Producing Solar Energy Around the Clock

When people start doing their research into solar energy, one of the most common questions is whether or not solar panels produce solar powered energy at night. It sounds silly, but you have to wonder if solar panels produce renewable solar energy, then what happens at night? The truth is that with solar panels, homeowners are able to benefit from energy stored and produced during the day and turned into solar powered energy. There are multiple ways In which this happens:

Solar Powered Energy and Net Metering

Net metering is often misunderstood but it’s a simple concept. Homeowners connect their solar power energy panels to the grid and it functions similarly to a health savings account. In this way, solar power is gathered and if there’s excess, then it’s sold back to the electric grid. Because of the excess electricity gathered, homeowners are able to draw upon the solar power energy credits earned during the day. When homeowners’ solar panels store enough energy, not only are they able to use it at night, but the further excess is able to be sold back to the electricity company. This in turn could help homeowners make money back for their use of a solar power installation. Net metering allows homeowners to not only draw upon their bank of stored solar powered energy to use at night, but to also facilitate the flow of energy throughout homes, day or night.

Solar Power Batteries Keep Your Solar Powered Energy Flowing

Solar powered energy is extremely important, but especially with solar batteries. Solar batteries absorb energy directly from the sun. Instead of selling solar power back to the grid, solar batteries absorb the energy from the sun and the solar power energy battery provides stored energy to homeowners themselves. Homeowners are able to gain peace of mind for solar powered energy battery backup during power during outages or natural disasters. This allows homeowners the ability to gain a sustainable 24/7 source of solar energy, no matter the time of night.

The One-Two Punch of Both

The majority of solar powered energy systems actually combine net metering and solar batteries. What this means to the average homeowner with solar panels is that they are able to generate more energy, store this energy for use during the night or at later times, and even to make money off of solar powered energy due to selling electricity back to the grid system. The marriage of these 2 important technologies means that homeowners are better able to find a reliable and sustainable solar powered energy solution that provides energy when they need it and money back when they don’t.

No matter your choice, there are cost benefits and drawbacks to various aspects of a residential solar energy system. It’s important to consult the experts such as SunPro Solar who know how to help homeowners obtain the very best for their needs. Call SunPro Solar today at (951) 678-7733.

What is the Right Solar Power Financing Option

Solar power can save homeowners thousands of dollars per year in electricity costs and over time, can actually make homeowners money from the accumulation of solar power and the eventual sale back to the electric company. However, homeowners are aware that the upfront costs of a solar installation can be hefty in the beginning. That’s why many homeowners are opting for financing their solar power installation. Finding the right option for each homeowner can be difficult. However, we’re laying out the variety of financing options available to homeowners now that will result in larger savings later.

Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) Solar Power Financing

When you own your own home, you have a line of equity available to you. After all, the reason you own versus rent is to build equity for your future. In order to make big purchases, many homeowners at one point or another, often take out a loan against the value of their home. What this means is that the bank is betting on the fact that you’ll pay your loan back or they’ll have a piece of real property to take to satisfy the loan.

By using your home as collateral, homeowners are able to gain access to the full amount in order to pay for a solar power installation upfront. The good news is this investment actually increases the value of your home. Payments to the bank to repay this loan are much less per month than other kinds of loans and allow homeowners to own their solar power installation from day 1- you’re an instant home solar owner.

Home Energy Renovation Option (HERO) Home Loan

A HERO home loan can offer homeowners seeking to upgrade to a solar power installation the ability to fund energy upgrades to their homes. HERO contractors are highly regulated and can offer repayment through homeowners’ property taxes. Rather than applying with your credit score, people are approved via the value of their home equity. Typically, homeowners choose a rate based on the number of years that they’ll need to pay the loan back and the rate is added to their tax bill. This is popular because it’s one annual payment. As a result, homeowners with solar power systems often experience immediate gains as a result of falling electricity rates and rising abilities to make money off of their solar power system.

Upfront Cash Payment

By paying in cash upfront, homeowners are able to realize benefits of solar power immediately. While this can be difficult for some homeowners, it can also be a smart investment in order to realize immediate benefits. This means homeowners are able to own their solar system on day 1. These homeowners are also able to gain the lowest price on a new system and be eligible for immediate tax benefits. This kind of improvement to a home also offers an increase in a home’s value. These can be attractive options to pay in cash upfront instead of delaying the costs via a loan.

Whatever your financial situation, homeowners are able to realize the benefits of a new solar power system. This means that whether they take out a loan or pay in cash, a new solar system can be instantly valuable. To find out more about your options, call the experts at Sunpro Solar at (951) 678-7733.

Take Advantage of these Energy Rebates Today

The promise of solar power is energy independence. Part of that great promise is the ability to save money, or even get paid for the energy homeowners produce to sell back to the grid. However, prior to being able to produce energy to sell back to the electric company, there are a host of energy rebates that homeowners can take advantage of in order to start saving faster. Both states and the federal government offer energy efficiency incentives in the form of energy rebates that homeowners can take advantage of immediately.

The Various Kinds of Energy Rebates Available

There are a variety of energy rebates that homeowners are able to take advantage of in order to save money. When homeowners install solar panels, they’re able to realize many benefits. Whether homeowners apply for grant funding for energy efficient projects, or government services aimed at saving homeowners money, there are multiple ways in which homeowners can save. This includes the following types of energy rebates:

• Cash Energy Rebates- Many local governments, state governments, manufacturers and electric or utility companies offer cash incentives to use energy efficient products or appliances. These are the most readily available energy rebates available to homeowners seeking to save money on their electricity or power bills.
• Tax Credits- Tax credits are still available to homeowners seeking energy rebates for purchasing qualifying Energy Star appliances that are approved for the year. When filing taxes, the federal government can offer tax credits for the purchase of energy efficient products, whether solar or Energy Star appliances. As tax season looms, we can all use additional tax deductions in order to help save money.
• Federal Solar Incentives- Since 2006, the federal government has offered energy rebates for homeowners who have solar power systems. This has traditionally been approximately 30%, but as time progresses, this will soon dissipate. This is why the time to act is now. Homeowners are encouraged to take advantage of these important energy rebates now before the tax benefits are gone. Unfortunately, this benefit will reduce to 26% in 2020 and 22% in 2021. After 2021, the residential solar credits will disappear altogether, although commercial entities will reduce to a permanent 10%.
• State Energy Rebates- There are multiple states that offer additional tax and cash energy rebates. Depending upon homeowners’ state where their residence is located, there may be rebate incentive programs that could even pay for a residential solar power system.

There are a variety of energy rebates available to savvy homeowners who are ready to take advantage of time sensitive rebates in addition to money offered back by either manufacturers or Energy Star products. To find out more about these opportunities, contact Sunpro Solar at (951) 678-7733.

Making Money from Your Solar Panels

Recently, new research has emerged to suggest that our environment is deteriorating at a more rapid rate than ever before.  One of the answers to this is installing a solar system in your home with clean renewable energy.  This means solar panels are going to collect energy from the sun so you can store energy and go off the grid.

When homeowners go solar, they often are able to make money from this investment.  Additionally, they are entitled to a variety of benefits as well.

When homeowners install solar panels, they are not only increasing the value of their home in a resale arrangement, but they are also opening themselves up to the opportunity to make money off of those solar panels.

Consider the following ways homeowners can make money from a solar system:

Saving Money Due to Your Solar Panels

Traditionally, most Californian homeowners pay around $1500 in electricity bills every year.  However, with solar power, this isn’t so.  Many homeowners are suffering under an electricity increase of over 2.2% per year that homeowners with solar panels do not.  As electricity rates continue to rise, homeowners with solar panels will be able to save more than the average family.

There are multiple ways for homeowners to save with solar panels.  This includes the following rebates and credits as a result of installing solar panels:

• The current federal tax credits for homeowners with solar panels
• No money down on solar power systems until 2020
• Local city and county incentives for solar power systems
• Reduction in monthly electricity payments
• An increase in home values

Currently, news has reported that the federal tax credit is going away.  This will decrease year after year over the next few years.  However, credits, whether used this year or next year, are easily rolled over.

Saving Money with Solar Panels

Solar panels can draw energy from the sun and eventually store enough energy in solar batteries to power homes and if enough is gathered, homeowners can sell these energy credits back to electricity companies.  The math says that homeowners can claim up to $13,000 in savings as a result of going solar. Because these panels size and electricity necessary to power a home, these savings can vary.

It’s clear the system can help any homeowners to help you save. Let the process happen and call the experts at SunPro Solar today to start saving money now.

Understanding How Solar Panels Work

As experts in solar power systems, we often are asked by nervous homeowners how solar panels work.  They’re interested in saving money on electricity, trying to sell credits back to the electric company, or even the sunsetting benefit of tax benefits tied to solar power.  It’s a valid question and something that most homeowners aren’t aware of- how do solar panels work to gather, convert, and store energy?  It seems mystifying to many and yet it’s not as complex as homeowners think.  In the following article, we’ll teach you how solar panels work and what you can expect.

What is Solar Energy

The sun is a huge source of energy.  Shining almost daily, the sun produces energy in photons.  Photons are light particles that penetrate our atmosphere to feed plants via photosynthesis and indirectly feed the animals and people who feed off of those plants.  While animals and people die over time, taking millions of years to become fossil fuels, solar energy does not take that long to produce power.  Instead, solar panels collect energy directly from the sun to power electricity including water heaters, and more.  While fossil fuels are finite in their collection and usage, solar power is not finite.  Instead, solar panels help to collect the power from the sun as a renewable clean energy source.  Solar power systems installed on residences and commercial systems help to minimize our carbon footprint because solar panels help collect clean green renewable energy.

How Do Solar Panels Translate Into Electricity- What’s the Process?

Electricity is a fascinating topic and one that few homeowners understand, whether from their own electric company or because they are obtaining electricity in other ways.  It’s something that homeowners often take for granted until they start to investigate solar panels and the power of solar energy.

Traditionally, electricity is the result of a current from charged particles.  This includes both positively and negatively charged particles.  As Paula Abdul once sang, opposites attract.  Solar panels include this same current of negatively and positively charged particles.  The sun hits the solar panels and creates a direct current from the negative side and positive side to create DC electricity.

As anyone who has bought new appliances knows, they traditionally run on AC power.  If solar panels connect DC power, how does that translate to AC electricity?  Solar power systems make use of an inverter to create AC electricity from the DC electricity that solar panels collect.

How Do Homeowners Cash In on their Solar Panels

Homeowners hear a lot that over time, their solar panels will pay for themselves or that they can become energy neutral as a result of their residential solar system.  This is true because electricity in California is on the grid system.  The grid allows for the production of energy that isn’t necessarily guaranteed.  When people gather solar panels credit, they are able to sell it back to the electric company.

Even though homeowners who have not yet collected enough solar power from their solar panels to make money off of it are still dependent upon the electric company, there’s potential to overcome that.  Over time, homeowners begin to walk away from needing to purchase electricity at off peak hours such as night time to earning enough credits to gain a check from the electric company based on their energy consolidation. At times, solar battery storage helps fill in the gaps as well.

Over time, the installation of solar panels is a very smart decision for homeowners. While the tax benefits are slowly going away, the benefits of reduced electricity bills and increased home resale value are huge for homeowners.  If you’re curious about the benefits of solar power and solar panels, call the experts at (951) 678-7733.

Installing Solar Panels on Residential Roofs- Multiple Ways to Save

If you’ve ever looked at the market, there’s a wide variety of different residences out there ranging from single family homes to town homes, condos, manufactured homes, and more.  As many different homes as there are, there are also as many different roof types.  No matter your home or your roof type, installing solar panels on your residency is as easy as calling the experts at SunPro Solar.

Installing Solar Panels Includes the Following Types of Roofs

As we’ve said, there are a variety of different kinds of roofs that homeowners can install solar panels on, including the following kinds:

• Clay or slate tiles
• Asphalt shingles
• Concrete tiles
• Wood or cedar tiles
• Rubber roofs
• Metal

Installing solar panels on these different roof varieties necessitates different installation techniques, but experts can safely and efficiently install a brand new solar power system on any kind of residential or even commercial roof.

Wooden and Cedar Roof Tiles

Wooden and cedar roof tiles are common to older homes.  While many homeowners with older homes ask themselves if they’re good candidates for solar power, the good news is they are.  In order to install solar panels on wooden or cedar roof tiles, solar power installers will drill a stud into the tiles and insert flashing underneath the wooden or cedar roof tiles in order to prevent leaking.  By installing solar panels in this manner, homeowners can rest easy that they can gain more energy efficiently and without concern for leakage.

Installing Solar Panels on Clay Tile Roofs

In Southern California, many homes have traditional Spanish tiles on the roof.  This is also a part of a Mediterranean trend in home building.  Traditionally, these tiles are made of clay.  As any homeowner with clay tiles knows, they are extremely fragile and can break very easily.

This is why when installing solar panels on a clay tile roof, experts take extra precautions.  This means the experts will remove your clay tiles to mount racking feet, metal hooks and flashing directly onto the home’s roof.  Then, new tiles will be inserted above these to conform with the home’s aesthetics.  In some cases, expert installers may place a new metal piece in its place instead.

Asphalt Shingles- the Most Common Type

The most common type of roof material is asphalt shingles.  These affordable shingles are very popular with home builders.  Because they are so common in residences, installing solar panels on asphalt shingles are easy and straightforward.  Installers will typically drill studs, install panel mounts and flashing to prevent any water from creeping in.

Metal Roofs

Some homeowners have really artistic homes and use metal roofs.  Installing solar panels on a metal roof isn’t as complicated as one would believe- it’s actually as easy as either clamping solar systems onto a raised metal seam or drill holes and add flashing to prevent any water damage.

Concrete Tiles or Rubber Roofs

Concrete tiles and rubber roofs are less common, but are still found in multifamily units.  In order to install solar panels on these roofs, solar power installation experts will install tilted or slanted metal racking in order to hold up the solar panels at the exact angle necessary to gather solar energy.  Alternatively, a ballast system might be used as a weighted racking system to hold solar panels in place.

As you can see, installing solar panels on a variety of different kinds of roofs is not difficult.  Homeowners can take pride in knowing that the experts they’re working with at SunPro Solar can do it all.  For more information or to take advantage of solar power, call (951) 678-7733.

How a Solar Power Installation Can Save You Money on Your Taxes

January is when people start to get their taxes in order for the previous year.  They collect their W-2’s, gather their receipts and contact their tax preparer.  This year, homeowners have the perfect opportunity to save money on their taxes with a solar power installation.  The key is to obtain a solar power installation now before the federal solar power tax incentives disappear.

The Federal Solar Tax Credit was established in 2005, a tax credit applied to solar power home installations and solar heating systems and fuel cells.  While extended multiple times since 2005, 2019 is the last year for homeowners to take advantage of their first year of solar tax credits on their taxes.

How a Solar Power Installation Can Help Homeowners Save Money

The Federal Solar Tax Credit will soon be phasing out by percentages over the years homeowners have a solar system.  Homeowners who obtain a solar power installation in 2019 will be able to obtain a 30% credit, but over the years, this percentage will drop.  For instance, in 2020, this credit will drop to 26%, 22% in 2021, and disappear entirely in 2022 for residential solar installations.  Businesses with a solar power installation in 2022 can still enjoy a 10% credit, though.

As it currently stands, the 30% credit would be of the total cost of homeowners’ costs for a solar power installation.  For example, if a residential solar system installation cost $20,000, the 30% would account for a $6,000 credit on homeowners’ taxes.  Depending upon the amount owed in taxes, this could potentially work out to be a nice return for homeowners or potentially owing nothing to the federal government and rolling those credits over to the next year. Depending upon homeowners’ tax situation, this could end up being very lucrative for homeowners.

Qualifying for the Federal Tax Credit

In order to qualify for the federal solar tax credit, homeowners need to meet the following criteria:

• The homeowners’ solar installation must occur prior to December 2019
• Only homeowners, not renters, or business owners will be able to qualify
• Solar panels must be owned, not leased
• Homeowners must owe more than the solar tax credit in taxes in order to take advantage of the federal tax credit

Claiming the Federal Solar Tax Credit

Tax season is in the very beginning.  That means over the next few months, tax preparers will be very busy filing taxes on behalf of a variety of homeowners.  In order for homeowners to claim their federal solar tax credit, tax preparers should be careful to fill out the forms to collect the Residential Energy Credits. This process can help homeowners to claim the federal solar tax credit for their residential solar power installation.

To install a new solar power installation, consult the experts and call us at (951) 678-7733.

Take Advantage of the 2019 Solar Tax Credit Now

We’ve heard for a while now that the solar tax credit will be reducing from 30% to lower over the years to come.  That’s why this is the perfect year for you to take advantage of the 2019 solar tax credit.  Homeowners will be able to take advantage of the federal investment tax credit with solar systems installed in their homes.

How the Solar Tax Credit Works

The federal solar tax credit was intended to encourage homeowners to go green and reduce Americans’ dependency on fossil fuels.  Due to popular demand, the federal solar tax credit was extended to 2020 by Congress in order to extend the 30% credit to homeowners.  In California, there is a mandate that all new homes install solar panels, but older homes are not required to install solar panels.  However, it’s anticipated that homeowners will rush to take advantage of the solar tax credit.

To acquire the solar tax credit, your solar installation company will offer you a receipt for the solar system’s total cost and installation process.  When tax season comes around, homeowners will be able to provide this information to their tax professional including items such as storage of solar batteries.

It must be noted that in order to take advantage of the federal tax credit, homeowners have to own their own solar panel system instead of renting it from a solar company. Additionally, in order to qualify for the solar tax credit, solar batteries must be entirely charged by the solar panel system, not an outside source.  These are important distinctions for homeowners seeking to make use of their tax credits for switching to clean green renewable energy.

Solar Tax Credit Eligibility Broken Down

As mentioned previously, there are a few conditions in order to make use of the 2019 federal tax credit:

• Homeowners MUST own their own solar panel system and batteries in order to be eligible
• Batteries must be fully charged from solar panels, not other sources
• You must be a homeowner, not a renter of a property
• Your solar panel system needs to be installed before the end of 2019

The Time to Act Is Now

Before the solar tax credit begins to diminish significantly, it’s time for you to act and install solar panels.  Go green and begin earning credits instead of paying major electricity bills.  Don’t wait to collect on your 2019 solar tax credit.  Consult with a skilled solar panel installation expert today and begin generating clean green renewable energy today that will save you money in the long run.

Why is it Important to Listen to Your Solar Installation Experts?

When considering a switch from electricity to solar power, it’s important to listen to the good advice of not only your solar power provider but your solar installation experts.  After all, you wouldn’t take solar installation advice from your gardeners or your neighbors.  It’s important to get the right information from the people who know best how to install and amplify your solar power.  You can’t start gathering solar power and selling enough credits back to the electric company if you don’t listen to your installers when it comes to installing solar panels at the right angles, how to maximize usage and clean your solar panels.  Consider the following reasons why you need to listen to your solar installation experts:

Your Solar Installation Experts Know How to Help You Gather the Most Energy

Think about it- your solar installation experts know what they’re doing.  They’ve worked with hundreds or thousands of homeowners just like you- nervous about how solar energy will work out for them, hopeful that solar energy will lower your energy bills and that one day you might be able to sell energy credits back to the electric company in order to make money instead of spending it on your utilities.  It’s a tense process in the beginning.  But take comfort in the fact that your solar installation experts know what they’re doing and they know how to help in the following ways:

• they can calculate your energy demands for a new solar installation and the household’s energy usage
• they know how to take things such as tree shade into account when performing a new solar installation
• they can estimate the size of your solar panels necessary for a successful installation and system size in order to provide the most bang for your buck
• they can take your budget into account and provide you with real life options that can turn you onto other options in order to reap the benefits of clean renewable solar energy

An experienced solar installation expert knows what they’re looking for when they come to your home.  They know your energy goals after a conversation to confirm their suspicions.  An expert such as this is seeking to help you lower your energy bills and help you to start making money.

Make Sure You Have the Best Solar Installation Expert on the Job

When you’re considering a change from electricity to solar power, you need to make sure you have the very best solar installation expert to do the job.  With such an investment upfront, you can’t afford to mess around with a fly by night company who claims to be all things to all people.  Do your research and ensure that your solar installer is asking you the right questions and seeking to help you as best they can.

Top Reasons to Install Solar in California in 2019

As December draws to a close, we’re all looking forward to a bright future in 2019.  With a new year, it’s the best opportunity to make new positive changes such as finally going to install solar in your home.  If you’ve been curious about solar power, then this might be the year you finally decide to embrace it.  Consider the following reasons to bite the bullet and install solar in your home:

Looming Electricity Rate Hikes if You Don’t Install Solar

There are looming regulatory rate hikes you may not have heard about.  Last May, Southern California Edison (SCE) and the California Public Utilities Commission announced a $5 billion rate hike that will increase an average homeowner’s electricity by 19%.  If your electricity bills are already too high, this is the perfect time to install solar in your home.  Start acquiring your electricity from the sun and lowering your electric bill when you install solar in your home.  Make SCE send you a check for the electricity you’ve contributed back to the power grid.

The Federal Tax Credit

If you install solar in 2019, you’ll still be able to enjoy the 30% federal tax credit prior to the government’s phase out plan.  You might as well take advantage of the full benefits afforded by the federal tax credits before it reduces significantly over the next few years.

California’s 2020 Mandate

While all new homes built in 2020 or later require solar installation, you might want to take some inspiration from those homeowners.  Global warming is expected to hit California particularly hard, and we have opportunities to be leaders in cleaning up our environment. It helps that saving money goes hand in hand with saving our environment as well.

If you’ve been considering switching to the clean renewable energy provided by solar power, then 2019 is your year to make some big changes and install solar in your home. By going green, you can put a little bit more of the green back in your wallet too.