Solar Energy
Getting Started With Solar
DOE Funding Helps Build EnergySage a One-Stop Shop for Rooftop PV Systems
Background​
According to the U.S. Department of Energy: “Consumers gearing up for a major purchase, visiting an online marketplace to do research is a typical first step. Marketplaces like Expedia and Amazon make it easy for buyers to see a list of choices in one place to compare prices and reviews.
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Ten years ago, the solar industry lacked a convenient marketplace of its own. Solar hopefuls looked for and contacted individual installers for quotes, often not knowing how to interpret the estimates they received. At the same time, installers spent limited human resources trying to acquire and educate customers with little return.
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded start-up company EnergySage $500,000 in 2012 to fill that void and make the process of solar adoption more consumer-centric. Vikram Aggarwal, the founder and CEO of EnergySage envisioned a website that would tell consumers the right questions to ask about solar energy and make it easy for them to understand the answers” …
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Mission
Their mission is “to empower people everywhere to switch to affordable, reliable, clean energy solutions with trusted resources, unbiased advice, and a simple shopping experience” (Energy Sage About Us).
EnergySage’s Guide to Home Solar
Check out the EnergySage Guide to Home Solar to learn what it means to “go solar,” determine if solar is a good fit, and how to solarize your building. They also offer a solar calculator, help finding local installers, reviews, and more.
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People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE) - Getting started with Confidence
Image courtesy of People’s Action for Clean Energy
Financial Incentives
People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE) is “a public health and environmental organization formed in 1973 by a group of concerned Connecticut citizens. Our mission is to transition Connecticut to clean energy through grassroots education and advocacy. Through our 100PercentCT Project, we are developing viable plans for individual towns to move to 100% renewable energy. PACE provides outreach and education on clean energy issues at public events, legislative hearings, and environmental forums. PACE is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization”.
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PACE provides information on the solar federal and state incentive programs. Watch their video to learn more about solar and the various incentive programs and check out the various links to learn more.
As an illustration of solar and battery incentives, here is a 2024 example of solar & battery estimates from three contractors showing the before and after incentive costs. Check with the contractor and a tax consultant to determine what incentives apply at the time of the quote.
Solar Information Sessions - POWERSMART SOUTHBURY
PowerSmart Southbury is a special 20-week community outreach campaign funded by a grant from the US Department of Energy. The team includes the Yale School of the Environment, New York University Stern School of Business, SmartPower, and Sustainable Southbury. The PowerSmart Campaign is one component of a community energy campaign that includes energy conservation measures such as weatherization, heat pumps, and solarization.
Listen to the Solarize+Storage Info Session on our YouTube channel by clicking here.
Click here to view the slides.
Questions and a Tool To Help Evaluate Solar Contractors
We suggest first selecting solar contractors that are well-established and active in the marketplace. Here are some suggested questions to ask a solar contractor:
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Credentials - Are they licensed, bonded, and insured to install residential and business projects in Southbury? What accreditations do they have?
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Subcontractors - Will they use subcontractors - if so, are the subcontractors licensed, bonded, insured, and accredited to the same professional level? What parts of the project will the subcontractors do, and what are the oversight procedures?
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Tenure - Years in Business – they should have at least three years of experience.
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Financial Incentives - How knowledgeable are they about financial incentives, and can they explain the incentives clearly?
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Equipment - What equipment will they be using? Ask what Tier the equipment is. Solar panels are categorized into tiers. Large, reliable solar panel manufacturers make tier 1 solar panels and there’s a better chance of getting high-quality solar panels and seeing the 25-year performance warranty honored.
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Proposal - Will they furnish a sample proposal?
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Warranties & Customer Service - what happens if there is a problem, who fixes it, how quickly is it serviced, and by whom? Who is responsible for collateral damage (such as roof damage or a roof leak with solar)?
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Insurance - Are they adequately insured?
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Maintenance - What is their track record for O&M. Can they provide references for O&M?
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Sales Approach - are they transparent and willing to disclose information and details, and how complete is the description of what is to be done?
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Scope of Work - Do they assess present equipment and the full scope of work needed, i.e., does the roof need repair?
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Referrals – can they provide unbiased reviews from previous clients?
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Pricing – what is the price/kW? What is excluded from the calculation?
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Eversource Certified - Do they perform home energy audits (usually required for CT rebates) under the Eversource programs - are they a certified Eversource contractor, and for what programs?
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Certifications - Do they have a certification from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP)?
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Roof - who does roof repair? Do they include roof repairs and modifications in their proposals? What do they do with the vent pipes? Pipes may be able to be moved or replaced with low-profile vents that fit under solar panels if the roof is being repaired).
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Battery Performance metrics - what is the battery's capacity, can they be stacked to achieve more capacity, how many hours of service will the battery provide during an outage, and how long before the batteries need replacement?
We created a scoring matrix tool to help you evaluate the contractors. Here is how it works:
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Each item was assigned a relative importance value, from one to five (five was the highest importance), to give more weight to the more important items.
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Each contractor is assigned points for each of the above criteria.
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The points are added and weighted by the relative importance values to produce a weighted score.
If you want to use the tool, copy the rows and columns into your favorite spreadsheet tool.
When we applied this tool to 4 contractors, we found they all had pros and cons but scored roughly the same. This was not surprising since we picked 4 well-established contractors with good reputations.
The contractors will also differ in how they arrange the solar panel layouts on your roof. Some contractors are better at finding a layout on more complex roofs. Roofs with unobstructed, predominantly southerly exposures in the summer and winter are best. Easterly exposures will collect more solar radiation in the morning, and westerly exposures will collect later in the afternoon as the sun sets. Roofs with northerly exposures should be avoided.
Prices tend to vary. In Connecticut prices have averaged $2.87 to $3.22/Watt in 2024, but this changes and should be checked at the time you are evaluating solar. Check for current prices at EnergySage Solar Cost in Connecticut.
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As you search for the right solar loan provider, review the solar loan FAQs at EnergySage Solar Financing.
It is good to get quotes from different contractors. Sustainable Southbury can help you find contractors, evaluate the quotes once you receive them, and help guide you through the process.