SOLAR INFORMATION
The Solar Lifestyle
As you’ve researched solar and battery storage solutions, you’ve likely discovered that it offers real benefits for residential and commercial property owners. But those benefits aren’t just financial. There are lifestyle benefits that allow you to live and work in comfort with no worries, year-round. These are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy every day as you live the solar lifestyle:
1 – Being able to use your air conditioning or heating whenever you want without worrying about it draining your bank account.
2 – Running your pool pump instead of draining your pool.
3 – Adding those extra landscaping features, or home electronics, without worrying about how you are going to pay for their operation.
4 – Not having to wake up at 2 in the morning to run your washer and dryer, or having to beg your kids to reprogram the timers…again.
5 – Not having to unplug every electronic device from the wall every time you’re done using them, and not having to constantly patrol the house to make sure no one left the lights on.
6 – Having a happier, prouder, more comfortable and productive household or workspace.
How It Works
Solar panels generate electricity for your home or business, but at a fraction of the cost of utility generated electricity. The solar panels can generate excess electricity during the day, which is what makes your electric meter “spin backwards”. Under previous Net Metering (NEM) iterations, NEM 1.0 and NEM 2,0, utility customers were paid for the excess solar electricity generation that they exported to the utility company’s electric grid in the form of bill credits, which were then applied to offset utility company charges. If you have an existing system that was interconnected under NEM 1,0 or NEM 2,0 you are grandfathered into that arrangement. If you are installing solar now for the first time it will be interconnected under NEM 3.0, which is otherwise known as NBT (Net Billing Tarriff). Under NBT you will be paid very little for your solar exports, so the objective is to keep as much of your solar power as is practical “behind the meter”. Which is to say that a battery is also installed with your solar system, so instead of exporting the solar system’s excess electricity to the utility grid to make the meter spin backwards, it is instead stored on the battery to be used later in the day, with the greatest benefit coming from discharging the battery to power your electric loads during the utility company’s Peak billing hours which are currently from 4 pm to 9 pm.
The experts at 180 Solar Power are well versed in Net Metering. Fill out the form below or click here to get a solar quote before current Net Metering laws expire.
When you work with 180 Solar Power you get a system that saves money and time. You’ll be living and working in comfort without dependence on your local utility company. That’s The Solar Lifestyle, and no solar company is more qualified to help you with your solar and battery storage installation than 180 Solar Power. Fill out the form below or click here for a free quote.
Government incentives come and go. Remember Cash-For Clunkers? Just a few years ago there were also huge incentives on a vast array of other energy efficient products from electric vehicles to windows and doors, to air conditioning and furnaces, to insulation and more. Those too have now all expired or been reduced to almost nothing. The same is true for solar systems. At one time the California state utility rebate would have paid property owners as much as $2.50 per watt when they installed a solar system. Today, with the exception of a few sparsely located municipally owned utility companies, that money is all gone, leaving only the federal Intangible Tax Credit (ITC) for residential and commercial solar, and the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) for commercial solar only.
The ITC is better known as the 30% Federal Tax Credit. The ITC is a dollar for dollar offset of taxes owed, which for most qualified property owners equates to thousands of dollars in savings. For example, a $25,000 investment in a solar and battery storage system results in a federal tax credit and savings of up to $7,500 in hard tax dollars, effectively reducing the cost of the system down to $17,500. However, this program, like all other government incentives, will not be around forever. Therefore, we encourage property owners to act expediently to take advantage of this valuable incentive while they still can.
The Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) is a method of depreciation in which a business’ investments in certain tangible property are recovered, for tax purposes, over a specified time period through annual deductions. Qualifying solar energy equipment is eligible for a cost recovery period of five years. This accelerated depreciation schedule can have a significant positive impact in a business’ ROI from their solar project.
The information presented on this page is general in nature and is not intended to be viewed as “tax advice”. Each property owner’s tax situation is unique. Therefore, we recommend that all property owners consult with their tax advisors with respect to any tax questions or advice regarding their solar project.
According to numerous studies, adding a solar and battery storage system to your residential or commercial property will significantly increase your property’s value. Additionally, according to state law the increased value of your home created by the installation of your solar and battery storage system is completely exempt from property taxes for all new systems installed prior to January 1, 2027.
Numerous other studies have found that homes that have solar panels and battery storage systems sell at a significant premium to non-solar homes, and they sell in a fraction of the time that it takes to sell a non-solar home. And why not? Given the choice between paying an ever-increasing energy bill for the rest of your life, or having free power, which would you choose?
For a limited time, while there are still federal government incentives paying for a significant percentage of the cost of your solar and batttery system, many homeowners can make a profit on their solar system on the very first day that their system is installed.
Would you pay for a car without knowing the year, make and model? Of course not. However, many property owners never ask and are never told by their solar contractor what kind of solar panels, inverters, batteries and other materials are being installed on their property. The reality is that there is a wide spectrum of choices when it comes to solar related equipment and an even wider spectrum when it comes to quality.
Elements such as solar panel degradation, cell efficiency, battery chemistry, safety features, inverter efficiency, warranty coverage, manufacturing processes and other factors will all have a significant impact on the performance of your solar and battery storage system, and the ROI of your investment.
Many solar contractors cut corners by using cheap materials to improve their profit margins, and in doing so, they never meet the customer’s expectations or fulfill the promises they made to the customer.
At 180 Solar Power we use only the highest quality, proven and tested products. All of our solar and battery storage equipment carries the longest and most potent manufacturer’s warranties. We never cut corners, and our customers always know what’s being installed on their property before a work order is ever executed. Fill out the form below or click here to find out more about the high quality products recommended by 180 Solar Power.
Not All Products Are Created Equal
Would you pay for a car without knowing the year, make and model? Of course not. However, many property owners never ask and are never told by their solar contractor what kind of solar panels and other materials are being installed on their property. The reality is that there is a wide spectrum of choices when it comes to solar panels and an even wider spectrum when it comes to quality.
Elements such as solar panel degradation, cell efficiency, warranty coverage, solar panel manufacturing processes and other factors will all have a significant impact on the performance of your solar system, and the ROI of your investment.
Many solar contractors cut corners by using cheap materials to improve their profit margins, and in doing so, they never meet the customer’s expectations, or fulfill the promises they made to the customer.
At 180 Solar Power we use only the highest quality, proven and tested products. All of our solar panels carry a minimum of a 25 year manufacturer’s warranty. We never cut corners, and our customers always know what’s being installed on their property before a work order is ever executed. Fill out the form below or click here to find out more about the high quality products recommended by 180 Solar Power.
About us
180 Solar Power is a local family owned company that services residential, commercial, non-profit and government customers throughout southern California. 180 Solar Power is a licensed C-10 electrical and C-46 solar contractor.......Learn More