicant can also find out more about refundable tax credits. An example of this is the 26% solar tax credit, which forms part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. This can help fund some of the installation.
What is grid-tie and off-grid solar?
Before deciding on solar installation, you have to choose either a system that is grid-tied, or one that is off-grid. Both have beneficial features. Grid-tie systems are cheaper than purchasing power from a power utility and can decrease the amount of money spent monthly on electricity.
This is a recommended approach if a user can link to the utility grid. If a user has direct use of power lines, a grid-tied system is recommended. Off-grid solar is best for residential properties that have limited access to power lines. Off grid is pricier, as the systems require batteries, but are beneficial for isolated locales.
Hybridisation
A hybridised system has batteries and can connect to the power grid. The best solar panel companies identify this system as a battery backup or energy storage systems.
A hybrid system allows for access to backup electricity if there are power cuts (if you are in a region with an unpredictable power grid, or if there are many storms in the area. A hybrid system also allows for use at a later stage, or for the user to sell additional energy stored (which can help if you live an area of increased demand or no system of net metering).
Systems that allow for energy storage are beneficial in that they can allow the user to access electricity when needed. A user has to determine if the additional cost for a system is worth it, in terms of electricity access and flexibility.
How long do solar panels last and how does one care for solar panels?
Panels can have a lifespan of up to 30 years, with an average span of 25 years. Panels also do not require a large amount of upkeep. They need to be cleaned to remove any dust, debris or snow. Warranties are also available to assist if panels need repairs.
As a panel gets older, the amount of electricity produced decreases – this is a panel’s “useful life period”. A user will start to see the decrease in energy approximately 25 years after a system is installed. Panels are guaranteed in different phases: 90% of panel production over the first decade and 80% for the second decade of use. A panel does not necessarily stop working in this period and can still generate energy for longer than the “useful life period”.
When will you generate money from solar power? This depends on a panel’s use over time, the number of panels installed, kilowatts used and if panels are rented or purchased for a house.
