With all the people knocking doors in my neighborhood recently to sell solar, it really got me thinking: is solar worth it? I had a couple of the companies come back with proposals. What we quickly learned was many don’t have a clue how to do a presentation and present the information in a way that comes across as legitimate and cost palatable, so we passed. We then decided to do more research to see if solar was right for us.
I attended a class on solar and was impressed with the knowledge of the presenter and his clear and concise delivery of the information. So, we had this fellow come out and make a presentation and it was so much better and we were more inclined than before to make the move. After a great sales presentation we kind of fell off their radar it seemed so we continued to look.
I had noticed one of my Facebook friends talking about solar so I reached out to get more information and felt I could “trust” the information from someone I knew personally. Yes, I am a skeptic! The information he provided was in line with the previous proposal and we learned we could proceed and still be eligible for the tax credit for 2018.
What many people may not realize is there is a very attractive tax credit of up to 30% of the purchase price! This is a bonus of affordability and the goal of being “net-zero.” Our personal situation this year made the incentive of the tax credit even more appealing, so we were ready to pull the trigger.
As of this writing, the entire system is installed and we are just waiting on the final inspection from Idaho Power. We will then swap out the meter and kick the system on! Once the system is up and running we then have to decide how we want to view all of our new solar information. There are apps for your phone, computer, or tablet. Idaho Power also has a page where you can dissect the information several ways to better understand total production and usage by days, time of days, seasonality, quarterly or however you want to evaluate.
We are very excited to go “live” and see how this new system will significantly reduce or eliminate our power bill, contribute positively to the environment, and be a resource for others that are contemplating solar.
Some points to also consider:
Adding solar increases your home’s value and appraisers and Realtors are in the loop.
Many homebuyer’s moving to our area from parts of the country with solar will consider a solar home over a non-solar home and pay a premium.
Attractive financing options: Cash, Use your Home Equity Line of Credit, some very attractive low interest loan programs with no pre-payment penalties. Apply the tax credit directly to the purchase when received and make the entire purchase even more affordable.
Easy to add panels for expansion.
Great warranty programs.
Some installers may even offer incentives.
We should be live in the next week and welcome any questions to see if solar is right for you!
