Frequently Asked Questions
The Cost Of Solar
How Much Does It Cost To Get Solar ?
Because each home is different and uses different amounts of electricity and have different amounts of sun, there isn’t one set price for a solar system. The amount of panels that is needed varies from home to home, that’s why it is important that we create a custom quote for your home. We look at the rooftop and how much space there is and how much sun it gets, look at your electric bill, and put together a custom design for your home. The best way to estimate what your monthly solar bill will be is to look at your monthly electric bill, and it is going to be somewhere close to that. Best of all, it’s a set payment!
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Do I Get Paid For What I Produce?
In a sense, yes! You get to keep all of the power that your solar system produces. Many of the utilities that we install in participate in what is called Net Metering. Net metering gives you credits for the additional power that you create when the sun is out. These credits are to be used during the night, cloudy days and in the winter.
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How Does $0 Down Financing Work?
$0 Down financing is easy. We use our In Home Financing options or a 3rd party bank that provides homeowners with solar specific financing. In order to qualify, you must have approved credit (usually 650 FICO and above), be a homeowner, and have a qualifying debt to income ratio. The financing takes into account the Federal Tax credit incentives, and creates a flat, fixed payment. There are no prepayment penalties, and you can pay off the loan at any time. This allows you to convert an electric bill, one that you are already forced to pay, into an asset producing solar bill.
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How Does the Federal Income Tax Credit Work With Going Solar?
The Federal Income Tax Credit is an incentive provided by the federal government for homeowners and business owners to go solar. The tax credit is a dollar for dollar credit against your tax liability. This means, if your total credit that you qualified for was $12,000 and throughout the year you had $15,000 in federal taxes withheld from your paycheck, you would receive the full $12,000 in a tax rebate*. How do you calculate what your Federal Income Tax Credit will be? Take your total system cost and multiply it by the current incentive percentage – example $40,000 x 30% = $12,000 (your total potential Tax Credit*).
Current Incentives and Step-Down
Year 2022 -30%
Year 2023 -30%
Year 2024 -30%
*Consult with your local Tax Accountant to verify how the Federal Tax Credit will impact your personal taxes.
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If I’m Paying Close to What My Current Power Bill Is, Why Would I Go Solar?
Although your solar bill may be about what you’re currently paying in an electric bill, your solar bill will fixed while your electric bill continues to increase 3-6% annually. The best way to think about it is the difference between having a landlord and having a fixed mortgage. A landlord will continue to raise your rent over the years, and you never get anything in return for your payment besides the usage. A mortgage on the other hand is a fixed payment that doesn’t go up over time and your monthly payment goes toward buying down an asset every single month.
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Solar And My Home
Although we have options to be able to go “off-grid”, our standard solar system is a “grid-tied” system. This means that you are still connected to the utility company for any additional electric needs that you may encounter. You also are able to use the utility company as a “battery” with net metering, because it “stores” the energy that you over produce giving you a credit that you can use later.
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We only install on roofs that we know have at least 10 years remaining in life. If you have a roof that needs replaced soon, there has never been a better time than now to get it done. Many of our customers get roofs replaced at the same time that they have solar installed on their roofs.
There are a couple advantages to this-
1) You can finance in the cost of getting a roof installed into the total project cost.
2) If you have a new roof done at the same time as your solar, it is considered an “improvement for solar”. This allows you to qualify for additional solar incentives on the cost of the roof.
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Because we have licensed and trained electricians, we are able to wrap in the cost of a Main Panel Upgrade into the cost of the solar project. This allows you to go solar and get a brand new main panel for $0 down, and everything for one low monthly payment.
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We DON’T only install solar on roofs. Many times when homeowners have land to spare, we do what is called a ground mounted system. Click on our gallery above to see pictures of ground mounts. We also install on many types of roofs; metal, tile, composite shingle, flat roofs, etc. There are two types of roofs that we DO NOT install on – wood shake and clay tile. In the instance that you have a roof-type that we are unable to install on, we have additional options like removing the shake or tile only where the system is going to be installed.
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Our solar panels have been tested against baseball sized hail at up to 60 mph speeds. In the event that hail were to cause damage (which is highly unlikely), your homeowner’s insurance policy will cover the damage to the solar panels.
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When a homeowner moves, they have TWO options:
1) Pay off the remaining balance of the loan through the sale of their home (this is the MOST COMMON).
2) If the new homeowner wishes to assume the loan, he/she must apply to qualify for a loan in their name. If the new homeowner is APPROVED, then he/she assumes full responsibility of the loan. If he/she is not approved, then you (current homeowner) must pay off the remaining balance of the loan.
Simply call us at 509.931.1663 when you decide that you are going to be selling your home!
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According to many reputable sources, solar adds significant value to your home. According to Energy.gov, solar homes sell for a premium of $15,000 for an average system size of 5 kW. Not only do they sell for more, but they sell 20% faster than a home without solar. See the Energy.gov source here –https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/downloads/solar-homes-sell-premium
Zillow did a study that claims that solar adds anywhere from 4-5% to the value of your home. This, of course, depends on where you live and the size of system that your home requires. Zillow calculated the solar premium by comparing homes with and without solar-energy systems that were listed for sale and sold from March 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019, controlling for observable attributes of the homes, including bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, age of the home and location. Here is a link to the most recent study performed by Zillow – https://www.zillow.com/research/solar-panels-house-sell-more-23798/
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If your roof leaks, we will come and fix it as long as it is under warranty. Because our workmanship is covered and the tar materials that we use are equivalent to standard roofing materials, this is only potentially ever an issue right after installation or within the first year.
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The Solar Process
Going solar is an 8-Step Process… but we make it super simple. You are really only involved with the first 3 steps.
1) Provide your utility bill to Solgen Power (1 Day)
2) Energy Consultant will provide a free proposal that goes over the design and numbers (Usually within 24-hours)
3) Get Qualified & Sign-Up (Same time as proposal)
4) On-Site Survey Performed by Solgen Power (Usually 48-72 hours after Qualifying)
5) Engineering and Permitting (1-6 weeks)
6) Installation of System (1-2 days)
7) Inspections by Jurisdictions and Utility Company (1-4 weeks)
8) Permission to Operate – Turn System On!!!
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Because each city, jurisdiction, and utility company has different requirements and different permitting timelines, the process will vary in length. Most of our customers have their systems turned on within 8-12 weeks after contacting Solgen.
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Our goal is to produce as much of your power for your home as possible. Sometimes that means 35%, sometimes that means 85%, and sometimes that means upwards of 100%. No matter what, it is great to own as much as possible. You will still be connected to the utility for any additional needs over and above what your solar system produces. Because of this, you will still potentially have an electric bill for any amount that you use from the utility company plus any applicable connection fees.
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As long as you have a reliable internet connection, Solgen provides monitoring on your system for 10 years. This is accessible through an app that you can download to your smartphone, or a login on any internet enabled device. This allows you to see exactly what your solar system is producing in real time. Solgen also is able to monitor the system, providing you with feedback and real time serviceability.
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No! You’re too young NOT to make the switch! Not only will this be a great thing for anyone that could potentially buy or inherit your home, but this will be an incredible option for the rest of your life! By going solar for $0 Down with Solgen Power, this allows your to fix in exactly what your monthly electric bills (now solar bill) will be for the foreseeable future. That’s what each of us are pursuing… fixed bills!
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The majority of the systems that we install are “grid-tied” – meaning that there are no batteries involved. The benefit of this is that you are able to use the grid like a battery without the additional costs of batteries. Net metering gives you credit for everything that you over produce and send back to the utility company.
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In order to qualify you must be a homeowner, have qualifying credit (usually 650 FICO or higher), and have a qualifying debt to income ratio.
One of our energy consultants will help you get qualified by filling out an online form that typically just takes 2-3 minutes. Most approvals happen instantaneously.
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How Solar Works?
Because there are no moving parts, maintenance for a solar system is very minimal. Cleaning is the most common type of maintenance needed, for which we recommend that you run a hose over them every 2-3 years. This all depends on how much it rains in your area. For anything that is related to the install, we provide free maintenance for the first 10 years of the system.
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Solar most definitely works in the winter. Of course, cloudy days do not produce as much a direct sunny days. The biggest difference between solar in the winter versus the summer is that the days are shorter. Credits created during the summer are used up during the cloudy, short days of winter. Sunlight is able to travel through a certain amount of snow.
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All of the costs of permits, engineering, surveys and inspections are included in your initial proposal. The only potential change orders that may require additional cost are if your main electrical panel is not up to code, or if your roof needs to be replaced. See “what if I need a new roof” down below.
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Yes, of course! All of our installers and electricians are in-house employees and we carry all of the proper licensing, bonds, and insurance to operate in each jurisdiction, city, and state.
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At Solgen, we provide 2 different types of warranties; manufacturers’ equipment warranties and labor warranties. The manufacturers of the equipment that we install provide a 25-year linear production warranty on the panels and a 25-year warranty on the inverters. The warranties are available upon request from our customer service department. Our labor and roof penetration warranty is for 10 years. This means that for 10 years after the solar system is installed, Solgen Power will come out for free and service your system. This warranty also covers roof leaks, craftsmanship, and all work performed.
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The standard life expectancy of our solar systems is 40 years. The first 25 years is covered under a manufacturers’ warranty. This means that your system will cover your needs for much of the rest of your life!
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CALCULATE SOLAR SAVINGS FOR YOUR HOME
Take our solar quiz to see if your home qualifies in just a few minutes!
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Solgen Power is a solar energy equipment company that sells and installs solar for homeowners. Solgen Power has been recognized by INC. 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the nation. Solgen Power has grown nationwide and continues to provide excellent customer service to homeowners.