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Installing Your Own Solar

Adrienne SorensenNovember 1, 2018 380 0

Installing Your Own Solar

You are pondering installing a low-cost system on your home. However, there are some things you should consider before you get to work. Let's have a look at some DIY solar information and let's together figure out if you're craftsmanship is the way to go.

 

Pretty much any professional contractor or experienced builder can install a prefabricated solar kit. If you choose to hire a builder to install your kit, you should expect to pay about $1.00 per watt for labor, wire, conduit, fittings, breakers and other miscellaneous electrical elements to complete the system installation. For a 5kW (kilowatt) system, known as 5,000 watts, you can expect to pay $5,000 for installation.


Solar Panel Contracts

DIY installation might bring more permitting and inspections for a installation. For example, if you do install solar panels on your own as a DIY project, remember that you must also gain permits and inspections from both your utility company and your local authority of jurisdiction. The required paperwork is slightly different in most states and counties. However, companies are starting up now that will do this paperwork for you for approximately $400, or .08 cents per watt.

 

A complete DIY panel installation project will possibly require costs in the range of $2.49 to $2.96 before incentives such as tax rebates, etc.

You might consider that buying a fully installed system might be slightly higher, but more problem free than a DIY installation. A system installed by a company will most likely be looking in the range of $3.10 to $3.40 per watt.


Possible Pitfalls

Look out for DIY pitfalls on your way to glory. Some years ago when solar companies were making more significant gains on the margin, we recommended people look into it, but there are not adequate savings now to justify the hazards. With a DIY project, your house is a one-time job for the installer, so you have to know idea if they are a good installer or not.

 

You have the additional issue that if ever the material fails that no-one will want to help you. The soundest that you may be able to get is to get a replacement if you organize to take the equipment off your roof yourself and prepare to ship it back to the manufacturer.

 

Another consideration when opting for a DIY or contracted install is how extensive the warranty is. The fundamental concern is that the warranty on the equipment will not be from the solar kit website you buy from, but from the manufacturer. The manufacturer may not even have an agency in the United States, and although some companies, regardless of location, respond better than others, many are not be arranged up to deal with singular complaints from consumers.

 

If you go through a reputable solar company that sells and communicates regularly with individual consumers, they are more likely to replace equipment. Working with HahaSmart ensures that you will never need these headaches.

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