Be wary of these six ways your solar installation costs can end up being more than what you may expect.
Getting solar panels installed on your roof is an environmentally, and often financially, beneficial move for most home owners. Solar companies have made the process fairly easy, taking almost all of the leg work out of it for you: obtaining permits, evaluating the roof, installing the panels, interconnecting the system, applying for incentives and rebates, and even dealing with the electrical company for you. For many homeowners, the cost of purchasing the system is eventually outweighed by their energy savings. But there are some unforeseen issues that could cause your solar installation costs to go up beyond what you’re expecting to pay.
Roofing Issues
If your roof is flat, your contractor is going to have to build some scaffolding to angle the panels towards the sun. This additional work and materials will increase your costs. Another issue could be the type of roof you have. Some materials are harder to seal or flash, or simply harder to find studs through and your contractor may add additional charges for attaching the panels.
Roofing Age
Even if your roof isn’t having noticeable issues now, if it is nearing the age that it will need to be replaced this is something that will cost you money. You will either need to pay for a new roof to go on before the solar panels are installed, or pay your installer to come out and take the panels off so a new roof can be installed when the time comes.
Structural Issues
If your home has been having issues with leakage or insects like termites, you’re going to have to deal with that before the system is installed. This might mean having a whole new roof installed, and if that’s the case, consider an installer who can do both so you only need to get permitting once.
Permits
Speaking of permits, if you live in an area where permitting is more complicated than the installer is used to, they might add an additional charge for getting them all together for you.
Monitoring Systems
Many companies offer monitoring systems that connect your system to the internet so you can make sure it is running anywhere, anytime from your phone. It is a really great option that provides peace of mind that your panels haven’t stopped working, but there is often an additional fee.
Incentives
A big part of what makes solar such a good deal is the tax incentives offered by local and federal government. Many cities and states have their own incentive programs in addition to the federal ones, but many of them are starting to run out, and they won’t be around forever.
Contact JC Solar Today!
If you have any solar needs in Maryland, contact JC Solar, LLC. at 443-204-6551 or by email at eric@jcsolarroofing.com. Our solar powered products will help make your life easy, environmentally safe, and cost efficient! We’re conveniently located in Marriottsville, Maryland and proudly serve all of Maryland as well as Virginia, Pennsylvania, Washington DC and Arizona. Contact us today!
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