1. Solar Power Suitability Inspection
The first step to getting solar power at your home is to order a solar inspection from a professional company. Experienced installers will come to your home and evaluate your roof and yard for sun exposure level.
If a roof-mounted solar system is preferred, then you need to locate the sunniest portion of your roof. A south-facing roof slope is best, but the presence of trees and other sources of shade must also be considered. The inspector will use a solar pathfinder to determine the likely amount of sunshine that would hit your roof at each point.
2. Installation Of Accompanying Equipment
You will need a solar inverter to convert the DC electricity produced by solar panels to AC power usable in your home and that can be safely put on the power grid. The inverter is normally installed on a garage wall but can be placed wherever is convenient.
A solar battery will also be needed if you want to use your solar power at night or on cloudy days. You may also need a new electric panel to handle solar power and to enable measurement of your solar usage.
3. Installing The Panels Themselves
If you feel it’s time for new roofing, scheduling re-roofing to coincide with solar installation is a wise move. Otherwise, you are probably talking about a one to two day job to put the solar panels on your roof.
Installation experts simply remove roofing where necessary and fix mounting frames on the roof. The panels are then securely screwed to the frames. Some panels sit right on the rooftop, while others are mounted a little above it. If your roof is flat (or not ideally sloped), the mounts will need to be put in at an appropriate angle to maximize sun exposure.
4. Qualifying For Credits & Discounts
You can qualify for a 30% tax credit if you get solar installation done before the end of 2019. But the Federal Solar Tax Credit will begin to decline thereafter – to 26% in 2020. It may or may not really be phased out as planned (depending on what Congress does or does not do) – but this much is sure: acting sooner rather than later will get you a bigger tax credit.
Also, there are many local rebates and discounts you can qualify for. And there are many solar power loans or lease programs as well. Your installation company should inform you of your opportunities to save big and help make sure you qualify for as many programs as possible.
5. Testing Solar Installation For Results
Your installers should fully explain to you how to use your solar panels and how to check up on how much power you are producing. This will enable you to test the results of solar installation in terms of actual Wattage and monthly savings.
For a free solar installation consultation and additional information on how solar power works, contact Sheegog Contracting in Central Florida today. We look forward to helping you “go solar!”
