Over 18,000 homeowners across Oregon are making their own solar power. Recently the State of OR put together a rather aggressive program to achieve Net Zero Homes on all New Construction
Oregon rebates and federal tax credits could offset up to 50% of solar system costs.
With federal tax breaks for solar panels this could be the right time for your homes energy independence. When it comes to deciding if an investment in solar will pay off, do the research The Energy Trust of Oregon
Here are some steps to take along the way.
Step 1: Figure out the home’s solar potential.
· To get an initial idea about a roof’s solar potential, you can enter your address at Google Project Sunroof or check out solar resource maps from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
· One common misconception is that solar panels only pay off in hot, sunny parts of the country.
· To test this idea, a homeowner should look around their yard. Are there trees and other green plants? Plants use the sun’s energy to grow their leaves, so they are a good indicator of solar energy in your yard.
· Solar panels actually perform more efficiently in cooler temperatures.
Step 2: See what the home’s utility bills tell you.
· Are your annual utility bills high enough that a solar investment will pay off in a reasonable period of time?
· For most homeowners, a utility bill tells you one basic fact: monthly usage. But a high monthly electricity bill can be caused by many factors ranging from old appliances to inefficient HVAC systems to poor insulation.
· Make your home as energy efficient as possible before buying a solar system so you’re not paying for a bigger system than you need.
Step 3: Plan ahead.
· Will you be living in the same house in the next decade? A solar system is a big investment with a typical payback period of eight years.
· If you plan to move in the next couple years, buying or leasing solar panels could be a money-losing decision.
· If you lease your solar system you will need persuade the new homeowner to assume the lease, or pay the provider to terminate the lease altogether, or pay off the lease.
· solar panels increase the appraisal value of a house by 4.1% on average, according to a study conducted by Zillow.
Step 4: It’s important to Establish an accurate baseline.
· A home energy monitor can track energy consumption both before and after solar is installed.
· If you are thinking of installing solar you may want to consider purchasing a Energy Monitor and gather a couple months of data to use that information to calculate how much of your current bill can be offset with solar and how big your solar installation might need to be.
· One homeowner used “Sense Solar” to track down her energy usage before installing her solar panels and it paid off in significant savings
Step 5: Consider financing and payoffs.
· Solar panels are an investment that needs to pay off financially.
· A homeowner should take her or his time analyzing whether buying or leasing will be most advantageous.
· If you decide to buy, most solar providers and websites will factor the federal and State incentives into their estimates
· Together, those incentives have a big impact on the final cost. If you need financing, you can check with your local lender and do the math to figure out how much you need to invest and when that investment will pay off.
· Loan and lease options are attractive because they can be cash-flow positive as soon as the solar panels are installed without a cash outlay in advance,
· However with a lease, you don’t benefit from the federal tax credit.
· You shouldn’t view leasing as a short-term decision since most loans and lease agreements are for longer than 10 years.
· The monthly lease prices of a solar system in the U.S. vary depending on how much energy a house requires and can produce.
· The higher the electricity bill, the higher the lease cost will be since it will demand higher solar productivity.
· To get an idea, Tesla calculates solar panel rentals based on the home’s address and electricity bill.
Step 6: Decide on storage or no storage.
· Energy storage is still a premium option, but prices are dropping significantly every year.
· To help to decide if you need storage, consider two factors:
o when you use electricity and
o how frequently it’s interrupted
In areas with rolling brownouts or downed power lines from storms, solar storage can get you through without an interruption and batteries can store solar energy to use at night or on cloudy days.
Do the math to figure out the payoff for storage.
Step 7: Make a short list of providers.
o Once a you’ve has decided to install solar panels, research providers online and check their reviews.
o Identify several companies that look promising and ask for online quotes based on remote solar audits,
o Their construction experts will visit the house to measure and assess the roof, conduct a shade analysis, and check to see if the electrical panel will need to be upgraded.
o Their final quote will reflect all those factors. When evaluating proposals, be sure it includes any costs to update the roof or remove trees that create shade.
Step 8: Ask more questions before deciding on a provider.
o Once you’ve have two or three final estimates based on in-person home assessments, ask the provider about how they’ll handle the installation.
o For instance, does the provider design and install the systems themselves, or do they subcontract to local companies?
o If the provider uses subcontractors, are the subcontractors licensed? Make sure the contractor can explain the components of the solar system they’re installing.
o Ask if they’ll file the necessary permits, including the electrical permit, building permit, and the dedicated solar photovoltaic permit.
o A reputable provider will help the homeowner file for rebates and tax incentives or do it for them.
o Make sure you know the warranty term and who will maintain the system when there are inevitable issues.
o And, finally, if you are leasing, find out what the system is worth so you’ll have that information if you decide to sell your home.
Step 9: Patience required.
o Evaluate all the proposals to make sure you correctly address your home’s energy needs,
o choose a provider you can trust.
o Once a contract is signed with a provider, the installation and permitting process can be surprisingly long as contractors file all the paperwork on your behalf with the utility and municipality.
o It can take a few weeks to get permits sorted out before the installer can get the solar panels on the roof.
THREE TAKE AWAYS
· Before adding Solar Panels a homeowner should make their home as energy efficient as possible so you don't pay for a bigger system than they need.
· Know A solar system is an investment with a typical payback period of eight years.
· Know the warranty terms of a solar system and who will maintain the system when there are inevitable issues.