Solar Home Value

Solar systems do, in fact, increase the solar home value.

Selling a home is easier now than in the darkest days of 2009, but not much. “For Sale” signs still litter yards across the country, fading in the sun.

But out West, theres a glimmer of hope on that front—homes with solar photovoltaic panels installed on their roofs enjoy higher prices and stronger demand.

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory looked at the prices of more than 70,000 homes sold throughout California between 2000 and 2009. Roughly 2,000 of those homes boasted photovoltaic systems for turning sunlight into electricity.

Read more about solar home value.

Solar Panel Installation

Now is the perfect time to go solar with a solar panel installation.

Besides it being a great benefit to the environment, a solar panel installation can also be a great investment.

After tax rebates and incentives, youll find that your installation cost can be nearly slashed in half, saving you a great deal of money.

And, since you wont have an electricity bill to worry about, all the money you save on utilities can go towards paying off the solar panel installation, which can take several years.

But once the system is paid off, youll find yourself making money from the energy you put back on the grid. The typical return on investment can be anywhere from 12-30%.

Learn more about solar panel installations.

Solar Contractors

Solar contractors should be prepared to explain some of the facts that every customer should understand.

Many homeowners don’t understand the relationship of solar panel size to wattage and energy output – and to cost. 

• The price of the solar panel is related to its size and wattage. Larger panels generate more wattage.
• The main issues are that the solar system has sufficient wattage to power the household appliances and that the panels will physically fit onto the house’s roof.
• The type of solar cell helps determine the size and cost of the panel. Film panels are less expensive than monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels, but they need more roof space
• A 100 watt solar panel will generate 100 watts of electricity an hour while a 200 Watt panel will produce 200 watts per hour. So, a 200 watt panel should cost approximately twice a 100 watt.

Read more about solar contractors or find one in your area.

Solar Installer by State

Let Rich Hessler Solar help you find your solar contractor by state.

Its important to use a qualified solar contractor when installing your solar system. The contractors should have the proper training and insurance to be installing a system on your roof.

Rich Hessler helps make the process of going solar easy, and only recommends trusted and certified solar installers in your area.

Find your solar contractor by state.

Solar Installations

Solar installations can happen anywhere where the sun is shining.

Residents, businesses, municipalities, and others are understanding the benefits solar can bring.

Even sports teams are looking at using solar installations to cut costs and their carbon footprint.

Qwest Field -- the home of the Seahawks -- announced the installation of 3,750 solar panels on the roof of the Qwest Field Event Center.

The solar installation will consist of glass-rod technology to mount the panels into place in what was a vast and unused roof area to turn it into an innovative energy-supplying system.

Read more about solar installations.

Solar Company

Are you ready to make the commitment to go solar?

Let Rich Hessler Solar put you in contact with your nearest qualified solar company to begin the solar installation process.

Many solar companies are offering special deals as the summer rolls around, and also offer free on-site estimates to see how much you can save by going solar.

Your local solar company will be able to answer all your questions about rebates and tax incentives, and you can rest easy knowing youre getting the best deal available.

Get in contact with your licensed and qualified solar company today.

Solar Cost

Early last year a couple made the decision to put solar panels on the roof of their home thanks to a decrease in solar cost. The couple, who has three children, says the move has cut their peak electric bills in the summer from around $400 a month to $210 a month.

As the fallout from nuclear disaster in Japan continues and oil prices remain stuck in the triple digits, the appeal of an energy source that’s reliable, doesn’t leak poison and isn’t whipsawed by day traders becomes more apparent. But with changing financial incentives and a growing number of options, deciding whether or not to “go solar” also involves some serious number crunching.

A few years ago, it was standard to spend $40,000 or more to buy a residential solar system. While buying solar is still expensive, Federal and state tax incentives--along with utility rebates--bring the solar cost down considerably.

Read more about the solar cost of a solar system.

Solar Installation

Theres nothing like a major power-plant disaster to get a person thinking about finding a safer, "alternative" source of energy.

Learn what you need to know about  buying and installing a solar installation.

Is my property suitable?
A solar installation works best pointing south and angled toward the sun with minimal shade obstruction.

Only about 25% of U.S. houses meet the criteria for a roof-mounted system. But if youve got some extra room in your yard, you can plant a solar panel array.

Community systems are an increasingly popular option. This is where neighborhood homeowners buy a share in a solar panel farm.

Read more about what you need to know for a solar installation on your home or property.

Solar for Home

With warm weather here and many consumers looking to stick to a budget when making home improvements, many are turning to solar for home as a solution. Its important that consumers be smart about investing in any home improvement project.

Solar energy scams are no exception when it comes to the typical contracting scam. Fraudulent solar contractors prey on those who are unfamiliar with solar for home. They may show up at your door, advertise in local papers or deliver fliers to your home. Like the typical contracting scam, solar paneling scams can range anywhere from issues with the installation and costs to the actual solar panels themselves.

Consumers need to know how solar energy works and how the benefits will affect them before investing $5,000 to $60,000 in solar for home.

Read more about solar for home including things to know before investing in solar.

Solar Installer

You have a ton of different choices to make when it comes to installing a solar system:

What size panels do I want? How much do I want to spent? Where do I want to install the system?

One important factor not to overlook, though, is what solar installer you want to use to get the job done.

A solar installer needs to be prepared to address the questions a property owner has concerning a solar system installation and should help them make the most out of their solar system.

Read more about solar installers.

Solar Estimate

Go solar by starting with a free solar estimate.

If youre curious to see how much a solar system will cost you, the free, no obligation solar estimate tool will create a customized proposal for a solar system on your property.

Taking into account your system size, energy usage, and geographical location, the solar estimate will calculate the cost, return-on-investment, and the rebates you can earn by installing a solar system.

Take the free solar estimate today!

Solar Panel Benefits

There are numerous solar panel benefits available to any property owner interested in going solar.

Although renewable energy—including solar power—accounts for less that 5% of electricity production in the US, it may easily become the most important energy source of the future. This is because of the many solar panel benefits:

• Solar power is a renewable resource. This means that we are not in danger of depleting its reserves. Though it may disappear behind clouds momentarily and is unavailable at night, it generally returns in full force, putting your solar panels to work producing energy.

• Solar power is non-polluting. Unlike oil, solar power usage does not emit any greenhouse gases, nor does the acquisition of it harm ecosystems through spills or dredging. This is probably one of the primary advantages of solar power.

• Preserve finite natural resources and reduce dependence on non-renewable foreign fuel sources

• Sunlight does not have to be explored, mined, extracted, transported, combusted, transmitted, or imported

Read about more solar panel benefits.

Solar Panels Cost

How much do solar panels cost?  On the surface, this seems like a straightforward question, suggesting an answer that is easily attainable.

However, the concept of “cost” includes much more than the sticker price of a few solar panels.  When considering a solar panels installation, you need to take into account a variety of this, including materials cost, installation cost, maintenance cost, and energy savings, not to mention the added value to your home or building.

Turning first to materials cost, plan on investing about $6-9 per watt of solar energy, which is on the higher side if you are paying for the installation.  The size of your house is largely irrelevant, but you’ll need to look at your recent electric bills and decide how much energy you use in a given month on average and how much direct sunlight you get.

A rough range for the upfront cost of solar panels including installation, solar panels, inverter box, wiring, etc., is approximately $30-40,000 for a single family house if you are looking to entire replace grid-based electricity with solar energy. Your particular needs may range higher or lower. Many property owners choose install solar panels within their budget, which may not eliminate their energy bill altogether, but will reduce it to pennies of what they were paying before.

Learn more about the cost of solar panels.

How Solar Panels Work

How solar panels convert sunlight into energy in a fairly simple process to understand.

The procedure begins when the sun shines on the array of solar panels. The solar panels create a DC current that flows to an inverter. The inverter changes the DC current to AC current, which is the energy that appliances use in the home. The AC current flows to the home electrical panel for everyday electrical requirements.

Excess power generated by the solar panels flows out through the utility meter and onto the utility grid where net metering credits are earned to offset future bills. Net metering credits are used on cloudy days, nighttime, and winter months when the sun is not shining as much.

But when the sun is out, expect your solar panels to be producing an unlimited and clean source of free energy.

Read more about solar panels and how they can help you save money while reducing your carbon footprint.

Solar Panels

Owning solar panels provides personal independence.

Just like the uncontrollable rise in oil, when your property is hooked up to the grid, you’re subject to the utility companies’ rise in electricity costs. Solar panels eliminate the risk of how much electricity might cost tomorrow, providing a consistent and dependable source of energy.

Solar panels can be easily installed on rooftops, ground mounts, poles, or even as a patio cover.

Solar panels provide homeowners with the opportunity to self-generate some or all of their annual energy needs, thereby dramatically reducing or even eliminating their utility bill.

Read more about solar panels.

Solar Panels

Are you ready to take advantage of one of the most valuable investments you can make for your property?

Solar panels provide a low-risk, non-volatile return on investment from tax-free savings on your utility bill.

With stock market volatility and increasing energy rates, owning solar panels is an important component of any nest egg and retirement plan. Solar panels have numerous financial and environmental benefits, and make homes more marketable and increase the property value too!

Learn even more about solar panels by watching the free solar webinar online. If you are interested in learning how much solar will cost, use the free online solar calculator tool to learn all about your costs and savings with solar.