Solar energy drastically reduces your electricity bills and saves you money. However, apart from the installation cost, it comes with other long-term costs, which could slowly affect your monthly savings. Unfortunately, most people install the panels oblivious to these charges, causing the ROI. Read web site to understand more.
The benefits of solar energy outweigh the costs with few and infrequent hidden charges, making the investment worthwhile. Solar system owners can access several federal and state incentives, significantly reducing costs. Read through to understand the potential hidden costs of investing in a solar system.
Solar Energy Costs You Should Be Aware
Maintenance And Panel Cleaning Costs
Solar panels require you to hire cleaning professionals and pay for labor during maintenance. They do not require regular maintenance. You may have to do repairs, which is how you incur maintenance costs.
Solar panel equipment has ten to thirty-year warranties that have a clause dealing with cleaning and maintenance. It ensures that the equipment does not degrade fast. Assuming the equipment is faulty, the manufacturers will replace the set for free, but the charges incurred in placing new equipment, for instance, labor, are entirely on you.
Also, living in a dusty area will demand you constantly hire professionals to come and clean your solar panel. That translates to more charges. It would be best to have professionals because cleaning a solar panel should be done correctly.
Insurance Charges
The solar energy system is a considerable investment that needs insurance, given that it can serve you for up to 30 years, depending on the quality. Manufacturers give warranties that offer protection and peace of mind. However, a warrant cannot cover emergencies, acts of God, and extreme situations.
If your insured solar panel gets stolen or damaged by fire, severe weather, or high winds, your insurer takes care of the replacement costs. Roof-mounted panels fall under homeowner’s property insurance.
You will need to increase your insurance coverage because the solar system adds value. In most cases, you will need to take a separate insurance policy for ground mounts because we don’t fix ground mounts. Contact your preferred insurance service providers for more information.
Internet Costs For System Monitoring
You will incur a recurrent cost of an internet subscription to facilitate system monitoring.
Monitoring your solar system makes it possible for the service providers to identify potential issues in the panel and see all the emission-free and cost-free electricity generated.
Solar panel providers should ensure that installed systems can effectively produce all the energy they promised. They can do that remotely through their monitoring software. Monitoring requires that the panel gets easily located on-site, which demands full and reliable internet access.
Landscaping Around Ground Mounts
If your panel is a ground mount, you will have to spend more money clearing the vegetation. Solar panels installed as ground mounts have additional unexpected landscaping requirements. The area underneath or around the ground-mounted panels requires landscaping.
Landscaping ensures that the vegetation around the solar system does not grow high, encircling the panel, which causes shading, which can lower the system’s production. Ground-mounted solar panels need direct access to sunlight for maximum output. Ensure that any leaves, trees, or shrubbery around the panels should not obstruct them from direct sunlight.
You can achieve this by mowing the area, using herbicides to prevent vegetation growth, and installing weed control fabric around the system. Some homeowners graze animals around the site, which may be unsafe as the animals may damage the wiring, affecting the solar system.
Unavoidable Charges from Utility Companies
You may incur hidden utility charges, including delivery fees, demand charges for a crucial commercial location, and customer service. Different companies have different utility costs. They are relatively small fees that you can pay every month.
Note that you may have an increase in your bill if your electricity consumption exceeds what the system produces. However, professional installers can help by sizing your solar system to ensure it gives you 100 percent efficiency.
As much as Internet fees, insurance policies, maintenance, and unavoidable charges add to the cost of your insurance investment. You will still have saved thousands by the end of every year.
Those additional charges should not scare you from investing in solar energy. However, you need to know that they exist so that you can plan for them in advance to avoid strain. This knowledge will also help you gauge your return on investment since it matters the most in this process.
