Like any home renovation project, a bit of preparation and research from your side can go a long way in ensuring that you get the best deal out of your NJ home solar installation. The sea of information available on the internet can be overwhelming for some homeowners, while wholly distracting to others.
So, here is some actionable advice for you to follow before you call a New Jersey solar company:
- Get Your Electricity Bills
Your home solar solution will be designed to suit your household’s unique energy requirements. To estimate your power needs, the solar company will rely on your monthly electricity bills. So, make sure that you have the electricity bills for the past few months, preferably spanning an entire year, since your household energy usage probably changes throughout the year.
Take some snaps of the bills if you are unable to download and email the electricity bills.
- Get Written Permission from Your Home Association
In some neighborhoods and apartment complexes, you may be required to get prior permission from your home association before you can install your home solar solution. Make some inquiries about this with your neighborhood body and get written permission if it’s required. This will speed up the process once your enter into a contract with the solar company.
- Shortlist Licensed Solar Companies With Good Reviews
Some of the solar incentives are not disbursed directly to the consumers. Instead, they are claimed by the solar companies on their customers’ behalf. What makes this tricky is that such solar incentives can be claimed only by licensed solar companies. If you hired an unlicensed solar company, who’s merely subcontracting the job, you may not be able to take advantage of the incentive.
So, when you are shortlisting solar companies, make sure that they are licensed. And, while you are at it, check their online reviews as well. You don’t want to engage a company with a poor history of customer satisfaction.
- Decide Your Mode of Purchase
A one-time purchase is always the simplest option for solar buyers, but it’s not the only one. Depending on your needs, a solar loan, a solar lease, or a PPA (power purchase agreement) could be best-suited for you.
For solar financing, you should ideally have a credit score of 640 or higher. If it’s lower, buyers may not always qualify for the solar loan or lease, although the qualification will be decided on a case-to-case basis.
