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8 Qualities to Look For in a Solar Panel Contractor

January 17, 2024

More home buyers today want sustainable living features and energy efficiency. This helps to reduce your carbon footprint while also adding value to your home. In fact, according to This Old House, solar panel installation increases property sale prices by approximately 4.1%. Before you hire a solar panel contractor, be sure to look for the following eight qualities.


1. Dedication to the Environment

Adding a rooftop solar panel allows homeowners to harness the sun's energy and greatly slash expensive electric bills through clean power generation. This tangible return on investment itself boosts resale value down the road. Rooftop solar also reduces reliance on fossil fuel-powered grid electricity. With this in mind, be sure to hire a solar company with the best intentions. A business dedicated to the environment will understand the science behind solar panel energy and will position yours correctly on your property for optimal efficiency.


2. Proper Experience

When you hire a company for a home improvement project as important as solar panel installation, you need the best in the business. A top company will have the proper experience to put to work for you, as employees are trained and knowledgable to get the job done with ease.


3. Good Reviews

When it comes time to hire a solar panel contractor to install your residential solar system, it's crucial to do your research first. This means reading reviews and customer testimonials on the company website as well as looking on sites like Google for further information. Excellent reviews will point to a company's professionalism and dependability!


4. Great Customer Service

In this day and age, outstanding customer service is how potential customers turn into people who sign on the dotted line. When you call a company to learn more about their services and experience, is the person on the other end of the line happy to speak with you and answer your questions? Do they sound bored and irritated? This first impression matters. When you contact companies for additional information, consider how they appear over the phone. Poor customer service can cause you headaches down the road.


5. Free Estimates

A company that offers a free quote for their work is one you want to consider hiring. Providing a free estimate says a lot about a company; it portrays confidence, reliability, and an appreciation for potential clientele. When you call around to potential solar panel companies you want to hire, be sure to ask about free quotes. This way, you can learn about pricing in your area and determine which businesses are overcharging.


6. Excellent References

Looking at photos of solar panels on homes on the internet won't tell you much about how yours will look after installation is said and done. That's why you should ask solar panel companies in your area for reference photos. This way, you can see how past projects look and whether you want to follow through with hiring a business. You may find examples of sloppy work, and you don't want to invest in a solar system from businesses providing shoddy installation work.


7. High-Quality Equipment

Hiring a solar panel company to install a solar system on your home is an investment you can't take lightly. That's why you must hire a company that only uses high-quality equipment, tools, and materials to complete their projects. For example, top brands in the solar industry include Enphase, SolarEdge, Hanwa Q-Cell, Silfab, Generac, Tesla, Unirac, and URE. A solar business utilizing equipment from such manufacturers won't let you down!


8. Internal Employment

When it comes to home improvement projects, you don't want to hire a company that subcontracts their workers. Subcontractors may not have the level of expertise you need, especially when it comes to a solar panel installation project. When you're researching solar companies in your area, be sure to learn about their employment processes. Internal employment is best for proper solar panel installation.


If you're looking to learn more about the solar panel installation process and whether it's right for your home, contact our experienced and reliable team at Solar Savings Direct, Inc. We take pride in our work and always provide free estimates for potential customers like you! Call us today. We look forward to assisting you soon!

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Solar Panel Maintenance 101

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If you have solar panels, or you're thinking about getting a solar system, you might have maintenance on your mind. Fortunately, solar panels don't really have moving parts that need a lot of upkeep, so maintaining them isn't a complicated process. Still, though, you'll need to be aware of their basic performance and condition, so you can maintain them or have them repaired as necessary. Dirt and debris can get onto your panels over time, and that can affect how well they do their job. Especially if you've had a big storm recently, experienced a long dry spell, or haven't performed any maintenance on your panels in a while, cleaning them can help. You can use a bucket of water or a hose, and just rinse or spray them off. If you aren't comfortable getting onto a ladder or the roof, it's easy and usually inexpensive to hire someone to wash off your panels for you, too. That's really the only kind of self-maintenance task your panels need, but it's a good idea to have them professionally inspected once per year, as well. That way, any potential issues beyond normal maintenance can be quickly corrected, so your panels stay working the way they should. There are even apps that can give you information about how well your panels are performing, so you can see when they need a maintenance rinse or other support. How often you need to clean your solar panels depends on where you live. A desert area could mean more build-up of dust on your panels, but an area with stormy weather might lead to increased debris such as leaves. It's important not to let too much time pass, though, because panels can be harder to clean if they become dirty and stay that way for a while.  The company that installs your panels, along with the manual that comes with them, can provide you with good scheduling advice. Having a schedule makes budgeting for maintenance easier, since you know basically what to expect. Maintenance is generally not very expensive, but it's still a good idea to be aware of and prepared for the costs of keeping your solar panels in good shape. If you have any other questions, check out our FAQ page or contact us today !
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Why DIY Solar Panels Are Never a Good Idea

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