Solar power is a clean, green source of energy that allows you to make your fair share in addressing climate change by reducing your carbon footprint for a sustainable future. It allows you to enjoy a cheap source of electricity and protects you from the volatile and price of electricity, the unpredictable loss or interruptions of power and payment of power losses due to transmissions of electricity from remote sources. Because of the various advantages and long term benefits of adapting solar energy, many people have been joining the bandwagon of going solar. However, selecting the right solar company can be a bit complicated. Apparently, when it comes to solar concerns, not many of us is knowledgeable and familiar with aspects of solar energy systems. Hence, we would be relying a lot on solar installer company for information. As such, we will help give you some tips on how to find the right solar company.
Length in business. How exactly do we evaluate the quality of our solar company installer? Considering that solar is a relatively young industry, many companies have similarly jumped the bandwagon of becoming solar installers after learning a few skills and knowledge in installing solar panels. In most instances, these companies will provide you with bargain-basement equipment and conduct substandard installations. Thus, one best way to assess the quality of a solar company is to check their years of experience in the business. By checking how long the company has been in the solar business, one can approximate their experience in handling the job.
Reviews. Reviews, especially from former clients, business associates and other sources, are another powerful tool when evaluating a solar company. Relying on the company website would only provide you with self-serving information. Reviews from former clients can be a great way to check their quality of work. There are also various 3rd party websites that provide a list of the best solar companies in San Francisco or in your particular location. Note however that most of these online sites are paid to make reviews and to include their companies on this list. Nevertheless, when a company appears twice or thrice in different review sites, there is a good chance for this company to be good.
Solar Equipment. The quality of solar equipment essentially involves evaluating two components namely the modules and the inverter. When it comes to panel modules, you should check on PTC (performance testing condition) rating. This pertains to the energy it can product in real-world scenarios. The higher the PTC rating, the better. A raring that is below 17% is inefficient and regarded as poor quality. In terms of inverters on the other hand, it would be advisable to use string inverters with optimizers or micro inverters for superior performance. Finally, all these equipment should have a product warranty. Products with longer warranties are essentially better quality equipment because manufacturers can gamble on replacing them because such equipment are made to last longer. You can expect equipment to break down immediately for products with shorter warranties.
Photovoltaic system. There are basically two types of PV systems to wit: Mono Crystalline and Polycrystalline. The former is composed of one continuous crystalline whereas the later are comprise of multiple crystalline panels. Monocrystalline solar panels are more efficient because they generate greater power outputs. Poly crystalline modules on the other hand entail more space to be installed to generate the same amount of power.
Free Energy Assessment. Good Solar companies do not simply install solar panels as you wish. They initially conduct an assessment of your present and future energy needs and make the necessary recommendation as to how much energy you need and panels to be used. Such assessments are usually made for free to allow you to make an educated decision on which solar provider best fits for you.
An authority on solar information. A good solar company is a good source of knowledge and information about solar energy. It is ready to provide answers to all your questions such as how solar energy works, how much is your energy savings or how much money you can save, maintenance issues, how electricity is provided during night time or cloudy days and tax exemptions on adapting solar energy among others. It is also always transparent in providing information about solar panels and make sure that its client become knowledgeable on solar energy themselves to better understand its benefits and even become a channel for their marketing.
Solar Warranties. A good solar company not only provides warranties on equipment. It also provides warranty on installation workmanship. Some companies offers up to twenty-five-year workmanship warranties that practically encompasses the lifespan of the installed solar panel system, which has become an industry standard among solar companies in San Francisco. What is important however is that they are able to respond immediately to concerns facing the client without necessarily involving repairing the system?
After sales customer service. A good solar company provides great post sale customer service. It is always available for consultation and responsive for any concerns of the client in the use, billing and maintenance of the solar energy system. It is always set to provide customer satisfaction.
Financing Options. One of the major hindrances for people in adapting solar energy systems is where to find money to finance. A good solar company provides different options for an individual homeowner to enjoy the benefits solar energy without actually purchasing the panels. It provides different leasing options so that they can save from upfront costs, provide prepaid plans in which the homeowner pays for power and not for panels, or provide loans with affordable payment scheme. They also explain the advantage of getting tax exemptions as well as other incentives or promotions in adopting solar energy systems.
Cost. Quality has it price. However, you can still be on the lookout for price differences among companies offering practically the same service. Note that you should be focusing on the gross cost of the installation which excludes local incentives provided by the state or tax incentives provided by the federal government.