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What To Look for in a Solar Company
Choosing solar power over grid energy is a simple decision, but choosing the right solar company can be difficult. Below are a few important factors that can help decide which solar company is best for your particular needs.
- Cost and financing: For most homeowners, the biggest concern about buying a solar panel system is cost. When spending thousands of dollars, it makes sense for homeowners to look for installers that finance systems at affordable prices. Many companies also offer flexible payment plans to make it easier for Wisconsin residents to go solar. Options include solar loans, leases and power purchase agreements (PPA). However, it is important to ensure that the equipment or installation quality is not compromised.
- Trustworthiness: A quality solar system can save homeowners money, while a poor-quality system can produce much lower savings and frequent shutdowns. This makes the trustworthiness of a solar energy company an important factor to consider. Buyers can check an installer’s reputation by looking at its Better Business Bureau rating and by reading customer reviews on online review platforms.
- Services offered: Most solar companies sell other services besides solar panel installations. Those include EV chargers, lighting retrofits, HVAC upgrades and more. Homeowners who make the move to solar benefit from combining multiple energy efficiency upgrades. They may even need to optimize their home for solar by upgrading their roof or removing a tree branch. Before approaching solar companies, make a list of all the services you may need.
Compare the Cost of Wisconsin Solar Companies
The average cost of solar power in Wisconsin is $2.88 per watt, slightly higher than the national average of $2.85/W. Based on that, a typical, 6-kW PV system in Wisconsin will cost about $17,280. Here’s a table that outlines the pricing of Wisconsin’s best solar companies, along with the available payment options.
*Note: Pricing data is based on responses to our March 2023 solar survey of 1,000 homeowners with 10 kilowatt (kW) solar systems. BBB ratings are accurate as of [month] 2023.
Our Recommendation
In Wisconsin, the best solar installation company for a home depends on price, savings, durability and warranties. The overall best company in Wisconsin is SunPower, while Sunrun is the top option for solar leases. Customers looking for more local options look at Arch Electric or All Energy Solar.
Before finalizing an installer, we recommend requesting free quotes from multiple solar providers and comparing them based on cost, warranties and equipment brands.
Benefits of Going Solar in Wisconsin
- Electricity bill savings: The ability of solar panels to reduce grid energy consumption and therefore bill costs is one of its most important benefits, if not the most. The renewable energy generated by a typical solar power system can offset anywhere from 50% to 100% of your grid power usage, resulting in an equivalent bill reduction. Over the system’s lifespan of 25 or more years, this can lead to thousands in cumulative savings.
- Protection against rising energy costs: As utility companies upgrade and maintain the energy infrastructure, the cost of electricity goes on climbing. Add to this the effect of inflation and other factors such as global fuel prices, and you get the sort of increase in electricity rates that cannot be ignored. Homes with solar photovoltaic systems are the least affected by such price hikes, since their use of grid power is minimum.
- Security against blackouts: According to the Department of Energy, Wisconsin has over 90 events of thunderstorms and lightning and about 24 floods each year. Many of these events lead to disruptions in power transmission, resulting in power outages that can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. While blackouts can be debilitating, homeowners with a solar panel system and backup battery are able to keep their appliances running through most blackouts.
- Reduced carbon footprint: Solar panels generate clean energy using sunlight, which causes no harmful emissions. Grid power in Wisconsin, on the other hand, comprises mainly fossil fuels, which produce carbon emissions every day. As more and more homeowners switch to solar, Wisconsin’s carbon emissions go down.
- Increased home value: Thanks to the number of advantages mentioned above, homes with solar panels experience higher demand than homes without solar. This is evident from studies that show that home buyers are willing to spend around 4.1% more on solar-powered homes.
Considering the average home price of $276,964 in Wisconsin, a 4.1% increase would mean that solar power adds about $11,355 to a home’s price.
Wisconsin Solar Incentives
Wisconsin may not be one of the most solar-friendly states from a policy perspective, but it has an attractive group of incentives that make going solar easier. Let’s take a look.
Federal Incentives
The federal solar tax credit is available to all U.S. homeowners. With this incentive, Wisconsin homeowners installing solar panels can get a tax credit equivalent to 30% of their system’s purchase cost. This credit lowers the following year’s income taxes. However, homeowners who lease systems can’t claim this tax credit.
Statewide Incentives
Here is a summary of Wisconsin’s state-based solar incentives:
Aniket Bhor is a solar engineer who has spent nearly a decade studying and working in the solar power sector in the European, Asian and North American markets. He is a climate enthusiast and avid cyclist, and he also loves to lose himself in books and cooking.
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