The Top 5 Solar Panel Myths about Installing Solar Panels in Texas
In the heart of the Lone Star State, where the sun shines bright and the sprawling landscapes stretch across the horizon, Texans are no strangers to the power of solar energy. Yet, despite the abundant potential of harnessing the sun’s rays, there are lingering misconceptions that cloud the understanding of solar power among homeowners.
1: Installing Solar Panels is Too Expensive
Too often we hear people say that installing solar panels cost too much money, or the ROI (Return on Investment) isn’t worth it.
What most homeowners don’t realize is, that you can actually go solar, and install them on your house with no money out of pocket, and you can even go solar without a loan.
In almost every case, we are able to swap someone’s energy bill for a lower solar payment and save them money the first month the solar panels are installed! Unfortunately, there are solar companies out there that will demand for customers to put large down payments upfront, and too often overcharge a customer. Which leads to potential solar buyers to look away.
Historically, energy prices have steadily been rising and more expensive TODAY than what solar panels can power your house for.
Example:
The average retail energy renewal rate for a house in Houston is around $0.15/kWh + $0.5/kwh in delivery charges. Bringing the total cost per Kilowatt Hour to $0.20.
If a normal home consumes 1,500 kWh of energy on average a month in Houston, their energy bill would be right at $306, and spend roughly $3,672 a year in electricity.
If we use the same example of a house consuming 1,500 kWh of energy a month but powered with solar panels producing energy at $0.12/kwh.
That customer would be paying $192.51/month for solar to produce 107% of their energy needs.
This means, they could power their whole house with solar panels for 39% cheaper than using a retail energy provider and save $1,361.88 ($3,672 – $2,310.12 = $1,361.88) in just the first year.
If this same customer decided to continue to use energy from retail providers for the next 25 years, their average monthly energy bill would be $946/month.
Historically, energy prices in Texas have risen 4% a year alongside of inflation, and to help pay for all the upgrades to the Texas energy grid.
When a customer chooses to power their home will solar panels, they are no longer subjected to yearly rate increases and can safeguard their money by having a low predicable solar panel payment.
2: Solar Panels Cause Damage to The Roof.
This is one of the biggest concerns, and myths we run across on a daily basis.
Solar panels don’t inherently pose a threat to your roof’s integrity. The risk of damage often arises from the method of installation.
Traditional approaches involve securing panels to your roof using nails, lag bolts, and straps, which can puncture the roofing material and lead to potential leaks over time. Additionally, the drilling or hammering required during installation can cause harm to shingles and roof tiles.
To safeguard your roof and uphold its warranty, we use K2 for a non-invasive installation method. This innovative system utilizes adhesive to mount solar panels securely without penetrating the roof with lag bolts. By eliminating the need for excessive roof penetrations, K2 ensures that your roof remains intact and fully covered by its warranty.
Infact, solar mounting systems like K2 mounting systems are engineered to protect the roof and panels for over 25 years. We only use UL certified equipment to ensure reliability, and safety for solar installations.
This is why it’s so important to only work with reputable solar panel installation companies in Texas that use UL certified equipment, and offers labor workmanship warranties, roof penetration warranties for a minimum of 10 years.
We back every solar panel installation here in Texas with our 40 Year Workmanship Warranty, 10 Year Roof Penetration Warranty, and offer 3rd party protection plans like Omnidian to ensure the best experience possible for our customers!
Solar panels can also form a protective barrier between your roof and protect it from elements such as; rain, excessive heat, wind, hail, and more.
When you have solar panels on your house, the absorb direct sunlight that would otherwise impact your roof directly. Having solar on your roof will create an air gap between the panels and the roof itself, that has a cool effect on your roof. This study actually shows that installing solar panels can decreases a home’s internal temperature by up to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Solar Panels Require a lot of Maintenance.
Maintaining solar panels is relatively low compared to other household utilities, with equipment typically covered by a manufacturer’s warranty for 25-30 years.
The primary maintenance involves periodic cleaning to ensure optimal performance and efficiency.
While rainstorms can often wash away debris, factors like nearby trees, dirt roads, or construction may necessitate more frequent cleaning. Many solar systems offer performance monitoring tools, such as Enphase’s Enlighten app, allowing users to track individual panel performance and identify when maintenance, like cleaning, is needed.
To ensure, our customer have the most seamless solar experience possible. We have partnered with Omnidian to give each of our customers full protection plans that cover any maintenance, servicing, and offer a 95% cash-back guarantee on energy production!
4. Solar Panels will make it harder for me to sell my home.
This common misconception about solar energy couldn’t be further from the truth! Well-designed and engineered solar systems can significantly enhance the overall value of a home. Partnering with a reputable elite solar installation company ensures that the solar system undergoes thorough assessment by a certified third-party appraiser like Pearl Certification.
Homes equipped with high-performing; energy-efficient features are appraised at considerably higher values compared to those without such upgrades. Consequently, selling a home with a top-tier solar system ensures that sellers maximize the returns on their investment.
Although the sale price of a home with solar panels might seem higher than a home without them, solar panels offer buyers both immediate and long-term savings that may offset the initial costs.
Your MLS listing should showcase the following benefits:
- Reduced energy bills: When your solar panels generate the electricity you use, you could see a smaller electricity bill.
- Protection from rising energy costs: Electricity rates keep rising each year, so a solar power system can help shield you from future price increases.
- Net metering credits: If the solar panels generate more electricity than you use, you may be able to send the excess energy to the electricity grid in exchange for net metering credit from the utility company.
- Increased home value: In case the buyer decides to sell in a few years, solar panels currently improve home values by 4.1% on average, and those savings could keep rising.
5. Every Solar Panel System is the Same
One of the worst solar panel myths of all time!
Every family, and every house has their independent energy needs.
(Solar Panel Design using Lidar, Irradiance, and Sun Path reports to determine best panel placement for Solar Panels on a home in Katy Texas)
When designing a solar panel system for a home, our engineers must know:
- How much energy the home has consumed on an annual basis.
- Sun exposure & Irradiance.
- Shading factors from LIDAR reports.
- Families goal with solar panels, and/or batteries.
- Financing Preferences: Solar Loan, Solar PPA, Solar Lease
All of this information is combined to design a customer solar savings report for each customer.
