Cost of solar panels for Elk Grove, CA homes
Elk Grove is one of the best places to go solar. And with the utility companies prices constantly on the rise, there’s never been a better time than now.
Currently, until the end of 2019, the government is still honoring their 30% tax rebate. This means if you purchase A home solar system in Elk Grove before the end of 2019, you can write off 30% of the cost.
The average cost of a home solar system in elk Grove is currently around $3.38-$3.50 per watt. This makes Elk Grove one of the most affordable areas in California for solar panels.
If you install a 5kW system at this rate, it’s only about $17,000 before the 30% tax break. After the 30%, you’re paying just under $12,000 for the entire system.
However, if you wait then this same system will cost you more since the tax break is diminishing each year.
Change in the cost of solar panels in Elk Grove over the last three years
Over the past 5 years the cost of solar panels in California has dropped more than 50%. In Elk Grove, this is consistent as well. The cost is steadily declining at a slow pace. But if you're thinking about waiting, consider that the tax credit is also decreasing a little more each year. Therefore waiting and hoping solar will get cheaper in the coming years will have little to no benefit since its not likely to get another 30% cheaper over the next 3 years. Basically, its not expected that solar is going to cost you more in a few years than it would right now with the tax breaks. There are also leasing and financing options for $0 down and low monthly payments if you can't / don't want to purchase the whole system right now. You won't get the 30% write off but you will get solar for no money out of pocket.
How much is the average monthly payment on residential solar systems in Elk Grove California?
The average home solar panel installation in Elk Grove is around 5-6kW which equals a home solar payment of around $120-$140 and utility bill of around $20 per month. This system requires about 450 sq ft of roof space and saves around $48,000 over its 20 year life span.
How much can solar save you on electricity in Elk Grove?
To get an exact savings for your home we would need to give you a quote. A quote allows us to look at your home size, average power usage and then calculate the size of your solar system and lease payments. With that, we can tell you exactly how much you’ll save.
However, we can give a rough estimate here. If you’re using a 6kW system then you would save approximately $48,000 over a 20 year life span. As you can see, the savings are so large that it's crazy not to go solar! That’s an extra $48,000 you could have in retirement in 20 years or use for whatever else - all for spending a few minutes to get a quote. How hard do you work for $48,000? Take one minute right now to get a free quote and we’ll help you save that money - it's that easy.
How many solar panels do you need?
We can’t give you an exact answer without knowing your power usage for the year. But we can give you some average numbers. For a 5kW system with SunPower solar panels producing around 327W, you would need approximately 15 panels. For a 10kW system, you would need around 30 panels. With lesser quality panels, this number jumps to about 20-40 panels since they’re not as efficient with converting sunlight into power.
How long do solar panels last?
In Elk Grove there are not wide temperature variations so your panels will last longer than average. The average time for SunPower panels is between 25-40 years.
You’re fully covered with the SunPower warranty for 25 years from end to end (meaning your mounting gear, panels, etc). After the warranty period, we don’t directly monitor the panels anymore. However, many of our clients have continued using their systems for as long as 40 years. But the panels are going to be less efficient after their 25 year period so we recommend either replacing your panels or adding a few more to offset the minor degradation in efficiency.
What are the two types of solar panels?
There are two primary types of solar panels: Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline. Monocrystalline panels are made from one large crystalline structure, more efficient and generally last longer than polycrystalline. They’re also more expensive to produce and therefore they’re usually more expensive to purchase.
SunPower uses monocrystalline panels and our technology is the highest efficiency in the solar panel industry. We also offer the industry leading warranty of 25 years. As a master SunPower dealer, The Solar Quote gets the best pricing on SunPower panels which means you won’t find a better price anywhere in Elk Grove or surrounding areas.
How long does it take to get solar installed in Elk Grove?
Getting solar panels installed on your home is actually an easy process. The longest part of the installation is securing the proper permitting which allows our team to then get to work installing your panels. On average, it's taking around 6 weeks to have a solar panel installation fully installed. The actual installation process (having a crew installing the panels) is about 2-3 days. But permitting moves at it's own pace and we’re finding it takes about 4-5 weeks for the permits to go through.
Here’s how the whole installation process works:
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Week one consists of getting your quote, financing, and designing your system.
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Weeks 2-5 consists of waiting on permit approval.
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Week 6 consists of installation, connecting your system to the power grid and testing.
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Week 7 and on - you’re saving money every month!
Why Elk Grove is the perfect place to get solar
Elk Grove is the ideal climate for solar panels. On average there are over 266 days of sun per year and it remains a temperate climate year-round. Overly hot climates can actually work against your solar panels as can overly cold climates where snow can cover them up. However in Elk Grove, there is a steady year round climate that keeps your solar panels operating efficiently and increases their life span.
Why use solar instead of your Elk Grove utility company
You already know that utilities are going up each year. The longer you stay with utility company, the more you end up paying per kilowatt hour each and every year. However, when you use solar panels, you pay a flat rate per kilowatt hour that never increases because you own your own power generating system.
With our solar panels, and almost every other solar provider, you still remain on the grid. This means that you are still connected to your utility company so that you can have power in times where it’s not sunny or you need an especially large amount of electricity. Aside from that though, by having your own solar panels, you can significantly reduce your monthly utility bill or even eliminate it in some cases. Instead of dealing with rate spikes in winter and summer, you can run your AC without stressing. Basically, you’ll no longer be a victim of the utility companies monopoly on electricity.