Well that all depends. This is not a one size fits all because every individual chooses what’s best for their home differently based on their needs and financial situation. Some people will pay cash, others will choose a finance or lease option. Most of the time, it only costs something out of pocket if you go with the cash option.
The lease and finance options are no cost out of pocket as long as the home qualifies and passes inspection. If it is determined that the home does not pass and we therefore need to make electrical/roofing changes either the company will cover the expense or they work out an arrangement with the homeowner if it is beyond what they are willing to pay. For example, if your roof is 15+ years old and we determine that the quality is not up to par with our standards then we will request a re-roof before installation.
Something else we make sure of is that your electrical panel box is up to code. If not, we would need to upgrade your box in order to move forward. Another thing we look at is the structural support of the roof to ensure it will withstand the panels. These are the main factors involved in qualifying your home and seeing if solar is a good fit.
The installation process
Once you’ve been qualified and are ready to move forward the permitting process begins. The good news is, we handle everything for you from here on out. All permitting and approvals needed are taken care of in house, we may just need your signature on documentation for the HOA, when applicable, but other than that we just keep you informed along the way.
Once the permit is complete, which can take anywhere from 30-90 days, and we have been given the green light from all parties involved then we are ready to schedule your installation. We are ALMOST there.
Day of installation: All we ask for is that someone over the age of 18 is present. Depending on the size of your system the install team may be there a half day or an entire work day, sometimes we may need to finish up the following morning. Now, don’t get too excited because we still have to go through some final inspections before we can actually turn your system on. Even though we are close, we aren’t quite there yet. Once the installation is complete, we schedule our final inspections with the local city inspector, and then a final approval from your local utility. What happens now? You guessed it.
Turn on your system!
Once the system is turned on, the sun and equipment take over from there. Congratulations, you are now all set to reap all the benefits renewable energy has to offer!