FAQs

If you receive good sunlight on your roof or somewhere on your property, then your home is perfectly suitable for solar panels. When we do our feasibility studies for potential rooftop installations, we consider:

1. The age and condition of the roof

2. The direction that the roof is facing

3. The amount of roof space available

4. Is there any shading from trees

For a ground mounted system, the biggest consideration is how far the panels will be from the house. With either a roof mounted or ground mounted system, the existing electrical panel must be inspected to determine if an upgrade will be necessary.

Most people can generate 100% of their electricity from solar. However, solar systems generate more electricity in the summer than a home normally uses. This excess goes back to the utility, and they store it as a credit. The credit is always less than the retail rate, depending on what utility provides your electricity. Since electricity goes up about 3.5% per year, solar can provide great long-term savings since the systems are warrantied on their production for 25-30 years. Solar provides a levelized cost of energy, not susceptible to the utility escalation rate.

The first step is to find a reputable solar company and have an initial consultation, explaining to the consultant the goals and specifics for your situation. Along with this initial information, a utility bill should be provided so that your system can be right sized. After this preliminary design is completed, there should be a site visit and face-to-face consultation. The information obtained there enables the energy consultant to provide a detailed and precise proposal. If the proposal is accepted then the solar contractor moves to engineering, permitting, scheduling a install date, installation, commissioning, and a customer walk through and training on the system.

Reviews can be purchased and BBB ratings have been A+ for companies that had multiple lawsuits against them; thus we recommend asking the contractor if there are any customers in their area that you can speak with and see their installation. Another important question is to ask the contractor if they perform all of their own work. Do they have the necessary licenses in house, are they insured, how many installations do they have, are all good questions also. There are a lot of companies that have gimmicks (“Free Solar Panel”, “No Money Down”, “$1,000 Cash Back”, etc.) online and sell solar remotely. These companies then try to find installation labor in the states that they sell the projects. This means that there is no quality control and no real recourse for the homeowner if there are problems. Get multiple quotes and do not fall victim to high pressure sales tactics.

Some people can install solar themselves. We often help the DIY crowd and have a store where we sell components and solar panels. Most times the DIY person will still need some technical support and will need to work through permitting questions and potentially hire an electrician to complete the project.

There are a number of resources online that can assist with determining what incentives apply to your potential project. DSIRE is a good one. Generally, the residential solar system is only available to take the 30% investment tax credit.

Solar and Energy Storage Systems can be financed. Too many solar companies offer financing that is not good for the client, though it is convenient. Some solar salespeople will attempt to finance and close a client through an app of their phone or tablet the first time that they meet them. These lending mechanisms are usually unsecured and come with a 25% contract fee. So, 25% of the project cost is charged to the contractor, who then adds that back on top of the project cost. The higher the contractor fee (which the client never sees) the lower the interest rate (this looks attractive to the client). Michigan Saves is a local non-profit organization that works with local credit unions to offer fair financing. Their contractor rate is 2.9% and their APR's are what one would expect in the current market. Any contractor using MI Saves has to be licensed and insured.

No. The aesthetics of the house will change to some extent. There are skins that can be put on solar panels to help them blend in with asphalt shingles. There are also Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) that are essentially solar roofs. Such roofs actually enhance the aesthetic appeal of the house.

Yes. The Michigan legislature recently enacted the Homeowners’ Energy Policy Act, 2024 PA 68, which imposes new requirements on Michigan homeowners associations regarding installing solar panels. This act will prevent homeowners associations from completely banning solar panels and other energy-saving devices when it becomes effective on March 19, 2025. The Act also creates new regulations that homeowners associations must comply with when reviewing applications to install solar panels, requires homeowners associations to adopt a solar energy policy, and limits the reasons why a homeowners' association could deny a request to install solar panels.

A Zillow study found that homes sold with solar panels sold for 4.1% more than comparable homes without them. This equals an additional $9,274 for the median-priced home.