Five Things To Do After You Get Solar

Being an effective solar home owner doesn’t end when the solar panels go on your roof: read below to find out how to make sure you maximize your investment in solar energy. If you’re just joining us in this series, brush up here on Five Things To Do Before You Get Solar and Five Things To Do When You Get Solar.

Confirm that your paperwork is in order. Solar rebate applications should have been submitted either by your installer or under their supervision some time ago, but make sure you consult with them and with your accountant to make sure you’re prepped to take advantage of the federal investment tax credit. The ITC is equal to 30 percent of the total cost of a solar installation. From DSIRE:
- “Expenditures include labor costs for onsite preparation, assembly or original system installation, and for piping or wiring to interconnect a system to the home. If the federal tax credit exceeds tax liability, the excess amount may be carried forward to the succeeding taxable year [until at least 2016].”
Monitor system performance from month one. Remember how we told you to become intimately familiar with your energy use patterns and electric bill before even getting a quote? This is where, once again, that comes in handy. Your solar quote should have included not just a yearly, but a monthly projection of energy output from your solar panels. Your electric bill should be fairly predictable.
- In the first few months after installation, numbers (projection/savings) will be higher than subsequent months, as the whole system kind of “burns off” its factory shine and settles into long-term productivity mode. This will be built into your quote as well.
- In solar, you hear the word “average” a lot. Keep in mind that fluctuations in weather may result in a different usage profile for any given month, but on a yearly basis, it should all average out.
Deal with drastic differences in output ASAP. If in any given month your solar panels’ electric production–as reflected by a higher electric bill–seems drastically different, first think about how cloudy or rainy or snowy it’s been. Worst weather in 20 years? Your panels are probably fine. If it’s been sunny as can be, peek up on the roof if you’re able to for any obstructions (fallen tree branches, squirrel nests, etc.). Next, give your installer a call for assistance with troubleshooting. DO NOT let it slide. If conduit has been compromised by said squirrels, or by some flaw in the installation–let’s hope not, and remember, work only with qualified installers–it may be a safety issue as well as a money issue.
Manage your participation in any REC trading programs available to you. Renewable Energy Credits represent the market value of the clean energy your system is producing. REC trading programs buy and sell these credits to utility companies who are striving to meet clean energy mandates set out by their state governments. If your state had an official REC program in place when you installed your solar panels, your installer should have not only helped you enroll, but most likely started out managing the sale of your RECs for you. But more and more states are eyeing REC programs as a lower-cost way to boost solar energy capacity, and if one pops up near you, it’s possible you may be eligible to participate. Not all programs allow the enrollment of older systems (like Massachusetts’s), but you never know. RECs can represent a valuable revenue stream.
- Follow this blog to stay updated on solar incentive programs across the country.
Enjoy your clean energy and low electric bills for the next 30+ years. Most solar panels are warrantied for 25-30 years these days. You will need to replace your inverter around year 12-15, the cost of which your installer should have built into your financial projections (though you won’t pay for the replacement inverter until you need it; they’re a few thousand bucks right now, though who knows how much cheaper and better they may have become by 2030…). Solar panel warranties generally coverage output of at least 80 percent of the panels’ rated capacity over time. After the warranty expires, you may still be seeing outputs of 70 percent or more of rated capacity for years and years and years to come.

In other words: congratulations. Your investment in solar energy has supported national as well as individual energy independence, a market shift towards lower-carbon energy production, and a healthier environment. Plus, you’ve saved oodles of money and impressed your friends and family.

Yeah, we know. Solar is kind of awesome.