Solar panel systems in the bay area

The San Francisco Bay Area has some of the best weather for solar panels in the whole country. Keep in mind that most of the time we use averages and estimations such as average monthly bill in an area, so individual results may vary from county to county. Having stated that, we also think the homeowners remodeled this 1,300 square ft, one story home. They added foam insulation in the attic, new windows, and a new door to make the home well insulated. Because the weather rarely spikes into the 90s, even in the summer, the home has no air conditioning. The family did add a swim spa in the backyard. These swim spas are a little bigger than a normal hot tub and it can double as both the hot tub, or it can be used as an exercise pool that provided a continuous current you swim against. Needless to say, this puppy sucks up a bit of power, so this family of three spends an average of $150 a month on their electric bill.

If we enter the address and the $150 a month electric bill into our HahaSmart Price Checker Tool, it recommends a 6kW system for the home. The home is not covered by trees, and there is plenty of roof space facing both the south and the west. Southern facing roofs are the best for any solar panels in the Northern hemisphere, and with power optimizers and power microinverters panels facing west get more than enough energy to run at peak efficiency.

Power in California is more expensive than in other parts of the country, so the solar panel payback is faster in Alameda, but because the family is getting a robust system to handle the swim spa, the payback for the solar panels is still about 5.3 years. Let’s take a closer look. 
 

Costs explained

Now as we stated earlier, the HahaSmart Price Checker Took recommends a 6 kW solar panel system and it gives a breakdown of the cost and the permits needed. The first step is to get the approval of the design and a permit to build the residential solar system. That engineering and permitting process costs $798.

If you add together the cost of the solar panels, the power inverters, the racking, the material needed to mount the panels, and other miscellaneous items, the total comes to about $7,707. The sales tax in Alameda is 9.25 percent which is about average for cities in the Bay Area. If you add the sales tax of about $713 it brings the total to $8,420 in equipment and permitting. It is important to note that this cost does not include the electrical main service panel upgrade, and expenses or interest you accrue if you choose to finance your solar system. The HahaSmart price checker tool compiles data from 2296 different installers and it states the installation cost is from $5,748 to $7,442 for the solar panels. If we average the two numbers we get $6,594 as an average installation cost.

Prices vary and so do installers

Installation costs can vary and we recommend that you compare two to three different installers quotes for your needs. Local installers are certified and they care about their work. Many times they are also less expensive than national chains. Talk to multiple installers and find one that produces the best solar panel system for your situation. 

A solar installation package includes an application for a solar installation permit from the local building safety department. A plan and layout of the overall installation, a guarantee from the installation company that the project will be done right, and then a permit to operate the solar system. For more, check out this blog.