Question 1

WHAT IS NET METERING?

Accepted Answer

Net metering is how solar is measured by your local power company. When you bring in electricity via your PV system, it goes directly to the city, and you are credited with the amount received that is balanced at the end of the month with the amount you have used up.This can either result in a bill or in a payment from the city.

Question 2

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT INCENTIVES?

Accepted Answer

Currently, the federal government is offering a tax credit of 26% of the total installation cost. There is also a $2500 rebate from Austin Energy. These two incentives combined typically reduce the total cost of a system by 1/3. These incentives will not be around forever.

Question 3

HOW LONG DO SOLAR PANELS LAST?

Accepted Answer

Solar panels can last over 30 years with proper installation, placement, and maintenance. Panels will lose efficiency year after year but can continue to operate indefinitely. Different brands have their warranties structured off of different efficiencies at milestone years.

Question 4

HOW STRONG ARE SOLAR PANELS?

Accepted Answer

Solar panels are actually very strong despite being made partly of glass. During a severe hail storm in Denver, only one out of 3,000 panels on the NREL campus needed to be replaced. Testing for panels includes shooting them with ping pong sized hail at 70mph.

Question 5

HOW LONG IS THE ROI?

Accepted Answer

The typical residential ROI for a PV system is 6-8 years, but this can fluctuate depending on your system size, energy usage, and angle of the panels.

Question 6

HOW MUCH MONEY WILL I SAVE?

Accepted Answer

Over the course of 25 years, the average home will spend upwards of $70,000 on electricity with inflation. A standard solar PV system can cost as little as $12,000 after incentives are applied.

Question 7

CAN MY HOA PREVENT ME FROM GETTING SOLAR?

Accepted Answer

No. Texas has laws in place that state your HOA cannot prevent you from installing solar, however, they can limit placement, angles, and color options.

Question 8

DO I NEED TO HAVE A NEW ROOF FOR SOLAR?

Accepted Answer

No. Our general rule of thumb is that if you need to replace your roof in the next three years, you should wait to get solar. Solar panels on your roof can actually help protect it as well.

Question 9

HOW MUCH SPACE DO I NEED?

Accepted Answer

For roof-mounted solar panels, you will need 100sqft of roof space for every kW system you have. It is exceedingly rare that someone's roof does not have proper room for a solar PV system.

Question 10

DO I NEED A BATTERY TOO?

Accepted Answer

We believe that the inclusion of a battery in your PV system is essential, but not mandatory. A battery enables you to hold power during a winter storm, power outage, and overnight. If you charge an electric vehicle overnight, a battery will be necessary to mitigate those costs from going directly to the utility company.
 
Batteries are useful for many reasons and are becoming widely implemented across residential and commercial properties.

Question 11

WHAT BRANDS DO WE USE?

Accepted Answer

We are proud to offer Mission Solar panels, which are made in Texas, as well as LG panels combined with enphase and solar edge inverters.  When it comes to batteries, we try to stock LG Chem and Enphase.  We are happy to make you a custom quote if you have strong preferences for other brands.

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