Factors That Affect the Cost of Solar Panel Installation

Introduction

Solar energy is one of the most accessible of renewable energy sources. More and more home owners are realizing that tapping into the endless energy from the sun has numerous benefits including massive savings on energy costs, environmental conservation among others. The growing popularity of solar energy has given rise to questions about the cost of solar panel installation. There are many factors that affect what your solar installation will be. Here are some of them:

Roof Angle and Roof Type
In solar panel installation, it is important to angle the solar panels so they can get maximum exposure to the sun. This is not a problem when the roof is angled but it can be if the roof is flat. In such cases, the contractor will have to build scaffolding in order to angle the panels, a factor that will increase the cost of installation. The type of roof you have will also play a role as different materials require different kinds of methods to hold the panels to the roof. In such cases, one might find the contractor charging more for some specific kinds of roofing material as they require more work and additional costs.
Age Of The Roof
If your roof is aged and needs replacement, it makes sense to replace the roof before you install the solar panels. This is because when the times comes for you to finally replace the roof, the solar panel installer must come back and remove the panels so that the roof can be changed and put them back again. Rather than incur this cost and inconvenience, it is easier to just have the roof replaced when the panels are being installed. Having to replace the roof before an installation means that the total cost of the installation goes up.
Structural Issues
This is closely related to the age of the roof and applies to the cost of the solar panel installation in the same way. If your house is old and needs some structural adjustments, you might be forced to deal with these first before you can have your new roof installed. If you fail to do this, it will lead to a situation where you have to have the panels reinstalled. Neglecting to fix structural problems could lead to the solar panels or wiring being damaged.
Cost Of Licenses
Different areas have different regulations regarding the installation of solar panels. In some areas, this process might require the contractor to pay more than the average cost or to spend more time than usual getting the license. In such a scenario, the contractor might pass on the extra costs of the regulatory process to you as the homeowner. This would then increase the total cost that you have to pay for the installation.
Tracking Systems
Some systems can be set up in such a way that the home owner can monitor how the solar energy system is working. Such tracking and monitoring systems are great but the extra cost of the tracking system might drive up the total cost of the installation.

Tax Incentives
Many city authorities and governments offer incentives for solar energy installations. In most cases, these incentives help reduce the total cost of installation. However, these incentives sometimes don’t apply in certain scenarios and the contractor is then forced to charge the extra cost on the homeowner.
It is helpful to remember that even in cases where the cost of the solar panels exceeds what a homeowner had planned to spend, the savings in energy bills in the long run almost always cancels out the initial cost of installation. If you are considering installing solar panels, talk to us at GenRenew. We have extensive experience installing solar panels in New Jersey and its environs and will work with you to make your solar energy system installation cost effective.