How to Prepare for a Home Solar System

We get it—putting a solar system on your home is no small deal.  

With such a big purchase, you will want to research: the best companies to install solar, your state’s solar incentives or rebates, and anything else you might need to know. Finding out these answers is crucial to making a sound decision for your home and for your wallet. Having a plan will ensure you get the best possible outcome and return on your system. 

Planning a home solar system doesn’t have to be difficult or intimidating – it can be quite simple if you know where to look, what to look for, and we are here to help you along the way. 

Know How Much Your Utilities Are

The first thing we recommend is understanding how much you typically pay for your utilities.  

Having three or four recent electricity bills on hand, is not only good for you to know your starting point, but it is also a great way to prepare for and provide to a solar expert. 

Knowing the details of the statements can help you get you a quote that is accurate to your home and your needs. How much you pay your utility company is a key factor, when considering going solar, especially during the design and proposal stage.  

Our in-house teams can create home solar system arrays that will benefit you the most by providing these details. If you use a high amount of energy, we might add a panel or two to your design to make sure usage is covered. If you use a low amount of energy, we use the information to make sure we are not giving you more panels than you need to maintain your electricity usage for a low cost.

HOME ENERGY AUDIT

To run an energy-efficient home, which will undoubtedly save you money, a Home Energy Audit will be performed to identify places your energy uses can be improved. It might provide insights such as: upgrading your appliances or simply adjusting your thermostat temperature at night. You can also do a few things on your own, like switching your lights to LED bulbs, and being efficient with your dishes, laundry, and other appliances. 

EXCLUSIVE FINANCING OPTIONS

Knowing how much you currently pay for utilities will also help you know the best way to finance your custom solar system.  

Blue Raven Solar has three different financing products, along with the ability to pay for your panels in cash without taking out any loans. Each of these products were created for a different kind of homeowner. Want more specifics? Read more about them here, or talk to one of our solar experts who will help you decide which is best for you. 

EXPEDITE THE PROCESS

Having your utility bills handy for a solar expert will help to expedite your process. Once a representative reaches out to you, you can send them any electronic version of your bills so they can get started with creating a customized proposal and design. Blue Raven Solar’s proposals and design teams work hard so you can get to the next step as quickly as possible—sometimes in only a few hours! 

Situational Factors to Consider

Some other factors to investigate, research, and dig deeper into are your local restrictions or approval requirements.  

Blue Raven Solar has a team(s) who will take care of all permitting needs, including those required by your HOA or county, but it is still good to know what those requirements are so you can have an idea of the timeline, necessities for your system, and what you may need to keep up with in terms of the look of your panels.  

Other tools to determine if your home would be a good fit for solar energy include mapping services and details from property’s solar energy potential. If those tools determine your home might not be the best candidate, you will be given suggestions on how to move forward with solar in ways to best save you money. If you want to continue forward with your system, start preparing for an inspection of your roof by a solar expert. 

INITIAL ROOF & HOUSE INSPECTION

Our solar experts will look at the angle of your roof, the sun exposure, and several other factors to make sure your home is a good fit for solar panels. While at your home, they will go over the remainder of the process to get panels installed onto your roof, including the inverter you will have installed, your smart thermostat, and the app you can use to see your panels’ production.  

These are all important pieces to know so you can hit the ground running when your system is installed. If you would like to know more about the process for going solar with Blue Raven, find out more here. 

Go Green

Not only does going solar save you thousands of dollars, but it also helps save the planet and makes the world a better place for current and future generations.  

Something neat about switching to solar energy is the fact there is a tangible, numerical measurement of how much cleaner you are making the earth over the lifetime of your system. Over 25 years of energy production, each system prevents approximately 200 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from being released into the air. Those 200 tons of carbon dioxide emissions can come from burning coal, consuming gasoline, and even the operation of wind turbines.  

Solar is one of the cleanest forms of energy production, and the impact of each system put together is astronomical for the health of our planet. Understanding the change, you can make by going solar is important for many homeowners, and it often helps tip the scale on the benefits of making the switch for homeowners who are on the fence.

Blue Raven Solar

One of our company’s values is to “Be Efficient,” with a guideline to “Keep the sales and field experience simple (even if it means adding complexity elsewhere).” We want to make our customers’ experience simple and easy. As an end-to-end solar company, we will go to great lengths to make sure you understand each step of the process and it remains that way, despite constant changes in the solar industry.  

We work hard to help homeowners feel like we are speaking the same language, even when it comes to new jargon like “photovoltaic,” and “microinverter.” If you ever have questions about anything, feel free to ask our solar experts or check out the articles we have on our blog!

More homeowners are making plans to switch to solar energy for their home because of the number of benefits available. There is a reason we invite everyone to “join the movement.” Solar is the fastest-growing renewable energy resource in the world, and nearly the highest producing (after hydroelectricity).  

Make the first step and request a free quote from one of our solar experts or find out more here.  

Start Saving with Renewable Energy

Over the lifetime of your solar panel system, you can save upwards of $30,000 on your utilities, leaving money to go to something else, whether it be a big family vacation, another large purchase for your home, or just to putting yourself in a better financial position. These savings come from the utility savings, Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) of 30%, and state and local rebates and incentives.

Depending on your location, utility companies can offer great net metering policies and rebates, and your local governments can include tax exemptions and sometimes tax credits.  

Find out more about your state and county’s solar incentives and go solar with Blue Raven Solar!