Solar Energy In Orlando Florida is taking off & Here are some Questions you should ask your solar company – part 2
9. Can I go off grid with solar panels?
In the state of Florida, you are not legally able to go off-grid. However, you can reduce your demand for electricity from the grid and offset all of the cost for electricity by producing electricity with solar energy. In Orlando Florida as a Solar Company, we help homeowners go solar with no money down and no money out of pocket and they are able to reduce their power bill and energy consumption while improving the value of their home’s.
10. Will I still receive an electric bill if I have solar panels?
Yes. You will still receive a power bill, however, your combined expense between power bill and solar will be less than what your current power bill is today.
11. Do solar panels work in a blackout?
Depends, there are two different ways to have power during a blackout. First is to have an inverter that allows you to cut off the power to the electrical grid and will still power your home during daylight hours. The second way is to blank your home with a battery backup system that your home will work off of during a blackout. It will provide power into the evenings until the batteries are drained.
12. How much will solar panel maintenance cost?
Very minimal, All of the equipment has long-term extended warranties so there is no production cost involved in maintenance. Please make sure you know your warranties T & C’s. Many solar companies will include maintenance on warranty covered issues.
13. What solar energy rebates and incentives are available?
If Florida the biggest incentive is the Federal 30% Tax Credit that you are able to get in a dollar for dollar rebate from your upcoming tax seasons. This rebate can range upwards of $10,000. It truly makes this the golden age of solar energy. For a full list of all available rebates, you can visit DSIRE, it is a database that aggregates all available solar rebates for the entire country including state and local incentives.
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What are my solar financing options?
Solar Financing options have come full circle. There are many great offers available today. You can own a system for no money down, no money out of pocket and a low fixed rate apr of 2.99% for 12 or 20. In Florida, purchasing is the only option available for homeowners. For certain businesses leasing may be an option as well. In many other states, PPA’s are available (power purchase agreement), with this agreement solar company owns the system and you are buying your power from them instead of the power company. It gives you moderate savings over the power company but not as much savings as owning a system yourself. In many areas of central Florida PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) is available, PACE is a program that allows you to use your property tax as a payment vehicle for Solar Energy. You are able to finance the project through your property tax and extend payments out for 25 years which lowers your monthly power bill rates. The biggest benefit of PACE is that it is transferable when you sell the property. To find out if your property qualifies for PACE, you can run a search at Renew Finance.
15. Should I buy or lease my solar panel system?
See above. Except for specific cases for homeowners buying the system is your better deal. Before the financing options became more competitive it may have made sense to go with a leased system. Owning vs leasing you receive all of the tax incentives plus it increases the value of your home. For businesses, there may be reasons to lease over buying depending on business structure but more often than not it is still better to buy.
For more Questions you should ask your solar company check out our ongoing series:
The 7 Most Important Questions to Ask Your Solar Company – part 1
Questions you should ask your Solar Company – part 3
For a comprehensive solar buyers guide visit “The Secret Guide to Buying Solar”
