Solar panels have become increasingly popular among startups, small companies, and corporations. Panels are a great way to get safe energy and save your spending in the long run. Companies that can afford solar panel installation have the opportunity to save money and reduce their carbon footprint. However, finding a reliable commercial solar company to install solar panels takes time and effort.
Several companies offer solar panel installation and products. But not all of them are suitable for your business. Some might offer you cheap options, but they can&#;t be trusted enough to invest your money in them, while some are super expensive. This makes it hard to choose a trustworthy option.
Therefore, we have discussed something you need to consider to make an informed decision. So, let&#;s read further to get an idea.
You will learn a lot about a commercial solar company from its customers. Check customer reviews on Facebook and Google. You can also ask the company for a list of clients you can talk to. Don&#;t forget to take recommendations from friends and family to see if they know someone for the job. Visit the websites or social media pages to learn more about their chosen solar company.
Furthermore, you can expand your research for a promising solar provider by checking platforms like Glassdoor. They can give you insights about the company through employees. You will learn how a company function internally, which will help you set your expectations.
You can also check the company&#;s reputation by reviewing its past work or previous customers. Sites like Google, Yelp, Solar Reviews, BBB, and EnergySage provide a glimpse of the credibility and reputation of the solar installer. Reviews and ratings can give you a heads-up about the wrong installation methods and the installer&#;s bad behavior. If you see a pattern of client complaints, it is an obvious red flag that you should find someone else for the job.
Installing a commercial solar panel is a significant investment. There is nothing wrong with keeping many options on the table. Just like your dream office makeover project, you should take multiple quotes. Not only to get a fair price but also to compare different brands and their credentials and proposals.
When you contact a company, they will give you a quote, including the commercial area&#;s repair and clean-up price. Suppose you get quotes from three different companies. Two companies advise fixing the roof before installing commercial solar panels to ensure maximum efficiency. However, one is ready to install the solar system without any additional expenses.
Don&#;t opt for the most affordable option. Instead, go for the one that the majority of the contractors suggest. If most of them favor fixing the area where you plan on installing the panels, get it done. They are experts and know better about the requirements of commercial solar panels and systems.
Getting multiple quotes also allows you to compare different equipment options and installation approaches. You will learn the most popular installation methods that are also safe. Hence, getting multiple quotes means you will gain a lot of knowledge regarding solar panel production, installation, and maintenance that will help you make informed decisions.
Quality solar panels have a long life expectancy of around 25 years. While you can enjoy the benefits of commercial solar for more than two decades, you need to ensure that the company will assist and support you for another 10 to 20 years.
Note that solar panels need regular maintenance and, often, repairs. This task requires expert help, and it&#;s better to be done by the same company that has installed it. This is because every solar organization has unique ways of setting up solar systems. So, if you hire someone else for the job, they will need time to understand how solar panels have been installed to maintain or repair them. This can also lead to problems like solar panel failure.
Before hiring a company, try to investigate how long they have been in the industry and their position in the market. Experienced companies working in the industry for several years often have good sales and higher demand that help them stay in the market for several more years.
Besides that, you can discuss your concerns with the company&#;s representatives and ask them how long they will be able to offer solar panel services.
Solar installation companies need to have insurance policies and business licenses or at least need to have a C-10 license. Make sure they are licensed to handle your system&#;s electrical components and wiring. Additionally, installers need to hold OSHA certification and general liability insurance.
Solar panel purchase is a significant investment requiring a lot of capital. You are going to incur substantial financial expenses. To give you the most flexibility, make sure your chosen solar company offers you a variety of payment choices. Before deciding on a course of action, weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each choice.
If you want to avoid any problems in the future, you need to look for experts who offer warranty work. A workmanship warranty can help you cover the problems that can occur during the wrong installation. So, if a panel gets damaged or loose due to improper installation, the workmanship warranty will help you cover the repairs. This way, you don&#;t have to spend the money from your pocket.
Contractors usually provide a wide range of these warranties, anywhere between one to 25 years of coverage. Also, be cautious about companies offering extended warranties to encourage people to purchase solar panels. However, these companies usually only make promises to sell their products.
If a company provides extended warranties, you need to be confident that they have a verifiable history of working in the solar industry. You need to feel confident that this company will stay in business for at least 20 years from now to meet its warranties.
While the cost of solar panels has reduced in recent years, you can&#;t consider them as a commodity. The product quality still varies between manufacturers, and premium products usually work great than lower-cost solar panels.
Before choosing a solar panel company, commercial companies need to evaluate panel efficiency, panel technology, and materials and procedures the company uses. Make sure to analyze the products by comparing them with suitable options.
For instance, if you evaluate the output of one model relative to another, determine the panel size. If one panel has more output but is bigger in size, it will be equally efficient to the other model.
The solar panel industry is a competitive market. Startups enter the industry daily, successfully selling solar panels alongside popular manufacturers. When considering solar companies, you must look for balancing factors such as cost with the company&#;s experience in manufacturing solar panels, their business longevity, and reputation.
Search for a commercial solar company with a solid reputation among companies and installers, a good track record of producing solar panels, extended company life, and affordable solar panel and installation price.
This is because if you opt for expensive solar panels and avoid reputation, you might not get a good experience. Additionally, the project can go out of your budget if you only look at the manufacturer&#;s credibility and avoid the cost.
Most companies are shifting towards solar energy to reduce the overall energy cost they use to expand their business. While opting for solar panel systems has several benefits, installing them is not easy. At the same time, it requires significant investment, so you must practice extra caution when choosing a contractor to install a commercial solar system.
You need the help of a commercial solar company that knows every aspect of solar panel manufacturing and installation. A reliable expert in the industry can minimize the risk of getting into problems in the future and reduce maintenance and repair costs by practicing the proper installation process.
In this case, look no further than Coldwell Solar. We have been in the industry for years, which has helped us understand the preferences and needs of our clients and respond to them better.
With years of experience, we have learned the best installation practices that ensure your solar panel system goes a long way. Not to mention, we will always be there to help you with any solar problem that occurs in the future. So, if you need to install solar panels system, have any queries, or want any advice, contact us today.
How do you choose a solar company? Better question: How do you choose the RIGHT solar company?
With so many solar companies vying for your business, it can feel like a nearly impossible task.
Salespeople can be both helpful and persuasive in this process, but sometimes they may intentionally or unintentionally leave out crucial key details.
Read on for five important factors you should consider as you comparison shop &#; some of which you might not hear elsewhere.
5 Important Factors:
While solar panel installation packs a powerful punch in the name of cleaner, greener energy, it&#;s not the only piece of the puzzle. Solar companies should be aware of and encourage any habits and upgrades that can maximize energy efficiency and savings for the consumer.
There are environmental benefits to upgrading to solar power no matter what, but financial benefits vary based on your energy usage.
For some households, it just doesn&#;t make financial sense to go solar.
Therefore, a solar installer shouldn&#;t be promising a certain amount of utility savings with solar until seeing an accurate record of your energy usage and costs over the course of a year.
Again, there are benefits to going solar regardless, but if money is a factor, your current energy usage and bills are extremely relevant to this decision.
A good solar installer will acknowledge that energy use habits &#; regardless if you have solar or not &#; are the biggest predictors of your energy bill. Heat and air conditioning specifically contribute the most a household&#;s energy use.
This is why, in many regions, power bills tend to be larger in the middle of the summer or winter than in the milder seasons of spring and fall.
Accordingly, homeowners can experiment with when and how they use lighting, heating and A/C, and appliances to reduce their power bill whether or not they purchase solar power.
If customers do install solar, they should be just as mindful of energy usage after install, if not more so. Occasionally, homeowners disregard energy-saving habits after getting solar, thinking that they have unlimited free energy to work with.
But typically, consumers are more in tune with their energy use after installation, perhaps, in part, thanks to monitoring systems.
Michael Henderson, managing director of Solar Calculator, says he finds that consumer habits generally change after a solar installation. &#;For example, consumers are more likely to use the washing machine and dishwasher during daylight hours knowing that their system is generating solar energy at that time,&#; he explains. &#;We estimate that consumers use 15 percent more electricity during daylight hours after they have installed solar panels.&#;
While solar panels are an important part of a move to energy efficiency and greener living, solar is just one piece of the bigger picture. The more efficient your home, the less overall energy you need. Making one change is good, but making many changes is even better.
Solar salespeople should know this and encourage habits and improvements (beyond solar) to maximize your energy efficiency.
Several other energy upgrades can work in tandem with solar, including the following:
Then there are actions that require a minimal investment of time or money:
For more detailed information, and to see how solar panels can reduce your energy usage and energy bills, contact Green Ridge Solar today.
And use our Solar Calculator to estimate your savings with solar panels.
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Solar companies are eager to show you potential savings with solar, and generally, they&#;re not wrong. There are lots of savings to be had over the life of your panels, and the federal solar tax credit can contribute to those savings.
But when you get a quote, be sure to factor in any applicable minimum utility charges, loan payment obligations, and your unique tax situation, all of which can impact the extent of your savings with solar.
Goto JM to know more.
Even if you generate enough solar power to offset all of your usual energy costs, you may still have a utility bill.
When you switch to solar, it&#;s not usually a perfect kilowatt for kilowatt swap, eliminating any need for power from a power company. Rather, you can expect to reduce your dependency on the grid. This, too, depends on the number of panels you install, but most solar customers tend to maintain a utility bill, even if it&#;s reduced.
Sadly, some customers overestimate the utilities savings they&#;ll have based on solar company promises. As you comparison shop, opt for a company with a performance guarantee that protects your investment with the savings promised in your signed agreement.
It&#;s a common misconception that going solar will completely eliminate your electric bill. In almost all utilities, solar customers still pay a small &#;grid connection fee,&#; even if they offset 100 percent (or more) of their actual electricity usage. These fees differ by utility, but it is common to pay $10&#;$20 per month for the grid connection.
This is a small price to pay to be able to use your excess solar power (produced during the day and sent to the grid) from the utility for night time power without having to invest in a battery.
Don&#;t forget: if you&#;re financing your solar system, you&#;ll have a monthly loan payment in addition to &#; or, if you&#;re lucky, in place of &#; your utility bill.
If you&#;re a newbie to solar financing, we&#;ll walk you through some of the options available. Each of these options has positive and negative aspects to consider.
Read more about your payment options when buying your solar panels. Find out which payment type is best for you.
The IRS has released attractive energy incentives for individuals as a part of the Inflation Reduction Act through including a 30 percent tax credit for solar systems installed from to .
However, one misconception is that this is a straightforward check written out to you by the government when you file your taxes. Rather, the credit applies to any taxes owed for that calendar year, so your take-home will vary depending on your financial situation. Your actual tax refund may or may not reflect the full amount.
The bottom line on the solar tax credit is this: The federal incentive is a great opportunity to recoup some of your home improvement costs, but be careful not to overestimate the amount and commit to a solar system you can&#;t actually afford.
Companies should be upfront about this and encourage you to consult a tax professional to make precise calculations rather than guaranteeing a dollar amount.
Read more about the 30% Solar Tax Credit.
Consider the equipment, design proposals, and installation procedures of a solar company before you sign a contract.
Monocrystalline solar panels are black in color and have the highest efficiency rate, requiring the least amount of space. Thus, they are a great option for people who do not have a large roof. However, they are the most expensive choice for solar panels.
Polycrystalline panels are known for their blue color and are a great choice for people who have plenty of space and do not want to pay the high price that comes with higher-efficiency monocrystalline panels.
Whichever solar panels you decide are best for your needs, discuss solar panel types with your prospective solar companies. Some companies only specialize in a particular type of solar panels.
You will also want to ensure that the solar panels are high-quality and from reputable manufacturers. We recommend the following reliable brands:
According to durability tests, the efficiency-degradation rates for panels vary from 1 to 35 percent. This indicates that some solar panels hold up much better long-term compared to others, so comparative efficiency ratings are worth looking into.
With the current technology, all solar panels will gradually decrease in efficiency over time.
All that being said, most solar companies use only high-quality solar panels.
It&#;s a good idea to confirm, but other details might be even more crucial, such as the mounting hardware that should last just as long as the solar panels themselves.
The brand of solar panel you choose is actually one of the least critical decisions you&#;ll make when going solar. These days, the tier-one panels on the market are all very comparable in terms of wattage, performance, appearance, degradation rate, and warranty coverage.
Instead, research the mounting hardware used in your project, and ensure you choose a company with a solid track record of quality workmanship. At the end of the day, solar panels are largely the same &#; but the hardware that holds them to your roof and the people drilling those holes need to be the best available.
Read more about the solar panels, racking, battery, and other technology Green Ridge Solar uses in their installs.
Another often-underlooked part of solar installations is the roof on which panels are installed. Solar panels last approximately 25 years on average, so for most homeowners, it&#;s a good idea to at least consider roofing implications prior to installing solar.
Asphalt shingle roofs need to be replaced as often as every 12 years, so a solar system will likely outlast an asphalt roof. When the roof needs to be replaced the entire solar panel system must be carefully removed, and then reinstalled once the roof has been replaced. While doable, this route can be time-consuming and costly for homeowners.
Metal roofing is an alternative to asphalt. A metal roof will easily last for 70 years or more, outlasting even the best solar panels.
Solar panels can, in fact, absorb energy from indirect sunlight by capturing different parts of the light spectrum from the sun. Therefore, your panels can still produce energy with partial exposure to the sun, as long as nothing is blocking them. This also means that your solar panels do not necessarily need to face south to produce enough energy.
However, they work more efficiently in direct sunlight. Keep your roof position in mind as you work with a solar company to design your system in order to maximize sun exposure.
Your roof should also be clear of trees and branches. Not only because of the shade, but also because trees put solar panels at the risk of scratches on the surface, which affects their performance.
Some companies offer solar energy storage systems, also known as batteries. And some do not. If off-the-grid living is your goal with solar, you&#;ll need one.
One misconception with solar is that you&#;re completely energy-independent. Many homeowners don&#;t realize that the majority of traditional solar panel systems require a grid connection to operate. So even with solar, you&#;ll still lose your power during an outage &#; unless you have a battery installed.
When a utility power outage occurs, panels without solar and storage are unable to continue providing power to the home, as the solar panel system is connected to the grid through a solar inverter. Generated solar power can feed back through power lines, potentially endangering those working to restore utility power transmission.
&#;Even on a sunny day, solar without battery storage can only provide power to a home during the daytime, and homeowners are left to rely on the power grid during the night,&#; explains Ben Polito, president of Energy Storage Systems, Generac. &#;However, with the addition of integrated battery storage, solar panels can continue converting sunlight into electricity and the battery storage system can use this to continue powering a home.&#;
Batteries produce a big return in the form of peace of mind, emergency preparedness, and independence from the grid. But cost-wise, the investment of an energy storage system takes longer to recoup than solar panels alone.
If a company tells you a battery will save you money on your power bill, that&#;s unlikely to be true. One exception would be if you use an exorbitant amount of power at night.
Learn more about battery backup and your energy storage options on our Battery Backup Page.
Solar continues to be a growing industry, evidenced by careers in PV installation. Solar photovoltaic installer jobs have a 52 percent predicted growth rate between now and (compared to the 8 percent average growth rate of all careers).
It&#;s encouraging to see the growth potential of energy efficiency in business. Wind turbine service technicians and solar photovoltaic installers are two of the five occupations expected to have the fastest employment growth from to .
But small business success can be volatile, and even solar companies go out of business.
For an investment like solar, you want to identify the best of the best. Check a company&#;s warranties, time in business, and online reputation as you determine if a company really is the best.
Solar installers generally have multiple warranties. If you don&#;t know what exactly is covered under each warranty, you may be rightly concerned about protecting your investment.
Your solar panel warranty consists of two parts: equipment and workmanship. For most companies, the equipment warranty offered by the manufacturer is generally good for 10&#;12 years or more, while the workmanship guarantee lasts up to 25 years.
While most solar panels will go decades without any issues, it is important to have a solid warranty in case something does happen. Get your company&#;s warranty details in writing before committing to a solar installer.
You should also consider how long the company has been in the industry. It&#;s not that younger companies do not provide great service, but when you choose a younger company, there is a higher risk of the company not being in business for the lifetime of your solar system&#;s warranty.
This could make things very difficult for you if the company you bought solar panels from goes out of business. This means your workmanship warranty becomes moot, and you&#;ll have to pay for maintenance services out of pocket.
While you can&#;t control everything, you can choose a solar installer that is registered, well-established, and has a solid track record of post-installation follow-up.
Finding reviews from real people who have experienced what a company has to offer can help you find a great company as well as identify red flags to avoid.
Read customer reviews for Green Ridge Solar.
Solar isn&#;t cheap. And it&#;s a long-term commitment. Even after the installation, you&#;ll be connected with your chosen company throughout the lifetime of your panels.
If you follow our formula for what to look for in a company, you can be confident in navigating conversations with company representatives and, ultimately, deciding on the best solar company for you.
Want more information on Solar Integrated Manufacturer? Feel free to contact us.