One of the main reasons many of our customers make the decision to install solar panels on their home is to save money. Which begs the question what is my electric bill with solar panels? With consistent increases in utility bills, residential solar panels are a surefire strategy to help families save money. Yet, as residential solar installers, we have seen many cases where people get their True-Up bill at the end of the year and find out they owe a lot of money to the utility company. This short article will discuss why your electricity bill is high after you go solar.
Wrong Sized System

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Many solar installation companies use the “estimation” strategy when it comes to designing your solar system. They make an educated guess about how much a household of your size will use in electricity and build a system that reflect their prediction. This is problematic because each household uses electricity differently. Many homeowners who have a system built on an assumption of use get solar systems that are way too small. The result, you end up buying electricity from the utility company to make up for the electricity deficit from your small solar system.
You are Using Too Much Energy

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Getting a residential or commercial solar system installed is not the answer to a free-for-all on blasting the air conditioner or using your electricity without thought. Well-constructed solar pv systems are designed to eliminate your dependence on electricity that your electrical company provides for you. Some systems are built a little bit larger than historic energy usage, to allow for an increase in electrical use. For example, if you plan on installing a pool, or just want to run your AC a bit cooler. However, if your household uses more energy than your solar pv system can produce, you will end up purchasing the excess electricity from the utility grid. This means you can expect a bill at the end of the year. Many people are not informed by their solar installation professional that they still must be vigilant of their electrical usage after install.
Your System is Not Working Correctly

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Another time you might receive an unexpectedly high bill from the utility company is if your solar system is not working. Most solar installations come with 24/7 digital monitoring. This allows us to immediately know when one of our installed systems is underperforming, or not performing at all. Not all solar installers provide system monitoring to their customers. However, system monitoring is a powerful tool to ensure your system is working at capacity. Learning too late with a high electrical bill is not a great way to learn you need solar panel maintenance.
To ensure you do not revive a large electricity bill after going solar, work with licensed solar contractors in Contra Costa that builds your system to balance your usage, you control your electrical use, and take advantage of solar monitoring options.
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