Deciding if solar is right for you and your property can be a complex and somewhat intimidating task and dealing with multiple solar companies in New England may not be easy either; we get you. No matter what solar company you decide to talk to,  the first step would be to set up a solar site visit. Here at New England Clean Energy, this is when you meet your solar consultant. Before the pandemic, solar companies in New England were having real visits where a sales consultant would come to your home. With the challenges that this year brought, we are currently doing virtual site visits, to help keep you and our company safe. No matter if the visit is real or virtual you may be wondering: what actually happens during a solar site visit? And how can you prepare? 

The main goal is for us to answer any questions that you may have, to assess your needs and your roof, and to offer you the best solar system solution that is custom designed for your needs. And by that, we mean the one that guarantees you a great return on investment and lasts for decades.

First of all, we would want to talk to you about your solar goals. What are you hoping to achieve by going solar? Is it for environmental reasons? Financial? Will you want to charge your car with solar? One of our solar consultants will facilitate this conversation so we can better match your objectives. If you have any concerns or specific wishes, you may want to share them at this early stage as well. Does one of your family members want panels on the backside of the roof only? Are you not sure if your roof is good enough for solar? Are you planning to add a pool sometime soon?

The second important part is being able to access your house and roof, either live or via satellite, if it’s a virtual site visit, and a recent utility bill that you will provide. We will look at your roof-size, azimuth, meaning angle, pitch, shade readings, etc. Our sales consultants take Suneye equipment to site visits to help determine whether your roof gets sufficient direct sun and we can also use online tools to measure it from satellite maps. If all looks good, there will be further assessment of your home. We ask questions such as: are the trees around your home shorter or taller than expected? Do you have a place to mount an inverter? Is your roof structurally capable of holding a new system? Some people might even need to replace their roof before considering installing solar. 

After gathering that information your consultant will be able to create a proposal that is customized to your specific needs and house/roof. The proposal/quote will include the design of the system, its cost, and the projected return on investment that your system will produce for the next 25 years. The cost of the system will vary depending on size and panel choice. The projected return on investment depends on how much of your current electric bill can be covered by solar, as well as incentives and tax credits available for your area. 

There are many ways to pay for your installation, which is another conversation you will be having with your solar consultant.  All solar companies in New England vary in price. Some customers pay with cash others finance their system with loans. Leases are also an option, but only for some commercial customers. We typically suggest they are a bad deal for homeowners. Regardless of the situation you’re in, we will help you understand your options.  Whatever financing choice you make your proposal will have details on your estimated savings, ROI (return on investment), and a payback time frame. This includes the less obvious intangible returns like being environmentally conscious and the more obvious like how a typical 6-KW system provides a 200% 20-year payback. That’s a lot of real money. We’ll also talk to you all about the federal tax credits and varying incentives depending on the state you live in. 

We pride ourselves on practicing no-pressure consultative sales. You will never feel under pressure after receiving your solar proposal from us. We will never rush you into a decision and will always be at a short call away for any additional questions you may have.

If you accept the proposal, we sign an agreement with you and start working on all permitting paperwork leading up to your installation, which can be scheduled once everything is completed, submitted, and approved by the utility, town, etc. 

Hopefully, you’ll realize solar site visits are no big deal at all, we’re merely here to help you. Be prepared with your questions and make sure that you share all your concerns, for whatever solar company in New England you choose. Until then, sit back and let us do the hard work. Just wait for your savings.

Find more solar energy questions in these articles:

Top 8 Solar Energy Questions People Ask Before Going Solar – Part 1

Top 8 Solar Energy Questions People Ask Before Going Solar – Part 2