Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the most common questions asked by customers

What Are the Financial Benefits?

When you put a solar energy system on your property, you save money on your electric bills while also protecting yourself against future increases in electricity costs. The amount of money you may save depends on utility rates and solar incentives in your region, but going solar is always a great option.

What Solar Energy Rebates Are Available?

Depending on where you reside, solar subsidies and incentives may differ. The most significant is the federal investment tax credit (ITC), which allows you to deduct 26% of the cost of your solar energy system from your taxes. Some states provide additional tax credits, and certain cities and utilities offer cash refunds or other benefits.

Will I Still Receive an Electric Bill?

If you have a solar energy system with battery storage, you will still get a bill from your utility even if you are completely off the grid. However, by installing a solar panel system that matches your consumption, you may significantly cut your cost or even pay nothing at all.

What Are the Environmental Benefits?

Solar power, like other renewable energy sources, has a number of environmental and health advantages. Going solar lowers greenhouse gas emissions while also lowering air pollution levels such as sulfur dioxide and particulate matter which may cause health issues.

What Size of Solar System Do I Need?

The size of your solar energy system will be based on how much electricity you consume each month, as well as the weather in your area. A Solar provider will be able to help you determine this by looking at your monthly electricity bill.

Will My Roof Qualify For Solar?

Solar panels are best installed on southerly-facing roofs with little to no shade and enough space to accommodate a solar panel system. If your home doesn't have the ideal solar roof, there are workarounds that can be discussed with your solar installer.

We work with 40+ Top Solar Companies

You can expect exceptional service when you shop at SunSavings. We work with the leading solar providers in the country.

Solar Panels in 2024

Solar energy is an enticing concept for anyone wanting to save on their utility bills and do their part for the environment. Hundreds of thousands of homeowners across the US have switched to solar, and you can join them.

Perhaps the biggest reason you haven’t gone solar yet is because the upfront cost is too restrictive. But have you heard about the chance to get free solar panels in your state?

While truly free panels aren’t necessarily attainable, you can qualify for rebates, tax credits, and incentives to slash upfront costs to almost nothing. Then you can look into opportunities to keep operating costs down and shorten the payback period. Financing is even available to let you get started with $0 down!

What Solar Incentives Are Available?

The Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit Is A Federal Allowance That Is Available To All US Homeowners. You Can Claim This Tax Credit When You Buy A Solar Energy System. The Allowance Lets You Credit Up To 30% Of Your Spending On The Purchase And Related Installation Costs Of Your Solar System (Systems Placed In Service By 01/01/2022).

The Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit Is A Great Way To Offset Some Of Your Solar Panel System Costs Against Your Earnings. If You Don’t Have Enough Earnings To Offset The Credit In A Given Year, You Can Also Carry It Forward. Another Good Thing About This Renewable Energy Tax Credit Is That You Can Apply The 30% Discount To The Cost Of Your Solar System After Taking Any State-Level Rebates Or Incentives. What This Means Is That You Have The Opportunity To Benefit From Both Federal And State Incentives To Help You With The Cost Of Your Solar System.

Solar And Free Electricity

A solar system will produce free electricity for your home, business, or farm for decades. In just a few years, your solar system can pay for itself. From then on, it’s decades of free electricity. The good news is that there's help available. Federal and state governments have made it easier to install solar through a series of incentives. Whether they’re tax credits, grants, or something else entirely, they’ll put money back in your pocket (free) as early as the first year you install your system.

So How Does Solar Power Work?

When sunlight hits the panel, known as a solar photovoltaic (PV) module, it is converted into an electrical current by silicon cells. This current is originally DC power, so an inverter then converts it to AC power, and then it’s ready to use in your home, office, or factory.

A PV system creates energy during the day and feeds any electricity that you don’t use onto the grid. Many homeowners can actually watch their meters running backwards! It’s called net metering (NEM).

When the sun is set, you pull power off of the grid instead, and the meter runs forward again. It is not uncommon to have a surplus of electricity produced by the end of the month. Your utility will often pay you for this surplus in credits, which you can then exchange for electricity from the grid in the future, instead of buying it at the retail price.

Solar Environmental Impact

In addition to helping you save money, using solar power helps you mitigate climate change. The electricity that you buy from your utility usually comes from fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. These energy sources emit harmful greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide that trap heat inside our atmosphere, causing our planet to become warmer.

With solar panels, you can instead harness clean, renewable energy directly from the sun and convert it to electricity. Switching to renewable energy sources like solar is the one of the best ways we’ll be able to get all the power we need while keeping the planet safe for future generations.

Should You Lease or Own A Solar System?

We recommended solar system ownership because ownership saves 3 times as much as leasing and increases a home’s value by up to $30,000. Leasing is simply replacing one utility with another and is subject to inevitable rate increases.

Here Are Some Questions to Consider?

Does your roof get exposure to the sun?
Is there an area nearby that gets exposure to the sun?
How much shade do you get on your roof?
Can trees be pruned to allow more sunlight to the solar site?

A system’s size can vary based on the needs of the customer. You can choose to displace all of your electricity needs with solar power, or only a part. To gauge how large of a solar power system may be appropriate for your home.

Get a Free Solar Quote

Solar power is feasible anywhere, even in the Arctic Circle. However, some sites will produce more power than others and thus save you more money.

SunSavings is a third-party solar energy advocate entirely dedicated to helping consumers navigate the process of researching, financing, and installing solar energy systems. If you are completely new to solar energy, SunSavings will teach you everything you need to know, from how solar energy systems work, how they connect to the public grid, and how much solar panels cost, and how long they last.

The best way to figure out the solar potential of your home or yard is to sign up for a free estimate. With experts available, we will be able to give you a good estimate of your potential electricity savings.

Jeff From Tempe, AZ

Verified Reviewer
Verified Buyer

SunPower is the best solar company I've found so far. Not only are they the only company that warranties everything ( most companies only do 10 years on inverters ) for 25 years, they have the best, most proficient panels in the world.

Maria From Calabasa, CA

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Verified Buyer

Excellent service at every step, from initial contact to going live. Friendly, professional, and highly knowledgeable staff. I cannot imagine how any part of the process could have gone better.

Jason From Las Vegas, NV

Verified Reviewer
Verified Buyer

Power outage this morning. My SkyBox is up and running flawlessly. Hot water, hot coffee, cold beer (for later), internet, oh, and all of the critical loads weren’t interrupted. I can hear the neighbors’ generator, but not my SkyBox!

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