Home solar cost and contracts

What Happens Between Choosing a Solar Installer and Turning the System On?

Published · By the SolarPanelX editors · Prices and specs as of that date, from the pages under Sources

Summary

DOE's consumer guide lists six steps: choose an installer, make sure the roof can support panels, assess your home's solar potential, calculate your electricity needs, weigh your financing options, and obtain permits and inspections. The installation itself usually takes only a few days, while permits and inspections can take weeks to months. At the end, the installer connects the system to the grid and receives an interconnection permit from the utility.

Before you sign

DOE suggests asking several installers to assess your roof and comparing them. If a roof replacement is coming, installing solar at the same time can often save money. Past electricity bills show your annual and seasonal needs, and an installer can use them to estimate what you'll need over the long term.

Permits and inspections take the longest

The panels usually go up in a few days. Local permits and inspections are the slow part, taking weeks to months depending on local rules. Installers generally handle the filings, and DOE's guide tells homeowners to give the installer whatever it needs to obtain permits and arrange inspections.

The utility's paperwork

A grid-connected system will probably need an interconnection agreement with the power provider, and DOE warns that some providers require a great deal of paperwork before a project can move ahead. Possible charges include permitting fees, engineering or inspection fees, metering charges if a second meter is installed, and stand-by charges.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Energy — Walk Me Through It: A Step-By-Step Guide for Consumers Going Solar
  2. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver — Planning a Home Solar Electric System
  3. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver — Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Systems

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