Faq’s

Depending on monthly energy usage and property conditions, a full and complete cost reduction of your utility bill, excluding the utility’s standard charges, is possible. Property conditions include roof size, direction, pitch, etc.

SolGrid Solar works with lenders to find you the best financing to fund your solar installation.

In late 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (MA DOER) developed Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) to double its solar capacity to over three gigawatts (GW). SMART has replaced the previous solar incentive program in Massachusetts, Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs). SMART provides a monthly payment to homeowners for the energy you produce. You also qualify for a 30% federal tax credit and will receive up to $1,000 state tax credit. If a customer chooses a solar lease or Power Purchase Agreement (commercial customers only) instead of purchasing or financing, they are not eligible for any federal or Massachusetts ...

On average the on-site installation is a one to two day process. From start to finish it can take an average of 60 days with planning, install, and getting the system online.

Our solar systems are warrantied to last 25 years and are virtually maintenance free, with the exception of the inverters, which typically last 12-15 years. However, our residential systems come with an automatic inverter warranty extension from 12 to 25 years.

When you have a solar system installed, the electric company installs a meter that can “tick backwards” allowing you to “store” the excess energy you produce for use during non-sunlight hours. This is called NET METERING. Many solar panel system owners are at work during the day when a solar system typically produces the most energy. While you may not be using that energy, your utility lets you use it at a later time when you’re not producing. If you produce more energy than you use in a month, you’ll see that your total usage is negative. Utilities determine this ...

SolGrid Solar offers extensive 10-year workmanship and 25-year panel warranty at no additional cost.

While panels don’t have to be covered when they aren’t being used, this is just a personal preference on the part of the user. Covering them when not being used should not damage the units.

Solar panels are custom to your home and take in account several things including size of roof and utility bills and are not a one size fits all.

The real advantage to a solar installation is that this home improvement can pay itself off after just four or five years. That fact doesn’t even consider whether or not it increases your homes value! Source

Anytime a residence is not connected to the grid, it’s “off the grid.” So this isn’t related to location, rather it relates to whether a person is connected to the electric power grid.

Generally, the solar industry thinks that solar panels will last for 25 years. This does not mean they stop working at this point, rather, their production of electricity drops off as compared to normal production.

While solar has a higher cash investment up front, in the long run (i.e. over 25 years), solar will cost less than half of what you would pay a utility for electricity.

It is legal to be “off grid” in Massachusetts and produce your own electricity. But pay particular attention to restrictive city and county ordinances which can put a crimp on “off grid” living.

The process of installing average size solar panels should only take one day and possibly up to two days for installation of slightly larger solar panels.

The solar tax credit expires in 2022. The IRS allows 26% of your total project costs claimed as a credit on your federal taxes (i.e. $10,000 of project costs reduces taxes by $2600).

26% is what the government allows for the solar tax credit. For tax purposes, you cannot get a tax credit that exceeds what you own in taxes in any given year.

For projects that begin construction in 2020, the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is 26% and this will drop to 22% for projects that begin in 2021.

The spending bill was passed in December 2015. That doesn’t mean new money won’t be given for this program after 2021. Solar is a great investment considering a system pays for itself in 25 years.

For 2020 a person can still claim 26% of their project costs as a tax credit. In 2021 that number drops to 21%. This program ends in 2022, so taking advantage now is a key.

The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) gives you a tax credit for solar investment. It is a one-time credit, but as with many tax credits, you want to carry it over to other tax years.

It is a one-time credit that allows claiming 26% of your total project costs on your tax return. The credit may be carried into other tax years. It expires in 2022.

Do you have to itemize to get solar tax credit?

Yes. However, one of the things you’ll want to consider is if your yard or available area is big enough to allow for the number of panels you will need to cover your energy needs.

For the vast majority of homeowners, solar panel installation will not damage your roof when it is done by professional, qualified installers. This is a question you should ask when interviewing for installers.

Properly installed roof solar systems will not void your roof’s warranty. Actually, because the panels shield parts of you roof after installation, those parts will be shielded from the sun and will last even longer.

Metal, asphalt shingles, stone coated steel, rubber slate, clay and concrete are all roofing materials that you can install solar panels on. Actually, metal roofs work really well with solar panels.

Solar panels do not emit toxins into the atmosphere. During the manufacturing process toxic chemicals are used and greenhouse gases are produced, but no toxins are emitted in the operation of the panels.

If there is no rain and a panel is leaking, the cause is probably a lifted temperature and relief valve on the solar heating system. A panel also might leak due to freezing temperatures or system excessive pressure.

Yes, but that demands that you have a way to store all that power when the sun is not out. This situation has improved with the new Powerwall and Powerpack rechargeable lithium-ion battery availability.

Yes, you can, but you could only power your house when the sun is out. In order to power your home when the sun was not out you would need a battery storage system.

A standard 12 volt panel can actually produce up to 20 volts under full sun. As a result, even a small solar panel has the ability to overcharge a battery when directly hooked to it.

In a word, no. That’s why systems are designed to provide energy to your home at night through battery storage (i.e. store energy from the day so you can use it at night).

Although unnecessary, solar panels can be covered when not in use and is a personal preference of the home owner to leave covered or uncovered when not in use.

Air conditioners are a high energy demand item in the home. For instance, an air conditioner that uses 2.5kw, the minimum power to power the air conditioner would need to be 3kw.

You need 13.6 volts to charge a 12V battery, so that would be the panel requirement. In ideal conditions a 12V solar panel produces 17V or more, so a single panel could do this.

Panels operate ideally in full sunlight. When raining or cloudy they are not quite as efficient, but panels will still work because we know that light still gets through clouds and rain.

Solar systems come with a battery that allows you to store excess electricity generated from your panels that your home doesn’t need yet. This excess energy goes to your battery as stored electricity.

A typical house installation would have about 16 panels. If the panels were just to heat water for a family of four (average family) this would take two solar panels.

Yes, a house can be powered using only solar generated electricity. If someone wants to get completely off the grid that would depend upon the house and the equipment you are willing to run.

With the right configuration, yes, you can run a refrigerator solely on solar power. This just requires some very simple calculations to understand the power demands and ensure you meet those requirements.

Air conditioners are high demand items so your system would need to be configured to ensure you can meet that demand. These are all things that would be factored into the design of your system.

Normally your batteries would be fully charged, so no issue. If your battery was exhausted for some reason, a 400-watt panel could run things like LED lighting, fans, TVs, etc.