Solar Power for Home | Solar Panels, Battery Storage, Roofing, HVAC
Originally published September 13th, 2018. Updated on January 6th, 2021. Over the past decade, homeowners interested in solar power for their home enjoyed a sunny surprise. A combination of strong renewable energy incentives on the federal and local level, as well as improving technology and growing manufacturing efficiencies has led to a continual drop in the cost of solar. In fact, if you purchase solar panels today you may pay up to 60% less than your neighbors who purchased the same sized solar power system ten years ago! With this information in mind, it might seem like a smart move to wait to purchase solar panels until the price drops even further. Unfortunately, some big political changes are creating a lot of volatility in the market, which may steadily bump up the price of solar panels. Now could actually be the very best time to purchase solar panels before prices continue to climb. Let’s look at some of the big changes that are happening in the solar world and how future changes could affect the price of solar power for your home even more! The United States Announces Solar Tariffs One of the Trump Administration’s favorite weapons is the tariff, which acts as a tax on imports of materials and goods from other countries. The Administration has been serious about instituting protectionist trade policies. Over the past year, President Trump has announced tariffs on over $200 billion in goods, including tariffs on steel, aluminum, washing machines, flat screen televisions, medical devices, and even airplane parts. One of the very first tariffs the president announced was a 30% tariff on all solar imports into the United States, which includes solar cells and solar modules. Semper Solaris offers you the freedom to choose American-made solar panels. This tariff has already had a major impact on the solar industry. According to Popular Science, roughly 80% of solar installations in the United States use imported solar panels, mostly from Malaysia, South Korea, China, Thailand, and Vietnam. When the price increases on these panels, solar manufacturers and installers tend to pass these costs onto consumers. Solar customers are already starting to feel the pain of this tariff. According to an investigation by Reuters, U.S. companies have canceled or frozen roughly $2.5 billion in large solar installation projects. What do the solar tariffs mean for you as a homeowner? While larger solar utilities will feel the brunt of the solar tariffs, individual homeowners won’t be left unscathed. Analysts are already predicting that the tariffs will lead to a shortage of solar panels, which will hike prices. A Bloomberg New Energy report predicted that solar utilities could see a 10% increase in the cost of solar, while homeowners may face a 3% cost increase for residential solar projects. Here at Semper Solaris, we strive to use American-made solar parts. While American-made solar equipment won’t be directly affected by the tariffs, our costs could also go up as other installers switch to American-made equipment. As competition for American-made solar panels goes up, so will prices! The Solar Investment Tax Credit Is Slated to End in 2022 Over the past decade, the solar sector has grown an average of 68% each year. One of the biggest drivers of this explosive growth was the creation of the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) in 2006. The ITC allows homeowners and commercial businesses to deduct 26% of the total cost of their solar installation from their taxes. This deduction can even be rolled over to the next year if the deduction is greater than your total tax bill. In essence, the ITC is a 26% discount on the cost of solar. That often results in thousands of dollars of savings for individual homeowners who invest in solar. The ITC is a powerful incentive, which makes solar much more affordable for individual homeowners as well as commercial interests that invest millions to create massive solar farms. In many ways, the ITC has been instrumental in speeding up the transition in the United States from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy. However, all good things much eventually come to an end. The ITC was created to help make solar more competitive as it got established in the United States. It was originally slated to expire in 2007, but the program has been working so well that Congress has extended the expiration date several times. The ITC began diminishing in 2020. In 2019, the tax deduction remained at 30%, but if you were to invest in solar power for your home in 2020, the deduction was lower to 26% and then to 22% in 2021. In 2022, the ITC will expire completely for homeowners. Homeowners should prepare for the worst and assume that the ITC will not be extended past 2022. Local Renewable Energy Incentives Are Going Away The federal government isn’t the only one who wants to help make solar more affordable. All across the country and especially in California, local cities and municipalities have poured money into programs that provide tax incentives and rebates to homeowners who go solar. However, there is a limit to how much these local entities can payout. In many instances, once the initial investment is used up, it’s gone for good. This is exactly what happened for customers of three major California utility customers – Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Through the California Solar Initiative, each of these utilities was given a fund which they used to provide rebates for commercial and residential solar customers. Solar became so popular in the Golden State, that all three utilities used up their funds, putting an end to the rebates. Fortunately, not all local rebates programs have given up the ghost. Customers of the state’s largest utility, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) still has an active incentive program, which provides a rebate of $0.25 per watt for new solar projects. Rebates may also still be available for residents of Glendale, Pasadena, and San Francisco. However, there’s no telling how long these programs will continue. Local rebates and other solar incentives can save homeowners hundreds or even thousands of dollars off the cost of their solar projects, but they are disappearing fast. If you are fortunate to qualify for a local program, there’s no time to lose. Start searching for local California solar installers in your area right away so you can take advantage of these incentives before they are gone. Otherwise, you’ll be paying even more for solar power for your home when the local government could have picked up the tab! Don’t Try to Time the Market to Get Solar Power for Your Home Many financial gurus like to tell their followers, “never try to time the stock market.” You may wait so long for the perfect conditions to either buy or sell stocks that you’ll miss valuable growth opportunities and end up financially worse off than if you’d just invested steadily each month. The stock market is incredibly difficult to predict, and even expert mutual fund managers rarely outperform the indexes. The solar market isn’t much clearer. While the price of solar panels has steadily dropped over the last decade, that trend may not last much longer. With the Trump Administration’s hefty solar tariffs coming on top of the expiration of helpful federal and local solar incentives, the price of solar panels is likely to rise in the near future. Will prices continue to go up, or will they drop back down as solar technology and manufacturing efficiencies improve? What happens if a future administration eliminates the solar tariff or Congress decides to extend the ITC? All of these things are impossible to predict, which means trying to wait for the perfect time to purchase solar panels may be as futile as trying to predict the stock market. That’s why now is the perfect time to invest in solar. While we can’t tell you for sure that solar prices will continue to rise, but we can tell you with absolute accuracy that you will begin saving money the moment your solar system comes online. The sooner you invest in solar panels for your home, the sooner you’ll begin saving on your monthly utility bill and the faster your solar panels will pay for themselves! There’s no reason to wait. If you invest in solar this year or in 2019, you can still take advantage of the valuable ITC. Contact Semper Solaris today. We have local offices throughout California, and we would be glad to help you qualify for any available local solar rebates or tax incentives. Request a free, no-pressure energy analysis of your home right now!
Originally published May 24th 2018. Updated January 6th 2021 to reflect changes to the Federal Tax Credit. Is it feeling a little hot in here? Perhaps it’s because the summer months are quickly approaching, or maybe you just opened up your electricity bill. There are so many wonderful reasons that California is a great place to build a home, but cost of living isn’t one of them. In fact, we have the seventh-highest energy rates in the whole country! As temperatures creep up and air conditioners start humming across the Golden State, electric bills can start creeping up as well. Solar panel installation is a great way to lower your energy bill (and decrease your carbon footprint), but what are some other ways to cool your energy usage and save? Let’s take a look at some easy-to-implement options. Solar Panel Installation We are a solar panel company, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that we think solar panels offer you a great solution to lowering or eliminating your electric bill altogether. Buying Solar Panels for Your House If you choose to purchase solar panels out-of-pocket, you’ll be making a significant upfront investment, but it will pay off. According to Energy Sage, the average 6 KW (kilowatt) system will cost California residents $11,928 to $15,204 when they take advantage of the federal government’s generous 26% tax rebate (which, unfortunately, won’t last much longer). A 6 KW solar panel system is one of the most common sizes we install, and it covers the energy needs of a typical, mid-sized home. Buying solar panels for your house isn’t cheap, but the average system pays itself off in seven years. When you keep in mind that solar panels are estimated to last anywhere from 25 to 40 years, you can see the potential for big savings down the road, especially because the panels themselves add value to your home! It’s estimated that over 20 years of life, solar panels can save the average homeowner in Los Angeles $50,000! Solar Leases and Power Purchase Agreements Of course, not everyone has $12,000 sitting in their bank account. California residents can still save on electricity by choosing a solar panel lease or a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Both of these options offer no upfront payment. Instead, the solar panel installation company owns the solar panels and charges homeowners a set rate for the energy they use, which is less than what they would pay the electric company. The beauty of this system is that as energy rates increase (and they always do), homeowners with a solar lease or PPA will increase their savings. Whether you purchase solar panels or choose a solar lease or PPA, you’ll still want to keep your energy usage as low as possible during the long, hot California summer. If you use more energy than the solar power system for your home was designed to produce, you could still end up paying big bucks to the utility companies. Here are some other tips to lower your energy usage during summer. Save on Air Conditioning Nothing feels better on a scorching day than the sweet whisper of cool air pouring through the vents when your air conditioner kicks on. However, your air conditioner also happens to be an energy hog! The typical air conditioner guzzles 15,000 watts of electricity per hour. Compare that to the average desktop computer, which hums along just fine on 400 watts per hour. California charges on average $0.15 per kilowatt, meaning your air conditioning will set you back an average of $2.25 for every hour it’s on. If it’s running six hours a day, you’ll be paying $94.50 every week! That doesn’t mean you need to unplug your air conditioner for good and resign yourself to the fact that your home will morph into a sweat lodge for the next few months. Instead, there are a few simple things you can do to reign in the costs. Change Your Air Conditioning Filter You do know that you’re supposed to change out the filter on your air conditioner every three months, right? Filters are cheap (usually less than $10 each) and can improve the efficiency of your air conditioner. New filters can also make your home cleaner by filtering out dust and other outdoor irritants. Increase Your Air Conditioning Temperature In a perfect world, you’d put your air conditioning on the minute the temperature ticked up to 72 degrees, but let’s be honest. You can probably survive just fine without air conditioning for another two or three degrees, right? If you can cut the amount of time you use your air conditioning just one hour each day by setting your air conditioning on a higher temperature, the average Californian could save nearly $70 a month! Don’t Cool Empty Rooms If you’re the only one in the house, or you and your family are heading to bed, close the vents in the other rooms. There’s no need for your air conditioner to cool off your microwave in the kitchen or your couch in the living room! Use a Fan Another smart idea is to take advantage of a fan, which uses much less energy. If you have a ceiling fan, turn it on. You might be surprised how just getting a nice breeze can help you feel much cooler. If you don’t have a ceiling fan, invest in a floor fan or even a desktop fan. This option is especially good if you are home alone and don’t want to go through the hassle of closing all the vents. Now you can keep the temperature in your room comfortable without having to turn on the air conditioning to cool the entire house! A Few Other Cost-Saving Tips Making the changes above to how you use your air conditioner can help you save on electricity costs in the summer, but that’s not all you can do. Here are a few more quick tips that you can use to cut your energy usage all year round. Play the Variable Price Game Some utility companies throughout California have been rolling out “variable pricing,” which increases the cost of electricity during certain set times of the day when demand is the highest. Find out if you have a variable price plan and then determine which time periods will cost you the most. It shouldn’t be too hard to run the dishwasher or the washer and dryer outside of those hours. Limit Your Hungriest Power Users Your air conditioning unit isn’t the only device in your home that loves to gobble up electricity. Your washer and dryer use 4,000 watts per hour and your water pump uses 3,000 watts per hour. So make sure you fill up the washer with each load. If you have half a load ready to go, see if you can double up with one of your family members. (Just don’t let them talk you into folding all their socks and underwear too!) Also, if you have a heated pool or jacuzzi that you only use on the weekends, pull the plug during the week. If no one’s using it, don’t spend energy and money on it! Turn Off the Lights Let the long hours of daylight give you all the illumination you need for as long as the sun is up. Lightbulbs, especially the energy-efficient LED bulbs that most of us use, only sip small amounts of energy, but it can still add up. According to Spark Energy, 10 lightbulbs running for six hours a day will cost you $120 a year. That’s not exactly a king’s ransom, but we bet you can find a lot of better ways to use that money. Plus, lowering your energy bill is only part of the benefit of using less energy. By flipping off your light switch, you can also lower the amount of carbon you contribute to the environment. It’s Time to Save There are all sorts of ways that you can cut your energy usage this summer and save on your electric bill. Some tips are as easy as flicking off a light switch in an unoccupied room or running the dishwasher an hour later. Others will require a bigger investment, like solar panel installation, which will pay off big in the end. Every step you take to cut power is a step in the right direction to lower your energy bills and to be a little more energy wise. We hope that you and your family have an amazing summer! And if now is the time for you to invest in solar power for your home, please give us a call to schedule a free energy analysis.
The sun is an all-natural alternative energy source that produces radiation you can turn into electrical and heat energy. This form of renewable energy offers plenty of benefits to those who exploit it. Harnessing the sun's rays can lower your electrical bills and cost of living, especially if you live in a major city like San Jose. The city is usually associated with wealth and is considered a modern metropolitan area. San Jose is believed to have one of the most highly-priced housing markets in the globe. San Jose has a tropical Mediterranean climate that offers more than 300 days of sunlight per year that is ideal for harnessing solar energy on a residential or commercial scale. A standard solar installation should come with solar panels, a DC-AC inverter, and a UPS battery storage. The average electricity charge rate in San Jose is considered to be 31% higher than the Country's average charge rate. Investing in San Jose solar panels and battery storage can ensure you have a constant electricity supply, especially during grid blackouts. You don't necessarily have to depend on the electricity; you can reduce costs and enjoy electricity during blackouts by buying a solar panel installation in San Jose. Advantages of Investing In San Jose Solar Panels: Apart from reducing electricity costs, procuring a Solar panel and battery storage unit can offer you the following benefits: You can use solar energy virtually anywhere Solar rays can be harnessed virtually anywhere across the world as long as the sun is shining. All you need is a solar panel to capture the sun's energy and a battery storage unit to store the electrical power. If you live in remote areas in San Jose, buying a solar harnessing solution may be best for you. If your premises are off the grid, solar energy can be a cheap yet effective electricity source. It is more environmentally friendly The normal electricity people use at homes is usually generated by burning fossil fuels, conducting nuclear reactions, and, to a lesser extent, harnessing hydroelectric and wind power. The sun offers the best alternative energy that has the least negative effect on the natural environment. Solar energy doesn't release any harmful fumes and doesn't affect water negatively. Moreover, solar energy is silent; even if you live in urban residential places, you will generate and store energy without polluting the environment in any way. You get a free federal tax credit and additional incentives for using solar energy When you buy solar panels and San Jose battery storages, you will receive a tax credit. Now is the time to buy while incentives are available at a high rate. Buying a solar panel installation in San Jose can also provide you with cash rebates from the California Solar initiative. Make sure to double check the incentives available before moving forward on your purchase. Solar Energy creates opportunities and jobs Every solar energy consumer requires a qualified solar panel installer, and the increase in demand for renewable energy is creating numerous opportunities in the job sector. Buying a solar installation in the San Jose area will assist in generating income for local companies. The Straight Forward Process of Acquiring Solar Panel Installation in San Jose First of all, consider if you are eligible for low-income solar services that offer a wide range of reimbursements and incentives. Also, identify whether your roof requires repair before the installation. It’s usually smarter to hire the best roofing company in San Jose than doing repairs yourself. It would be best if you also identified additional ways of making your home/ premises more energy effective as you buy a solar panel solution. Procuring energy-saving lights together with solar energy can greatly reduce electrical costs. As mentioned earlier, having a solar harnessing installation can offer you many benefits. Here is a step by step guide on how to acquire a San Jose Solar panel. Start by identifying your premises' solar capability Depending on the residential or commercial premises, there are various potentials you can exploit with solar energy. Nowadays, you can use digital tools such as the Google project Sunroof software that use a real-life professional to suggest suitable solar solutions for your premises. Find a suitable contractor to install the solar harnessing system It is important to hire a competent licensed contractor to ensure your solar installation is done effectively and lasts longer without the need for maintenance. Solar panel installers in California must have a permit from the Contractors State License Board. Clients can confirm whether a firm is legit by crosschecking its license number on the Contractors State License Board official web page. Weigh your payment options There are numerous firms out there offering solar services. If you have the cash up front, consider solar installation firms with the best offers and those that come with additional features. If you don't have the money, other financing options include leasing and hire purchase options. Review and understand all the relevant paperwork Understanding your solar installation contract's terms and conditions can help you comprehend important aspects of your San Jose battery storage and solar panel. Such aspects include Warranty covers, total costs, and a checklist of the installed equipment. Ensure the contractor applies for the necessary San Jose permit Before you can install a solar harnessing system, you need to get a permit from the city of San Jose. This permit can be obtained through an online application. The process will schedule a premises inspection, after which you can plan for the installation of a San Jose solar system. Schedule the solar panel installation Once all requirements are met, you can plan for a residential or commercial installation. After the process, you can enjoy solar energy and the advantages that come with it. Conclusion Investing in solar panel installation solutions in San Jose can reduce energy costs, among other benefits. The process of acquiring a solar energy solution is quite straightforward, especially if you know and fulfill the set requirements. To learn more or to book an appointment, contact us today via our appointment booking form.
So, you have been thinking about a solar installation on your Citrus Heights home. You have asked yourself the questions --- Why should I install solar? How will going solar benefit my family and me? Is it worth it? You have heard about the solar incentives and rebates available to Citrus Heights to offset the cost of installation. The price of installing solar has fallen considerably. And all your Citrus heights neighbors are installing solar, so why not you? BENEFITS OF GOING SOLAR The first consideration when deciding whether solar power is right for you is to find out how much you can actually save on your energy costs. If you enter the information about your home at Project Sunroof, you will find the answer to that question. When you think about the ways you benefit from installing solar, from environmental to energy savings, You will no doubt realize that solar panels in your Citrus Heights home are the smart move to make. Why not take the plunge? Semper Solaris is the best solar contractor in Citrus Heights. We have lots of options for homeowners, from equipment choices to financing options. Why not join your neighbors and install a solar power system for your home and reap the benefits? FIND THE RIGHT SOLAR COMPANY IN CITRUS Heights The first step in going solar is finding the best solar company in Citrus Heights. The company you want will offer a variety of top solar panels and equipment available. They will provide excellent warranties and stand behind their installations. They will have various financing options and will help you obtain the right incentives and rebates to lower your costs. Once you have found the right company for your solar installation, the process will begin with an evaluation of your property, an estimate of how much you will save, how much it will cost, and how long it will take. Once you give the nod, you will sign a contract and lease or loan papers, an engineer or technician will provide a more in-depth evaluation and assessment of your property. Assessing Your Property for Solar After you sign your solar contract and lease or loan, the installation will begin. An engineer or technician will perform a more in-depth assessment of your home. The roofs structure and ability to hold the panels Electric panel for compatibility with the solar panels Shade and obstruction issues for placing of the panels How much sunlight will be available for conversion to electricity Paperwork and Permits for your Solar Installation There is a lot of paperwork to cover before the actual installation begins. Your solar company will handle most of it for you. State and Federal Solar incentives Solar Loans and financing Building permits from City Inspections by the city and utility company After the paperwork and permits are done, it is time to design the system and order the equipment. Once the permits are approved (30 to 60 days), and the equipment arrives, it is time to install your solar panels. The installation will take about 2 or 3 days. And Now You Have Solar Before you can flip the switch, both the city planning and the electric company will come to inspect your solar installation to make sure it meets all the regulations, is installed properly, and it is working correctly. When they give the thumbs up --- final approval--- the moment has arrived. A flip of the switch, --- roof comes alive ---your solar energy is online. Congratulations. You have gone solar. Semper Solaris offers the best solar panel installation in Citrus Heights. Our equipment is from the most reliable and trusted manufacturers in the business. Finance your solar with our various financing options. We guarantee our work with a 25-year warranty. We have the experience, credentials, and expertise to make going solar an easy option.
You may have heard some buzz about how solar panels cuts costs on energy bills or that they’re eco-friendly. But chances are, this is pretty much all you know about them - and that’s 100% okay. But it’s important to understand exactly what you’re getting into when it comes to making the switch to solar energy. What Are Interesting Facts About Solar Energy? Here are 10 interesting facts about solar energy: 1. The first solar panel cell was invented in 1941 In 1839, Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect—that is, the ability to create an electric current from the sun’s rays. Shortly after, Russell Ohl invented the first solar panel cell in 1941 and the first commercial panel was put out by Bell Laboratories in 1954. Today, solar panel history is still being paved, as Semper Solaris continues to install industry-leading solar panels every day. 2. One hour of sunlight equals one year’s worth of energy for the entire earth Solar power starts with solar energy, which is energy produced by the sun. When the sunbeams, its energy can be stored in solar panels. These solar panels transform energy into power in two different ways – photovoltaic, which is power used for electricity, and solar thermal, which is power used for heating. The energy from the sun is the most abundant energy source available on Earth. With just one hour of direct sunlight, you could collect enough energy to generate a year’s worth of power for the entire Earth. There’s a lot of electrical juice from the sun! All you need is a cord (aka, solar panels) that’ll transform the energy from point A (the sun) to point B (electricity that can be used by your home) to power up all your home energy requirements. Everything that you need to know about solar: Solar for Beginners! 3. California is the biggest proponent of solar energy in the United States As of 2022, California’s solar power usage topped all other states, clocking in 39,729 megawatts of solar energy use. The state has enough solar energy systems installed to power 10.7 million homes. Other states that follow just behind California in solar energy production and usage include North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada and New Jersey. But, as the popularity of solar power grows with increasingly affordable access, you can expect to see more states jump on board, expanding the overall market. 4. Solar panels can produce power without direct sunlight You read that right! The sun is the most abundant source of energy for solar panels to absorb and convert into power, but it doesn’t need to be direct sunlight. Solar panels can capture different parts of the sun’s light spectrum. So, if the sun’s not directly beaming on the panels - or it happens to be a cloudy day - it doesn’t mean the hues reflected from the sky aren’t being captured and utilized by the solar panel cells to produce power. 5. A solar-powered home can reduce CO2 emissions by 100 tons within 30 years Solar power translates to clean energy production and you can reduce your carbon footprint significantly by installing a home solar power system. In other words, it’s not emitting the same pollution other energy sources typically do. The average U.S. household using a solar power system would reduce emissions by approximately eight pounds of sulfur dioxide, five pounds of nitrogen oxide and more than 1,400 pounds of carbon dioxide each month. 6. Investing in solar energy can pay for itself When you switch to a solar energy system, try not to take the initial price of installation at face value, because the overall amount you save in investing in solar power is actually where the value lies. After you’ve had your solar panels installed, you will no longer have to pay a heating or electric bill and, after time, the amount you save on the electricity bill (which averages $1,300 per household annually), will pay off your initial investment of installing a solar energy system. Additionally, those who buy solar panels could be eligible for a 30% tax break and some states even allow solar power owners to sell their excess solar energy – putting more money back into your pockets. They are even relatively low maintenance and getting a check-up is affordable. 7. Solar power can fuel airplanes Solar energy goes beyond simply using solar power for home electricity purposes. It can also be utilized in vehicles. From cars to trains, and now even airplanes, more and more people are traveling using solely solar energy. This application of solar power outside homes and office buildings is just a start to the unlimited potential solar technology has in changing our everyday lives for the better. 8. Installing solar can be a community effort Solar energy is expanding from just individual systems for each home to community solar systems. The concept of shared solar fits well in the ever-growing sharing economy that has risen in popularity over the past decade. Instead of homeowners installing their own solar panels, solar systems are being installed for entire communities to use to power their homes. So, why not talk to your neighbors and see who else wants to go solar on your block? 9. Solar panels produce approximately 10 kilowatts of energy per square foot Kilowatts hours (kWh) are used to measure solar-powered electricity and most solar panels have approximately 225-watt capacities, with the ability to generate 20-watts per square foot. To put that in perspective (and human speak for those, not in the energy industry), the average home needs about 30 solar panels to meet its own energy usage requirements. 10. The number of U.S. solar power installations is 23 times higher than eight years ago Solar power continues to grow in popularity in the United States, which is currently the third-largest solar market in the world. With the price of solar energy systems getting lower, it is becoming a really appealing energy choice for Americans. There is a lot more to those solar panels than you may have known. After finding out about history about them, a bit of science behind the technology, solar energy’s current position in the market and its ability to grow, why not get on board with solar panels for your own home? The chances of using solar energy as a major power source are still growing and Semper Solaris can help you become a part of the solar movement.
