It's hard to know who to trust, what to believe when the Solar Industry does not have anyone overseeing ethical standards of practices for Solar Companies and their sales people. We hope to start you on the path of analyzing the purchase of a solar panel system and how to calculate the 30% IRS Tax Investment credit as part of the total price if it's applicable. Learn here the truths about Solar Industry and the questions that will single out fair honest Solar Companies from the bad ones. Hint: Be wary of the ones knocking at your front door. More deceptions are listed on TRUTHS ABOUT SOLAR, TRUE IRS TAX CREDIT & THE DECEPTIVE FINANCING TABS ABOVE.
Florida Solar Watchdog
A website offered in the spirit of the truth & Public Advocacy.
Cynthia Ryan a Florida State Certified
Instructor For "Solar Panel Comparable Market Analysis and Green Energy Marketing" and a Licensed Real Estate Broker 30+years
Are Solar Panels worth considering?
Besides the obvious of saving our planet, the primary advantage of solar energy is owning an evolved green renewable energy system that freezes your energy costs for 25 years, effectively shielding you from the yearly energy price increases from the power companies who are now publicly traded on the stock market. This has been a game changer since the 90's. The energy companies now have two concerns. 1. providing the public with energy and constantly updating and repairing ongoing maintenance to an aging electric grid. 2. Satisfy their share holders with an ever increasing profit margin. That is why you don't see your electric bills going down. Or for some people, going with solar power allows them to live off grid. Solar energy is GOOD FOR YOU AND EXTREMELY GOOD FOR THE PLANET. Unfortunately, bad greedy people have stepped into this energy field at every angle and you can't escape dealing with it. We are finding time and time again solar sales people have been known to misguided the public with product information and especially FINANCING information. Converting to SOLAR ENERGY IS A WORTHY ENDEAVOR with long term savings so you can't let a bad experience with a Solar Installer company to stop you from obtaining your objectives. I know you will miss the sales dance, but The Solar WatchDog is an advocate for the people and we are here to spell it out clearly. If you would like us to help you get 3 bids from highly reputable solar companies, please fill out the contact form below. We do not represent any one solar company. We do work with highly vetted solar companies (highly vetted means far past a google search or believing similar websites such as solarview.com who sell lead information back to the solar companies ) for your best interest, we are not working on behalf of the solar companies best interest. If you are curious to see the numbers of the cost of a correctly fitted system, fill out the contact form below
We try to reply as soon as possible, but please give us up to 24 hours to reply. We will aid you to find the right system for the right price from a reputable company with full disclosures. Solar is a very wise investment done correctly. We have seen first hand deceptions and don't feel it's fair so we are doing our part to get the correct information out. There is no cost or obligations.
Is Solar a reliable investment?
We plan on showing you through the website's information. The answer is a resounding YES especially for the long term benefits for you, the earth and to give aid to an over worked and aging electrical grid. We are going to cover why purchasing an asset like a solar power system (a small power plant) will maintain and provide you clean healthy energy locking you into today's prices. In the days of rising prices on seems like everything, locking in your energy cost is a top priority. At the end of this website is a contact form if you want our help skipping the sales people. We can help you get 3 bids from reputable Solar companies for your home or business without a solar salesperson entering your home. Here are a few questions to get your mind working and the ball rolling.
Is the extra effort behind choosing a good manufacturer and a trustworthy installer before signing a contract time well spent? Where can you go if it's too late and you are dealing with a bad circumstance.
For us, it was difficult almost torture sitting through all the different solar sales presentations, waiting to get their bottom line until you finally got the best price and shopped the best products. Here is the really really important part. Reading the contract, warranties and financial paperwork to make sure the different parts of the solar system and possibly a roof are covered and explained so you don't mess up the warranties. We are a public advocate and we would like to help at any stage by sharing our knowledge. If you have already signed a contract and having some issues with the solar company, we can give you assistance with accurate information and try to help you deal with whatever is happening. Filing a compliant with the Better Business Bureau could help you and will help the people behind you understand this company has issues. Also filing a complaint with Florida Attorney General's office is an alternative and there are other public review websites. For other resources check out our blog: https://www.thesolarwatchdog.com/post/who-can-help-me-resolve-a-complaint-with-the-solar-company-or-finance-company
If you like our help before you purchase a system, the best way we can help you the most is by getting you 3 bids from transparent and reliable companies without putting you through the sales dance presentations. This helps immensely in aiding with a smooth honest transaction. Afterwards we will go through the warranties and financing if applicable to make sure you have full disclosures. The best consumer is one that is well informed. If you are interested, you can reach out to us by filling out the contact form below. Please allow us up to 24 hours to get back to you. We are just one of the avenues to get bids for solar, not the only way. Competition is what helps bring prices down and there is a lot of competition when it comes to solar companies. Our method is much less hassle and more transparent. We do not represent any one solar company.
Helpful Information
When is the best time to make the switch?
Thanks to a few major law firms pressing hefty law suits over and over, the insurance companies have started mandating you to replace your roof with a new roof because of the age (not the wear) or they will not renew your homeowners policy. If it is getting close to the replacement time or the insurance company told you on your next insurance renewal you need a new roof, it's definitely time to consider solar panels especially since a roof can be financed with the purchase of solar panels amortized over 25 years if needed.
The ideal time to start investigating if solar is right for you is before or after you have changed your roof, BUT if you are getting a loan to pay for the solar system another consideration is the Federal Reserve who has been raising interest rates which directly impacts the financing costs and your total monthly payment and the total amortizated payoff. So another words, the solar system and the financing costs are what you will ultimately pay for the solar system in the end.
Getting a loan on the solar system replaces your electric bill and locks in the amount you pay for energy up to the next 25 years. That's a good thing since there is no telling what we will be paying 10 years down the line for energy and the loans are typically pretty easy to obtain. More on this later.
Don't let them fool you stating their loans are cheaper simplified loans, that is all BS. Email us if you have any questions. We have worked amortized loans for over 3 decades and will be happy to aid your understanding.
Because of the increasing interest rates on loans, you may decide to put the solar panels on half way through the life of the roof or as soon as possible. Taking off the solar panels and re-attaching them after the roof is replaced may work to your advantage as it could out weigh the savings of solar system loan in the end because of higher interest rates. In some cases sooner is better. The Federal Reserve have announced their intentions to raise rates throughout 2023.
Part of some solar companies sales pitches include the cost of taking off the solar panels and re-attaching them. Some will not quote future work prices, other are charging $200-$400+ per panel (each company is different). This is something you will want to get in writing if offered.
How to calculate your energy use to determine How Many Solar Panels You Will Need to achieve a net zero energy consumption
First you will need the past 12 months electric statements for your property. 12 months is best since that will help your understanding of energy use for all 4 seasons. If you don't have 12 months because the proposed house is new construction, an energy calculation can be estimated for new construction homes by a honest tech, but better they have actual numbers on your current home so you can both estimate the usage together.
New construction will be an estimate since your usage may differ based on age or construction of your present home. You can always add more panels if needed later so don't worry, but you definitely want to know what a solar company will charge to put more on later. They should be more than fair if you are buying a system from them and to put the future charge in writing..
If your utility bills are paperless, you can find the information online or simply call your power company and they can easily read the monthly usage in watts off to you. Solar companies calculate the amount of panels you will need using the monthly usage in watts based upon the amount of watts each panel produces.
FYI, per panel generates approx. 350-450 watts per panel depending upon the panel. Don't be fooled, some panels produce more watts because the panel sizes are larger. Some sales people will try to use the large amount of wattage output stating their product is superior. It's typically NOT, it's just a bigger size panel. Example 4' x 6' verses 6' by 8' which shows it's a larger panels. A common deceptive sales tactic would state their company has better solar panels so they can sell you less solar panel. They will suggest the other salesperson is trying to sell you too many panels or their products are inferior.
Don't you hate deception? If they are willing to give you a false impression, what other deceptions are they trying to give you?
How to calculate the Return on your Investment or how long will it take to recoup our investment?
Common questions are what is the solar panel payback period? It is the amount of time it will take an owner to completely pay off your solar power system taking in consideration of any incentives, rebates, and savings on the electric bill until the total cost of the solar panel system has been covered.
The answer is different for people paying cash verses people financing the system. If there is financing involved then additional cost need to be added into the calculations.
Under a cash purchase: If the solar panel system costs $16,000 the federal tax investment credit $4800, leaving the total cost after incentives at $11,200. In order to find the payback period you need your average yearly electric bill. Example: let's say your electric bill is $180 monthly or a $2160 annual. Take the adjusted $11,200 costs divided by $2160.
The answer is 5.2 years for the payback period. If you financed the solar system the loan terms will determine how much it will extend the payback period. With both scenarios the payback period is an immediate return based on a monthly pro-rated basis. An immediate return comes from not paying an electric bill and instead the funds are dedicated as a monthly credit paying for the system.
After paying back the system cost, you can calucate the savings. Go from 5.2 years to the end of the product warranty (hopefully you chose a 25 year warranty). In this scenario a rough estimate is $124,000 in savings by not sending payments to the electric company over 19.5 years. That is stating NO rate increases from the utilities companies, BUT previously the average increase on your electric bill was 4% per year, BUT recently it has been 8%-13% per year). Over the past 4 years in Miami Dade area, FPL (Florida Power & Light has gone up 45%. This is mentioned to validate the total solar savings maybe much more than $124,000 based upon yearly increases from the electric companies.
The standard solar process
Paperwork & Agreement
It is normal that all solar transactions require that all titled homeowner sign a contract. It is important to get everything you want in writing upfront. Years from now the same people may not be there if you have a problem.
Site Eligibility
The Solar company will need to do a physical inspection of your property to check for new growth of trees or something new that might not show up on a public record aerials and they also check on the condition of the roof. Sometimes even a new house or structure recently built will not show up on public record aerials. If this is new construction, the solar company will need a copy of the house AND site plan. Note that not all sites/homes will benefit from solar panels primarily because of tree coverage or the angle of your existing roof.
Installation & Permissions
This is the third step for the Solar Company and it will begin right after you sign a contract. All work performed by the solar company will require the solar company to pull permits from your local authority before any work begins. Note that some counties take weeks and some counties take months to acquire the necessary permits to begin work.
After the necessary permits are approve, work should be completed and inspected by County or City inspector to be approved and ready for the next step
Utility Connection
Almost done, but not quite yet until the utility company comes out to swap out the regular meter for the net zero meter.
There are two major steps involved in the interconnection process: applying for interconnection and receiving permission to operate (PTO).
Utility companies won’t just let any solar energy system connect to their grid; they need to ensure that your solar energy system meets necessary electrical safety standards. They’ll also ensure that your solar panel system will meet their respective net metering guidelines.
Interconnection applications often require information about your property, your electricity usage history, and the specifics of the system you’re looking to design (i.e., equipment, system size, production estimates, system design and location of the system). Applications for interconnection may be submitted by the utility account holder, but most installation companies will submit it on your behalf. If there are any red flags or missing information in the application, a utility may deny interconnection to the grid and request updates or resubmission.
Utility - continued
After your solar panel system is installed on your property and your local government has finished their own inspection process, the final step towards connecting to the grid is receiving permission to operate (PTO).
As the first step towards PTO, utilities often send a representative out to your property to examine the system. At this visit, the utility representative typically looks at the inverter, the connection at the electrical panel, and the functionality of the system. They also typically install an additional meter (or upgrade an existing one) so that they can track your solar electricity exports to the grid, therefore enabling you to take advantage of the utility’s net metering incentive.
Following the inspection and meter upgrade, you’ll receive official PTO documentation notifying you that you can officially turn your solar panel system on for electricity generation.
The interconnection application process takes two to three weeks on average for residential solar panel installations. Once the solar panel system is installed and passes local inspection, it takes another one to two weeks on average to receive permission to operate.
At that point, the utility companies have up to 30-60 days after being notified by the solar company that everything is ready to go so don't be surprised if you see them on day 60 making the switch. You can't blame them on not wanting to loose their monthly revenue.
Solar On!
Ready to go!! Now with your new solar system incorporated with the grid, the output of the system through the inverter is channeled through the electric panel box to all the household loads and the excess is sent back into the service conductors. The electric meter can also record this electricity that is being sent back. This way the utility and the consumer both benefit from this arrangement. The user is paid when he or she sends excess electricity back to the grid. The energy he or she has consumed from the utility according to the meter is offset by the energy he or she sends back. This is reflected on his electricity bill.