12 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Going Solar

Going solar is one of the most expensive decisions you will have to make in your lifetime, probably after buying the house and the car. Before you make this decision you need to ask yourself a few questions, here are the 11 questions to ask yourself before going solar.

Question #1: Why should I go solar?

This is the first question you should ask yourself, why do you want to go solar? We all know that there are many benefits of going solar, but what is yours, do you want to go solar because you want to reduce your electricity bill? Do you want to go solar because it is politically correct? Do you want to go solar because you want to save the planet? Do you want to go solar because your neighbor or friend did it? there is no wrong answer here, but you should know the real reason why do you want to go solar.

Question #2: Is my house right for solar?

This is one of the most important questions on this list, is your house right for a solar system? in order to answer this question you need to consider three factors.

The amount of sun that your house receives?

If your house is located in between trees and has a lot of shadows or in a country where there is little to no sun, then it is not possible to install a solar panel system on your house.

The cost of electric energy in your local area

Some areas have a very low cost of electrical energy, if this is the case, installing a solar panel system does not make economical sense, unless you want to do it for other reasons.

The direction your roof faces

 Southern-facing roofs spend the most time in the sun in the northern hemisphere and can allow you to purchase fewer panels while still producing enough energy for your home.

Question #3: Who should install my solar panels

Do you have a background in electricity? can you install your own solar panel system? or do you have to hire someone or a company to install solar panels for you? this is a  very important question to ask yourself before going solar.

Question #4: Do my electricity bill justify going solar?

Again, If your reason to go solar has to do with reducing your electricity bill, this should be one of the first questions to ask yourself. 

If your electric bill is too small, it does not make sense to go all the process of going solar, in order to go solar you will need to seek permission from your local government and electricity provider, this will cost you money plus the cost you will have to pay your solar installers.

Question #5: How many solar panels do I need?

This question goes hand in hand with the last question, in order for the solar panel installation project to make sense financial most companies will want to install a minimal amount of solar panels, the company I used to work four they wanted the customers to install a minimum four panels, some companies they want you to install at least 8 solar panels.

Question #6. How I will finance my solar panel system installation?

There are different ways to finance your solar panel system, depending on your state, country, and the solar company installing your panel.

Some governments offer rebates and tax relief packages, some companies offer loans, some people like to pay with their own money, you need to consult your solar installer for this, they should have more information.

Question #7: How much will the solar panel system cost?

Talking about finances, you need to know how much your solar panel system cost, on average in the  USA the cost of installing solar panels is $22000, but that will depend on how much in the percentage of the electricity bill you want to save.

It will not cost the same to save 50% of your bill as to save 100% of it. Your solar installer should be able to calculate this and tell you how much it will cost.

Question #8: How much money do I save with solar?

Most people go solar in order to reduce their electricity bill, some states will give you tax rebates, which means that for the next tax year your tax payment will be much lower.

A cash-purchased system will usually put 100% of your power bill back into your pocket. If you purchase your panels with a loan, the loan payment would ideally be lower than your monthly power bill, allowing for automatic monthly savings. All in all, after ownership, the typical system on an optimal home will pay itself off in 6-8 years.

Question #9: What type of solar panel I should look for?

There are many types of solar panels out there, from different manufacturers, different sizes, and technology, and that produce different amounts of power.

My recommendation is to speak with 3 to 4 solar panels installers in your area, ask them what solar panels they install and what type of solar panel they will recommend for you, weigh the pro and cons of each type of solar panel then make your decision.

Question #10: How long will my solar panels last?

Most solar panel manufacturers claim that their solar panels have a life span of 25+ years, but you should ask your solar installer about this information and they should be able to answer the question.

My recommendation is you should pick solar panels that are expected to last for at least 25 years.

Solar panels will decline in efficiency over the years, most of the time this is due to dust and getting dirty, to make sure they still produce electricity with the highest possible efficiency make sure you clean them more often.

Do solar panels have a warranty?

Most solar installation companies will offer you some kind of warranty for their installation, but you need to ask them a few questions regarding their warranty.

What will happen to the warranty in case of a natural disaster? What will happen to the warranty if you move or sell the house? can you break the warranty? under what conditions? all these questions must be answered before committing to the solar panel system installation.

How do I know which solar company to trust?

You are going to invest a considerable large amount of money with them, you need to know if you can trust them, if they have a website check for testimonials, ask them if they are certified, ask them if they have done federal projects and what was the outcome.

Also, you can Google the company name and add a review to it, for example, you can Google energoboost.com review, if you can find people complaining about this company it is better to stay away from them.

Conclusion

Those are 12 questions to ask yourself before going solar. I hope these questions helped you in some form and thank you for reading.