If you were to ask your neighbor who installed solar 5 years ago about how they financed the system, it’s likely that they’re leasing the system from a large, national solar provider like Vivint or SunRun. It was only recently that solar ownership options – either buying the system with cash upfront or financing through a loan – became the more popular option for homeowners investing in new solar panel systems.
Southern California Edison’s (SCE) new time-of-use (TOU) rate plans went into effect in March 2019, affecting the utility’s entire coverage area. Whether you have solar panels on your roof, are considering solar, or don’t have any plans to generate your own electricity, the time-of-use (TOU) rates will have an impact on your monthly electricity costs. Continue reading
Many solar companies recommend pairing a solar array with power optimizers and a central inverter to enhance the performance of a solar panel system. While many people install power optimizers and panels as separate components, your installer may recommend a solar panel that integrates both components into one, also known as a smart module.
Solar loans are the fastest growing method of financing a solar panel installation. Across the country, the majority of new solar installations are purchased with either a cash purchase or through a solar loan. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, EnerBank USA is a popular company in the home-improvement lending industry. If you’re comparing solar quotes from a few different solar installers, you may have received a loan option from EnerBank.
When you’re buying a turnkey solar installation, a portion of your total cost is attributed to the labor required to set up your system. Manufacturers are constantly innovating new technology to cut down the time, labor, and costs of installations. As a result, there’s one type of solar panel that’s becoming increasingly popular throughout the solar industry: the alternating current (AC) module.
If you’re a homeowner in a state with Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs), one decision to make as you’re installing a solar panel system is how to sell your SRECs. There are a number of SREC aggregators who will sell your SRECs for you. One of the most popular of those companies that solar panel system owners elect to work with today is Sol Systems. EnergySage conducted a Q&A with Sol Systems to learn more about their company, what customers should consider when choosing an SREC aggregator, and how they differ from other SREC aggregators.
In an effort to minimize energy usage (and possession of material items), homeowners across the country are moving into tiny houses. Even though these houses are much smaller than the average home, they still need energy for lighting, heating, cooling, and other appliances. If you’re living in or planning to build a tiny house, you can cut your energy bills even further by generating your own clean, free electricity with solar panels.
Heating water in your house requires a lot of electricity. In fact, roughly 12 percent of an average home’s energy consumption is spent heating water. How much energy your own water heater consumes depends not only on how much hot water you use but also on the type of water heater you install. As such, when it’s time to install a new water heater in your home, it’s important to compare multiple options before making a final purchasing decision.
Solar energy renewable certificates (SRECs) are some of the most attractive solar incentives available in the country. Many states with renewable portfolio standards (RPS) have special “solar carve-outs” that require a certain amount of a utility’s energy production to come from solar. In these states, utility companies meet the requirement by purchasing SRECs from people producing solar energy.
If you own a home, you’ve probably experienced the shock of opening your monthly electricity bill in the mail and seeing a dollar total that is higher than you expect. It’s a common part of home ownership, and one that you can hear homeowners lamenting as electricity rates increase – “Why is my electric bill so high? Why does it keep going up?”.
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