Denton, Texas
Denton, Texas
Most of the people I talk to about solar are simply looking for information. Some are ready to install and get going, but most just need info.
The solar industry is driven by direct sales. Lots of these sales involve pressure and a homeowner making decisions in a moment, without the proper information. This can result in a solar system that doesn’t work as well as it could… or overpayment.
Here are most of the questions that people ask me and my answers to them.
Cost is a product of the amount of energy you need to generate and how well your roof is situated to get the most from the sun.
I’ve done systems for small houses for less than $20k and systems for large homes that are $100k.
No. You get a 30% Federal Tax Credit in most cases, but solar equipment costs money and you will pay for it.
In many cases, we are able to get your solar system payment to about what you pay now for electricity, sometimes less. In those cases, adding solar is not really costing you more money since it is replacing your electric bill. In this case, your net cost is $0, but the solar system still must be bought or leased.
I don’t recommend it. You don’t get the Federal rebate and solar systems are easily affordable for most people without entering in to a lease.
Some houses have too many trees and some don’t. We need clear southern, western or eastern (in proder of preference) exposure to make solar work for you. Panel facing north usually aren’t a great idea unless they are used to round out a large system to get to a certain generation goal.
I can usually tell from an online look at a house whether trees are a problem or not.
Solar loans are unique in some ways, but really much the same as other loans. The longer you finance something, the lower the payment is but the more interest you pay. Solar loans are no different and the solar loans that I have available to my customers do not charge any form of pre-payment penalty.
A lien is placed on the solar equipment, but not on your home when you execute a solar loan.
No. Most lenders want to see scores in the 640+ range, which is achievable for most people.
Solar panels stay remarkably clean due to the slant they are mounted on. We get enough rain in North Texas to keep them clean.
Summer of 2022, we had a long, hot, dry spell and my panels on my house, and some of my customers, got dirt built up on them from a very light rain followed by wind blowing dirt in the air. When this happened, I saw about a 5% drop in my production and the same for my clients. A jet nozzle on a water hose is enough to reach most solar panels on single story homes. A quick rinse off and production returns to normal.
You will want to add your panels to your homeowner’s policy. It usually adds less than $100/yr to your premium and will protect your panels in case of hail.
Panels are surprisingly resilient from hail up to about quarter size, again, being mounted on a pitch helps.
Thanks for visiting my site. Best of luck in your solar journey.
Scott
