Solar is a very unique Home Improvement. It is an investment in your home that yields dividends annually; it is not just adding comfort to your lifestyle. This is the twist where things can get derailed. Below are the top mistakes we recommend you avoid.
- Aesthetics Matter. Curb Appeal is important. If you were doing a kitchen remodel, you wouldn’t want a poor design or inferior cabinets and you certainly wouldn’t save a few pennies for an ugly kitchen.
- Warranty: You want good warranties from the manufacturer including labor without the fine print.
- Going with a Company lacking decades of contracting experience—you want a seasoned contractor.
- Contracting a Company that is not local.
- Not investigating installation methods.
- Not understanding how power is consumed or knowing how future upgrades can affect the size of a solar system.
- Not getting a written guarantee that the system will generate what was “promised”.
- Not understanding the differences in equipment and how our extreme climate will affect their longevity. Panel quality does vary.
- Not asking the right questions when being referred. Who is referring you? Are they being paid? Can you fully trust their referral?
-Ask what was “promised” and verify what was delivered.
-Have they tracked performances of their systems?
-How is the service?
Yes, this is quite a list but it isn’t to discourage you from doing your part environmentally, and reaping large savings on your electric bill. It is more of a litmus test for the Solar Integrator you choose. The Solar Company you choose to work with should be bringing these issues up and offering solutions rather than passing over them with saving a carrot.