Part 2: Going Solar

Choosing a solar panel installer.

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When we decided to go solar, we used an independent energy marketplace called EnergySage. Solar installers are vetted by EnergySage before they are allowed to offer quotes to EnergySage’s customers. Signing up with EnergySage is free. The vetted installers pay a membership fee to be part of the network. I went to the EnergySage website and provided the necessary information. Once our information was on EnergySage, interested installers contacted us through EnergySage. Your contact information is not shared, and all communication is through EnergySage. You decide when you are ready to contact installers directly.

We received multiple quotes based on the information we provided. After examining the quotes we focussed on three companies that looked the most promising in terms of reputation, price, and expertise. All the quotes we received offered a cash price as well as a solar loan option through a bank or financing company.

Through these quotes, we discovered that some solar loans do not require high upfront costs. These quotes also introduced us to various solar panels available, and we familiarized ourselves with different panel manufacturers and their products.

We decided to go with a solar loan with no prepayment penalty. We anticipate paying off the loan in about six years…