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Top 3 Mistakes To Avoid When Having Solar Panels Installed At Your Home

If you're looking to decrease your home's carbon footprint while saving money on your monthly energy bills, having solar panels installed on your property could be the way to go. In fact, homeowners have reported that installing a system of solar panels saves them as much as 50-90% on their energy bills. Still, because solar panel installation can require a large investment, there are some big mistakes you'll want to avoid before you make the choice to go solar at your home.

1. Overlooking Your Home's Overall Energy Efficiency

Firstly, understand that you're not going to maximize your energy savings if you don't take the time to increase your home's overall energy efficiency. If you've got poorly insulated walls, broken seals on your windows, and other energy-wasting problems, then simply installing solar panels isn't going to be the solution. Instead, you should work with a solar panel installer that'll take steps to increase your home's overall energy efficiency before installing the solar panels themselves. This way, you'll get the most out of your new system.

2. Not Taking Advantage of Rebates and Incentives

These days, many solar panel installers offer a variety of rebates and incentives that can save you a significant amount of money on your new system. However, many of these rebates and incentives require some work on your end, whether it be mailing in a certificate to receive your rebate or filling out forms to take advantage of certain energy-efficiency tax credits. Either way, you'll likely find that it's more than worth your time and effort to take advantage of all the savings afforded to you--especially considering the average system costs at least $10,000.

3. Miscalculating Your Projected Energy Savings

Finally, don't make the mistake of assuming that solar panel installation is right for everyone. While you can find some calculators online that'll help you determine your cost savings over time with a solar panel system, the best and most accurate way to determine whether or not a solar panel system is right for you is to have a solar professional like one from Peck Electric come out to your home and run a detailed energy audit. From there, you can get a better idea not only of how much the system will cost upfront, but how long it'll take before you recover the initial costs and begin saving money. This will allow you to make a better informed decision regarding your new solar panels.


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