In the past decade, solar energy has gone from being a thing of science fiction to an actual possibility. You’ll find that the solar panel industry has experienced almost exponential growth in the past ten years. And it’s no wonder, seeing the cost for solar panels when installing them have gone down quite a lot for the average homeowner. In the past, only well-off clean energy advocates could afford this in their homes.
Now, however – it’s a reasonable investment for many. Unfortunately, though – the reality isn’t as promising as the ads and brochures say. Depending on your specific circumstances, there could be additional solar panel installation expenses that no one tells you about beforehand. No one except us, that is, as we’re going to delve into this matter right here!
Cheap Solar Might Not Be the Best Option
Most of the companies whose main line of work is installing solar panels are legitimate businesses. They’ll often put a lot of effort into making sure they provide their customers with a solar panel system that lasts a long time and has a decent enough output for a household. On the other hand, though – you’ll encounter plenty of less-than-trustworthy companies; firms that promise incredibly good solar panel deals. Naturally, a good deal is something that you want and nothing to be wary of; but you know what we’re talking about – deals that are just too good to be true.
In reality, many of these firms are actually selling you the most low-end panels at much higher prices. On the other hand, they may sell solar installations that really are as cheap as advertised, but they’re likely to break down after a short while or are generally unsafe. Bear in mind that the most affordable option isn’t always necessarily the one you should go with. When it comes to cheap solar, there are additional expenses when installing solar panels and the ones that come shortly afterward. Naturally, this doesn’t mean that solar energy is not a great option for your household – just that you need to find a provider carefully.
Save Money, but with Lower Efficiency
As we’ve mentioned above, some of the systems for solar power that you install in your home may be cheaper. However, remember that any kind of solar panel is an investment into the future and proper maintenance done by experts is something that will save you money in the long run. What you want to achieve here is to spend less money over the course of the panels’ lifetime. The goal is for the savings in electric bills over the next decade or two to be higher than the initial investment into solar panels.
And while that’s all well and good – you should keep in mind that cheap solar panel systems may be much less effective at saving you money later on. Their utility in producing electricity using solar energy is much more questionable; meaning that the savings in your power bill could be minuscule compared to the investment. After all, that is the number one advantage of solar panels, apart from fewer adverse effects on the environment.
Repairs Could Be a Bit of a Hassle
Just like most things that are of lower quality – the constituent parts found in more affordable solar panels aren’t made with longevity in mind. To put it simply, they are rarely tested and produced according to the high standards of the more expensive and higher-quality panels and systems.
Also, cheaper installation of solar panels means working with installers that may be prone to taking shortcuts, or not strictly abiding by the instructions for installation left by the manufacturer. This could not only make your warranty void but lead to an unstable system that constantly breaks down and is in need of repairs. As you can imagine – these will be pretty costly, so you might need to start thinking about ways to become more practical in your spending habits.
Switchboard Upgrades
Many of the more affordable solar panel dealers don’t take the time to do a proper inspection of the site – AKA your household – before they start the installation. They may fail to realize how old your switchboard is, or they may not know the angle of your roof. The former is particularly costly, as the installation of a new electrical panel in your home to accommodate the solar panels may be a couple of thousand dollars on top of your initial expenses.
Short Warranties
One of the biggest downsides to cheaper solar panels is the fact that, when you consider all of the expenses when installing and repairing them, they don’t turn out to be cheaper at all. That much you can surmise from above. And yet, they often arrive with shorter warranties. On the other hand, they could also impose stricter rules and limits on when you’re able to stake your claim to a warranty; sometimes making it practically impossible to do so.
So, what does that mean for you? It means that, if your solar system starts shutting down within a few years or fails because of maintenance needs, you may not be able to call on your warranty. And that means bearing the expenses of a new system all on your own.
What you want is to make sure you’re working with a reputable solar panel dealership – one that will provide you with decades’ worth of warranty for both your panels and inverters. Sure, it will be a bigger initial investment to make than in a shoddy solar panel system; but it will actually save you more money in the long run. And when it comes to solar panels, the long run is really the only thing that matters.
Conclusion
So, what is the conclusion we’re leaving you with in the end? Cheaper solar systems come with additional expenses that make them a less viable long-term investment. Look at it as you would a renovation of your household, or the purchase of a new car; something that you want to be satisfied with for the years to come. With all of that in mind, we recommend picking a premium-quality solution. That may be costlier at first, but the expenses will turn into a profit over the next few decades. And while there are less than-optimal solar panels out there; it’s important to remember that this is still the energy of the future, and something worth investing in.
