The price of a solar-powered system gets determined by your usage. After we learn how much energy you use regularly, we will examine your roof for necessary repairs or alterations. Then we can determine the cost. These consultations are free.
Solar panels have a manufacturing warranty of 25 years. In other words, if they stop working before the 25 years are over, then your warranty is still valid.
Rest assured that we can help with roof repairs and house alterations necessary for your solar installation. The cost of these alterations gets added to the overall installation cost.
The likelihood of roof damage from solar panels is low. Roof damage might happen if panels are installed incorrectly. If the roof is already damaged, then the weight of the panels can make matters worse. No need to worry, though. We always do a roof inspection to ensure your roof is safe for an install.
No, you will not run out of energy. In New York, solar-powered systems are set up with Net Metering. This means that the energy taken by your solar system gets put into your electric grid, and your utility distributes it to you as you need it. If you need more energy than your solar supply, your utility will then provide traditional electricity. For more on net metering, click here.
While some solar farms (great arrays of solar panels) have occasionally negatively impacted wildlife due to being placed in unwise areas, that damage is minuscule compared to non-renewable alternatives. The estimated amount of birds killed by solar farms is 4% of the recorded number of birds killed by non-renewable energy operations (oil farms and fossil fuel plants).
Additionally, solar farms are commonly built on open fields or territories, not destroying wildlife habitats.
The preferred fate of used solar panels is that they are recycled. Some countries such as Australia, Japan, India, and parts of Europe have set up or are in the process of setting up legal requirements or incentives for recycling solar panels.
Yes! New York has several tax incentives for using solar panels, for both businesses and residences. These include:
- Discounted solar energy through Community Solar
- A tax credit for up to 20% of solar installation costs
- Real Property Tax Exemption and Tax Abatement Programs
Note: there is also a 30% federal tax credit given for solar installations.
For more information on how to save with green energy and solar power, visit nyserda.ny.gov.
No, Community Solar will not cause energy outages or blackouts.
All the power you receive from Community Solar gets supplied via your utility through your electricity grid. If the solar energy allocated for Community Solar customers is less than the previous month, traditional electricity will cover the rest. Community Solar will never be the reason you’re left without power.
Nope! Due to New York State’s solar incentives, Community Solar energy is discounted and costs less per kWh than your electric rate. If you are eligible for the program, you’ll pay more if you don’t sign up.
Community Solar participants can transfer the solar energy services to new addresses if they still live within the same utility area and are using the same provider.
There are two ways to pay your Community Solar bill. Sometimes, both your traditional and electric costs are charged to one bill, paid either to the utility or the Community Solar provider. This is called Utility Consolidated Billing, or UCB for short.
If your bill is Non-UCB, then you will pay both a solar provider and a utility for the supplied solar and traditional portions, respectively.
In the case of Community Solar, the government rebate is the discount you get on your solar energy each month. You aren’t rebated for the energy after you use it – it’s already taken care of when you pay your bill.
No. Currently, Community Solar replaces just a portion of your electricity usage but not your entire energy usage. That will still come from your utility as normal.
Still have questions? Contact us, and we’ll get back to you within the next two business days.