Reach Solar Energy

Frequently asked questions

Solar energy users typically report substantial savings during the life of their solar installation. The actual amount of savings depends upon various factors, including the total area of the setup, the amount of sunlight that your premises receives, the current cost / rate of your electricity and also any participation in solar buybacks, feed in tariffs, metering programs, or incentives in your area.

Solar panels have a very long life, with most manufacturers providing a 25-year warranty. Solar panels do normally continue their power generation long after this period, but will then become decreasingly less efficient with time.

Contrary to popular belief, Solar panels do not have to have direct sunlight for electricity generation; They just need light and will still produce some power during cloudy or overcast days. However the amount of electricity generated by the panels is directly correlated with the sunlight received. The Reach Solar team will assess your roof's exposure to the sun to determine and ensure that your installation is suffciently compatible with solar energy.

Yes - Like most properties, if you are currently connected to the grid, you'll continue to receive bills from your utility provider. The reason being is that, during periods when your solar system isn't generating electricity, your home will still continue to draw and use electricity from the grid to fulfill its various daily needs. However, if your system produces more energy than you consume, this surplus will then be sent back to the grid, potentially resulting in credits from the utility company and therefore further reductions to offset your electricity bill.

Net metering operates as a billing mechanism that compensates owners of solar energy systems for the electricity they contribute to the power grid. When your solar panels generate surplus electricity surpassing your consumption, this excess power is fed back into the grid, resulting in a credit applied to your utility bill. The amount of this credit is set by the particular utility company that supply you.

This is the Solar Investment Tax Credit or ITC. This is a federal tax incentive, that enables homeowners to subtract part of their solar expenses from their tax liability. Using this tax credit during your tax filing process can result in a healthy decrease or even in certain cases an elimination of tax liability for some homeowners. In fact, the ITC value has been increased from 26% to 30%, which makes the switch over to solar energy all the more attractive.

Based on the data from the Center for Sustainable Energy, the costs of residential solar panel systems can vary significantly. This calculation is based on a system capable of generating 5KWH of energy, with an average cost ranging anywhere from $3 to $5 per watt.

Many factors will influence whether your specific solar system falls on the higher or lower end of this scale, or even beyond. Importantly, the choice of the actual solar panels themselves will greatly impact the overall system cost, as different brands have varying power capacity. Also, it is important to remember that solar incentives will differ in different states and areas around the USA.

Also a big plus is the the solar investment tax credit (ITC), which currently offers a 30% tax deduction for homeowners solar systems, and has been extended until 2032.

Various other solar energy incentives also exist form state to state. For example, California provide large rebates for homeowners who adopt solar batteries, along with a net energy metering program. There are also property/sales tax exemptions, to aid in the cost reduction. However other states offer little or no incentives. Your Reach Solar Energy consultant will be able to help you to find out more, about any schemes or relief for your particular area.

To determine the overall solar power system requirements of a building, we need to consider various factors. The average homeowner typically needs in the region of 30 solar panels to give the maximum power to a house. However, the actual location and the brand / quality of the solar panels will affect this somewhat.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the typical American energy consumer uses just under 11,000 kilowatt-hours annually. This equates to an average 30 x 250-watt panel solar system, in being generally sufficient to power the average American home.

As always, this is just an estimate and will vary significantly, depending on a variety of factors including the size of your home, home size, amount of sun exposure, level of insulation, efficiency of domestic appliances, plus other factors.

Panel wattage is another variable to consider. Nowadays, solar panels can produce up to 400 watts, or even more. Therefore if you are living in for example, sunny Arizona with 400W solar panels, you may be able to power your entire home for around 20 panels.

Discover more on the Reach Solar Website:
https://reachsolar.com/turbocharge

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Reach Solar Energy - Faqs

Frequently asked questions