Are Solar Panels Right for Your Home?

Solar technology has come a long way, and residential solar panels are no exception. The technology is far cheaper, more accessible for hundreds of thousands of families (and continually becoming more so), and more efficient than the expensive panels of only a decade ago.

To get pricing on a solar installation in your area, click here.

Is Solar Power Right for Your Home?

The answer is maybe. Although the costs to install solar have dramatically decreased, it remains a fairly large investment. In addition to the plethora of state and federal solar incentives to help defray the cost, your home should meet a few basic criteria—that is, so you can determine whether or not solar panels are the most practical solution for you.

• Even though solar electricity is free, the amount of energy you consume necessitates the size of the solar panels you’ll need. Use less energy, and less expensive, smaller panels will do fine. Use more (whether it’s from outdated appliances or a highly energy-dependent lifestyle) and you will need larger, more costly panels.
• Look at your current appliances (e.g. dishwasher, air conditioning unit, refrigerator, etc). Overall, are they newer, energy-efficient ones (possibly with Energy Star labels)? Or have they “lived” there since the home was built? If the answer is the latter, upgrade them to the latest energy-efficient ones before considering solar power. Otherwise, you may not experience the full value of solar.
• Is there a suitable south-facing section of your roof? That’s the most effective spot for solar panel installation. Facing your panels east or west (or even north) is just not as practical.
• If investing in PV panels, even after all government incentives are accounted for, is still out of each, consider solar leasing. While they’re not located everywhere, many companies (including many that CalFinder Solar affiliates with) rent them out for as cheap as $75 a month.
• Ask an accredited solar installer about PV panels for your home, if even just to get a rough estimate. Get a quote here.

Your solar installer must be insured, experienced, and licensed by all local and state mandates. They should be able to assess your home and other factors, including you and your family’s lifestyle (as related to energy usage), the best-sized PV panels for the property (up to a dozen factors go into this), and how feasible it would be for you to get low- or no-interest, good financing terms.

Let our contractors determine if solar panels are right for you

If solar sounds like a good investment for your home, then your next step is requesting price quotes. We recommend getting at least three for proper comparison shopping. Be on the lookout for an installer with the most competitive quote, strong history of customer satisfaction, and several previous jobs to back up his or her work.

CalFinder Solar helps you do just that.

Click here to get solar cost information for free. There is never any obligation to purchase.

For questions or assistance, leave us a note in the comments below!

Are Solar Panels Right for Your Home?