How to Compare Quotes From Solar Installers
A few good quotes can go a long way. Personally, I’m a fan of Gautama Buddha’s, “Holding onto anger is like grasping onto a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else. You are the one who gets burned.” Pretty wise, huh?
But today we’re talking about the importance of getting and understanding a different kind of quote. Namely, the kind that’s going to help you on your journey toward making solar power a vital component of your residential or business energy needs. If you’re ready to take the next step toward energy independence, lower bills, and helping the planet, but aren’t quite sure what to do next, have no fear.
Getting quotes from multiple solar power installers will provide you with a number of benefits. Just like you researched the type of car, cell phone, and insurance plan would best meet your needs and budget before you signed on the dotted line, doing the same for your solar powered home or business will provide an equal sense of engagement and satisfaction with your purchase.
Additionally, having a variety of quotes will give you leverage in negotiating the installation price of your system. I think we can all agree with Benjamin Franklin’s famous quotation, “A penny saved is a penny earned” (which was actually written as a “A penny saved is twopence clear,” but admittedly doesn’t have quite the same ring).
Before you get started, you should know that most, in not all, contractors should give you a free estimate. It’s worth establishing that up front, however, and reconsidering any contractors who don’t.
So, what should you look for in your quotes? Considering just how groundbreaking the technology is, the answer is surprisingly simple.
First, you’ll want to learn the full price of the system. This means the total cost of hardware, connecting to the grid, permitting, and warranty, before any sort of rebates or incentives are factored in (if that seems like a lot of things to worry about… don’t! Your installer will deal with each of those for you).
Next, you’ll want to know your solar array’s maximum generating capacity (i.e. the total amount of electricity it can generate at a given time), measured in AC watts, or alternating current watts—the type of electricity used to power your house. Some installers may give you the figure in DC, or direct current, watts but will be able to convert the figure for you… and now you know where the band AC/DC got their name!
Once you have those two figures, divide the total price by the maximum capacity and… voila! You’ve got the price per watt of generation that you can use for comparison. Just like choosing between gas stations based on the price per gallon, you’ll be able to choose between installers. Of course, just like you probably wouldn’t buy gas from a station that operated out of a dark alleyway, you need to remember that quality is just as important a factor as price.
Which leads us to the last element of the importance of getting a number of quotes: gauging the quality of the installer. There are a number of great ways for doing so. Ask your bidders for their license(s) and experience with installing grid-tied systems. Call your utility for their recommendations. Consult the Better Business Bureau. Or the plethora of informal networks at your fingertips—Google, Yelp, friends, neighbors, your aunt’s ex-boyfriend’s younger sister’s cousin… you get the idea.
Or, better yet, take advantage of our registration form and we’ll do the work for you, putting you in touch with several reputable installers in your area and saving you some time. Because as Charles Darwin wrote, “A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life.”
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