WE'LL ADMIT, THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE
Every good solar company does it the same way...
THE ESSENTIALS
These are the Questions Almost Everyone Asks
(or, at least, should ask)
THE ESSENTIALS
These are the Questions Almost Everyone Asks
(or, at least, should ask)
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Net-Metering. Hopefully, your electric company has a policy of net-metering. This means they will credit you for any excess energy you produce but don't use.
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From the SEIA: Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. For example, if a residential customer has a PV system on their roof, it may generate more electricity than the home uses during daylight hours. If the home is net-metered, the electricity meter will run backwards to provide a credit against what electricity is consumed at night or other periods when the home's electricity use exceeds the system's output. Customers are only billed for their "net" energy use. On average, only 20-40% of a solar energy system’s output ever goes into the grid, and this exported solar electricity serves nearby customers’ loads.
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Our analogy: Imagine electricity in the form of a BLUE liquid. There is a tank of it at your electric company with your name on it and a pipe brings it to your home. Every day you use electricity you are draining that tank of BLUE liquid and your meter is keeping track of how much you are to be billed.
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When you add a solar system, the energy you produce takes the form of a GREEN liquid that goes into the same tank and it sinks to the bottom. You are putting as much GREEN into the tank as you can and the electric company is topping off the tank with BLUE. So that when you use electricity, you use the GREEN first. The electric company doesn't charge you for the GREEN energy, you produced it - not them.
If, at any point, you use all the GREEN liquid, no problem, you just begin using the BLUE and get billed for that.
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For the major electric companies in South Carolina, this calculation is done on a monthly basis, but some use a daily calculation - which is far less favorable to the customer.
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Follow up questions we think you should have the answers to but most solar companies won't tell you:
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What is my optimum amount of system production given my electric company's policy?
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Will the electric company actually pay me if I don't use all the electricity I produce? When?
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For our answers to these questions, register for access to our Deeper Dive page. Here you will learn more about solar than you care to know. (Or, everything we feel you need to make an informed decision)
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
We actually can't tell you that.
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We will, however, tell you how we figure that out. It is based on 4 factors:
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1. The amount of electricity you have used in the last 12 months. (Your electric company limits the size of your system.)
2. The amount of space you have for panels. (Are they going on the roof or in the yard?)
3. The amount of annual usable daylight those panels are expected to get.
4. The type of equipment you require.
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Follow up questions we think you should have the answers to but most solar companies won't tell you:
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What metric do I use to determine if a proposal is good? (or good for me)
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Should I get x number of 300w panels or pay more for y number of 320s?
Should I put panels on the North facing roof section? What about the section that gets a bit of shade?
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For our answers to these questions, register for access to our Deeper Dive page. Here you will learn more about solar than you care to know. (Or, everything we feel you need to make an informed decision)
HOW DO THE TAX CREDITS WORK?
We assume you already did your research so this is going to be basic...
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The Federal Government offers a 26% income tax credit based on the value of the solar system - and any improvements made to your home directly related to the system. (i.e. roof repairs) Read the instructions for the IRS form here.
This is a non-refundable credit. That means that you have to first owe income tax in order for them to credit you. If you don't owe any taxes, they are not going to write you a check.
An example with easy numbers: (using a 30% tax credit amount instead of the current 26%)
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Household Income: $100,000
Tax Bracket: 30%
Expected Tax Liability: $30,000 (.30 x 100,000)
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Cost of System: $30,000
Expected Tax Credit: $9,000 (.30 x 30,000)
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Expected Tax Liability is greater than the Expected Tax Credit, so you will "receive" this $9,000 back from the government.
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Follow up questions we think you should have the answers to but most solar companies won't tell you:
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I get a refund when I file my taxes. Will I still qualify for the credit?
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How can I use the tax credit to pay for the system?
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Is the tax credit really expiring?
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For our answers to these questions, register for access to our Deeper Dive page. Here you will learn more about solar than you care to know. (Or, everything we feel you need to make an informed decision)
HOW AM I GOING TO PAY FOR THIS?
Cash or charge? HELOC? Loan? We'll figure out something.
Are you the "Cash is King" type? If you have the money to spare, feel free to stop reading and we will get you all set up.
Do we think there are better things to do with that money? Yes.
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The overwhelming majority of our customers (95%) have found that their smartest, most efficient, most cash-flow-friendly way to purchase a solar system is to utilize one of our payment plans.
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WHAT!?!? That means there's going to be interest! And fees! And DEBT!!
Maybe.
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First you need to clarify WHY you want a solar system for your home.
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For most people it is: To pay as little as possible for your electricity for as long as you are in the home.
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If this is your goal and you have:
1. An income
2. Good credit (650+ FICO score)
3. Tax liability
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We can almost guarantee there is a payment plan that will suit your needs better than paying cash.
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Follow up questions we think you should have the answers to but most solar companies won't tell you:
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How much am I already obligated to pay my electric company?
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Are there any fees associated with these payment plans?
How will they impact my credit score?
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For our answers to these questions, register for access to our Deeper Dive page. Here you will learn more about solar than you care to know. (Or, everything we feel you need to make an informed decision)
REPLACE THE SHINGLES?
Our position is...If you feel you have less than 5 years left on your roof, go ahead and put a new roof on now along with the solar system. The tax credits will apply to the cost of roof so it makes sense to take advantage of them.
If your roof is new, or in good shape, great. Your roof will last a LOT LONGER with solar panels on them. Why? Because the factors that degrade asphalt shingles (sun, rain, wind, and heat) are significantly reduced when solar panels are installed.
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Make sense?
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Follow up questions we think you should have the answers to but most solar companies won't tell you:
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Why would you choose to remove a solar system to shingle underneath?
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Don't you have some kind of roof penetration guarantee?
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How is the system actually attached to my roof?
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For our answers to these questions, register for access to our Deeper Dive page. Here you will learn more about solar than you care to know. (Or, everything we feel you need to make an informed decision)
WHAT IF I SELL MY HOME?
Our position is...If you think there is a chance you may move in the next 2 years - going solar may not be right for you. This is because the best way to demonstrate the benefits of solar to a prospective buyer is to show your bill history. If you can't show what your bills were pre-solar vs. what they are now, it will be more challenging to convey the cost savings and long term advantages.
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Staying put? The longer you own the home, the easier we feel it will be to sell. (and for more than comps)
Why?
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1. Solar is becoming more popular, visible, and understood every year.
That means good real estate agents are more skilled at marketing the benefits of a solar powered home and smart appraisers are more educated in accurately valuing residential solar systems.
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2. Increasingly, new homes are being built with solar already on them.
The buyer's choices... New Home with Solar vs. Old Home. or Old Home with Solar vs. Old Home without.
According to Zillow more than 80% of buyers consider energy-efficient features important.
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3. The global environmental crisis is not improving and powering your home with solar energy is viewed as socially responsible.
4. Buyers are generally younger. Face it, the younger generation is more concerned with their environmental impact. They want electric cars and solar powered homes.
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Will you be able to sell your home without solar? Of course.
Will solar make it more difficult to sell your home? We highly doubt it.
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(P.S. We have personally met with customers' real estate agents and prospective buyers to explain the benefits of a solar system. So you have that going for you, too.)
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Follow up questions we think you should have the answers to but most solar companies won't tell you:
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Will you give us any quantitative information about our system's performance?
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My real estate agent swears it will be harder to sell my home, why?
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Where can I get more information about the solar home market?
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For our answers to these questions, register for access to our Deeper Dive page. Here you will learn more about solar than you care to know. (Or, everything we feel you need to make an informed decision)
IS THERE MAINTENANCE INVOLVED?
No. Our service plan not only insures your system was installed properly but that it is producing electricity according to projections. Your system will be monitored 24/7 and if something is not working they will advise you and troubleshoot the issue. Sending a technician or replacing parts will be at NO COST TO YOU.
Not only that, our PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE will reimburse you if your system does not produce at least 95% of our proposed production amount - regardless of weather conditions.
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So...
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Bad inverter that takes a month to replace? No problem. You will be reimbursed.
Biblical storm covers the sun for 2 months? No problem. You will be reimbursed.
Nuclear winter? No problem. You will be reimbursed.
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Follow up questions we think you should have the answers to but most solar companies won't tell you:
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Do other solar companies do that??? Ask them. (No)
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The other solar companies have said their panels have a 25 year performance guarantee, isn't that the same thing?
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How will a solar system affect my homeowner's insurance policy?
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For our answers to these questions, register for access to our Deeper Dive page. Here you will learn more about solar than you care to know. (Or, everything we feel you need to make an informed decision)
WILL I STILL GET A BILL FROM MY ELECTRIC COMPANY?
Yes. You are connecting to their service and will still receive a monthly bill.
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Depending on how you choose to purchase your system, you may have a separate bill for your solar system.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE GRID GOES DOWN?
Let's go back to the tank analogy...if the pipe carrying the electricity is interrupted you won't get any energy delivered to your home.
Said another way...Federal regulations require that any grid-tied electrical system must have an automatic disconnect in the event of an outage so that it may be safely repaired by the appropriate authority.
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If you want some amount of power when the grid goes down we can discuss your "solar plus storage" options.
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Follow up questions we think you should have the answers to but most solar companies won't tell you:
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Can't we just plug into the inverter?
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We get hurricanes here in S.C. What happens if our house gets hit by strong winds?
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For our answers to these questions, register for access to our Deeper Dive page. Here you will learn more about solar than you care to know. (Or, everything we feel you need to make an informed decision)
HOW LONG DO THESE THINGS LAST?
Any panel we would use would have a 25 year linear output warranty with a .05% degradation or better. That means that it could lose a teeny, tiny amount of capability every year, but not more that one half of one percent from the prior year. They all do it. It's just the way they are made.
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SOLEXO energy, however, does offer a PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE that is administered by an independent third party. So you will have peace of mind that you will get what you paid for even in the event (God forbid) that we no longer exist. And let's be clear, you are not paying for the equipment...you are paying for the KWH OUTPUT the equipment is projected to produce.
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Follow up questions we think you should have the answers to but most solar companies won't tell you:
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How do I get a performance guarantee?
Does the manufacturer of the equipment really make a difference?
What does Tier 1 mean?
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If you have read this far, you are the type of person we want as a client. Register for access to our Deeper Dive page and choose S.A. to receive $500 cash when your system gets activated.