Utah residents pay a few of the lowest charges within the nation for electrical energy, at lower than 12 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2023. However the state additionally will get quite a lot of daylight in contrast with different states.
These elements weigh closely on the query of whether or not photo voltaic panels make sense in Utah. The reply is determined by the mathematics to your particular residence and your particular power wants, which an excellent photo voltaic panel set up firm may help stroll you thru.
There are additionally some incentives that may enable you to cowl the price of photo voltaic panels. The federal residential clear power credit score will reimburse you for as much as 30% of the price of putting in a photo voltaic system. The state’s web metering coverage can even enable you to in the reduction of in your electrical invoice — web metering means that you can obtain credit by sending your extra generated power again to the grid.
This is what it is advisable know earlier than going photo voltaic in Utah, beginning with the greatest photo voltaic panel set up corporations working throughout the state.
The perfect nationwide photo voltaic panel set up corporations in Utah
EnergyPal
Most versatile
EnergyPal is greater than only a intermediary. It will deal with your photo voltaic set up from starting to finish whereas additionally permitting you to learn from its proprietary engine and aggressive bidding course of. The corporate provides a variety of {hardware} for panels, batteries and inverters, has plentiful financing choices and provides responsive customer support assist.
Freedom Endlessly
Greatest for money prospects
Embody Freedom Endlessly in your search if you’d like the backing of a nationwide firm that installs all kinds of the preferred photo voltaic gear accessible. Freedom Endlessly additionally extends a few merchandise that take a few of the ache and danger out of going photo voltaic, like a manufacturing assure and an escrow possibility with money purchases. On-line evaluations say buyer satisfaction has been low of late, although the corporate says that is altering.
Purelight Energy
Newcomer with in-house installers
Purelight Energy is the brand new child on the block, however that does not imply it is second-rate. The photo voltaic firm has been increasing quickly into a number of states and has an in-house group that takes prospects by means of each step of planning, allowing and set up. Guarantee intervals are pretty normal, however the firm provides photo voltaic panels from corporations like Silfab, SEG and Tesla Photo voltaic, battery choices from Tesla Powerwall and Franklin Residence Battery, and microinverters from Tesla.
Tesla Photo voltaic
Most reasonably priced
Tesla’s photo voltaic department appears to be the least cherished of Elon Musk’s ventures. Even Tesla’s Photo voltaic Roof appears to get extra love.
If value is the factor you will not budge on, contemplate Tesla. By all accounts, Tesla installs high quality panels and makes the closest factor there may be to a family title in photo voltaic storage: the Powerwall.
The place you may miss out is customer support. Dialogue on-line appears to recommend Tesla’s service is a little bit of a chance.
Native photo voltaic panel set up corporations in Utah
Based in 2014, Blue Raven Photo voltaic installs residential photo voltaic panels in 17 states, together with Utah. Blue Raven Photo voltaic is a full-service photo voltaic firm that guides prospects from level of sale to set up. The corporate offers a financing possibility known as BluePower Plus+. With Blue Raven Photo voltaic, you get a 10-year high quality of labor guarantee and a 25-year producer’s guarantee. The corporate would not at present present photo voltaic leasing or energy buy agreements choices.
Based in 2013, Ion Photo voltaic serves eight states, together with Utah. The corporate manages a complete photo voltaic undertaking from starting to finish and offers post-installation providers like 24/7 system monitoring and upkeep. Ion Photo voltaic provides photo voltaic financing to its prospects in partnership with Daylight Monetary, Sunnova Vitality and Mosaic. You get a 10-year high quality of labor guarantee and 30-year product guarantee.
Utah-based Mynt Photo voltaic installs residential and business photo voltaic programs and batteries in Utah, California and Nevada. It additionally provides repairs, upkeep and post-installation monitoring. The corporate handles all the set up course of in-house and provides a 1-year money-back power technology assure on all of the programs it installs. Photo voltaic panels purchased by means of Mynt Photo voltaic can have 30-year product, efficiency and labor warranties. Mynt Photo voltaic offers a photo voltaic mortgage at 2.99% for 20 years with no cash down. Nonetheless, the corporate would not supply photo voltaic leases or energy buy agreements.
Good Wave Photo voltaic installs photo voltaic panels and batteries. Based mostly in Bluffdale, Utah, the corporate fulfills all installations in-house as a substitute of utilizing subcontractors. Good Wave Photo voltaic installs parts from Silfab, Solaria and REC Photo voltaic. As a result of most photo voltaic programs cease working throughout an influence outage, Good Wave Photo voltaic provides an emergency energy provide to your photo voltaic system at no extra price. Programs embody 25-year manufacturing, high quality of labor and components warranties.
How you can decide which photo voltaic firm in Utah is greatest
Going photo voltaic is a giant deal. Deal with it that manner. This can be a buy that can probably price greater than $10,000 and might be a significant a part of your own home for many years. Select an installer fastidiously.
Begin by in search of out corporations with good reputations. Ask folks you realize who’ve gotten photo voltaic panels and see what their expertise was like with the installer they selected. Then have every firm in your listing come to your own home and provide you with an estimate. Be sure that the estimate takes under consideration the actual nature of your own home and your power wants. Consider every one not simply on value, however on the corporate’s service choices, gear and repute.
Price of photo voltaic panels in Utah
This is a have a look at the typical money value for a typical photo voltaic panel system in Utah earlier than factoring in tax credit and incentives, in keeping with information from FindEnergy.com. Needless to say your system may turn into costlier in case you select to incorporate photo voltaic batteries or extra gear in your buy.
Common price of photo voltaic panels in Utah
| Typical system dimension (kW) | Value per watt | Whole put in price | Price after 30% federal tax credit score | |
| Utah | 5 | $3.35 | $16,750 | $11,725 |
| Nationwide common | 5 | $3.56 | $17,800 | $12,460 |
The map beneath reveals the typical whole money value, price per watt and system dimension for a typical photo voltaic panel system in your state, in keeping with information from FindEnergy.com. This information would not consider tax credit or state incentives. Sure states have no FindEnergy photo voltaic information and are grayed out on the map.
Utah photo voltaic panel incentives or rebates
You might have a number of incentives that can assist you decrease the full price of photo voltaic in Utah. The federal residential clear power credit score is probably the most vital cost-saving incentive for brand new photo voltaic homeowners. You may deduct 30% of your photo voltaic system’s price out of your federal revenue taxes, with no restrict on system dimension. With the extension of this tax credit score by Congress in 2022, all photo voltaic programs put in between 2022 and 2032 will qualify for this profit.
Utah photo voltaic incentives
| Program | Description |
|---|---|
| Renewable power system tax credit score | Utah provides a tax credit score restricted to $400 or 25% of your photo voltaic gear’s set up prices. The credit score expires in 2023 |
| Web metering | Web metering means that you can promote your extra energy to the grid for credit in your energy invoice. Utah would not mandate web metering however some voluntarily supply this system. Examine together with your native utility for particulars. |
| Photo voltaic easement and entry legal guidelines | Utah’s photo voltaic easement and entry legal guidelines are much like easement legal guidelines in different states. If you wish to go photo voltaic, you’ll be able to voluntarily enter an easement contract together with your neighbors to take away any obstacles to your photo voltaic panels accessing daylight. Utah’s photo voltaic rights legislation stops householders and different group associations from imposing bans and unreasonable restrictions on photo voltaic panel programs. |
How solar-friendly is your state?
CNET lately ranked states based mostly on their residential photo voltaic insurance policies: the legal guidelines and laws affecting consumer-level photo voltaic panel set up and adoption. These insurance policies play a significant position in figuring out how accessible and reasonably priced a photo voltaic panel system is to the typical resident.
Every state was evaluated by means of a methodology and scored based mostly on eight classes. The ultimate rating was transformed to a letter grade.
This is how your state scored on CNET’s photo voltaic coverage take a look at.
Utah
Grade: F
Incentives accessible:
- State-governed web billing
Strongest scoring classes:
Utah edges out the bottom scoring states within the rankings because of a a lot greater per capita funding within the photo voltaic business. On the finish of the day, that does not translate to extra incentives for residents trying to go photo voltaic — Utah solely provides state-governed web billing to these making the photo voltaic change.
Classes to enhance:
Whereas Utah may rank barely greater than the underside scorers, it faces the entire similar issues in terms of state photo voltaic incentives. The Beehive State may enhance by making a state photo voltaic credit score, legislating state-governed retail fee web metering, instituting property and gross sales tax exemptions or making certain that low-income photo voltaic applications can be found statewide.
Photo voltaic financing choices in Utah
The upfront price of photo voltaic panels could be excessive for many Individuals. However there are a number of choices to pay for photo voltaic panels in Utah. You should buy photo voltaic panels outright or finance them with loans. These choices will let you absolutely personal the panels and recoup your prices in a couple of years. On common, the photo voltaic payback time, the interval it takes to your power financial savings to surpass the price of investing in photo voltaic, is six to 12 years after you purchase your photo voltaic panels. If you cannot afford to purchase or get a mortgage to finance photo voltaic panels, signing a lease or a energy buy settlement are different alternate options. Listed here are the choices you might have for financing your photo voltaic panel system.
Money: Paying for the photo voltaic panel system upfront will drastically shorten your photo voltaic payback interval, however most individuals haven’t got the five-figure sum readily available that you’re going to want for this buy. Should you’re capable of put down the money, although, this is likely to be the most suitable choice for you.
Private loans/photo voltaic loans: There are particular photo voltaic loans that monetary establishments may supply close to you. This often occurs when a financial institution or credit score union is partnered with a photo voltaic installer, so this is likely to be an excellent financing possibility. If you cannot lock down a photo voltaic mortgage, there are all the time private loans as a substitute. Needless to say unsecured private loans are likely to have extra favorable charges they usually aren’t collateral-backed loans.
Photo voltaic lease: For a set month-to-month price, you are capable of lease your photo voltaic panels from a photo voltaic installer. This offers the slashed power charges related to photo voltaic power, however you are not capable of reap the benefits of tax credit or different monetary incentives related to photo voltaic panel programs. This might be probably the most favorable financing possibility for retirees or different individuals who haven’t got a excessive taxable revenue.
Energy buy settlement: Much like photo voltaic leases, you do not personal your photo voltaic panels whenever you enter right into a PPA. As a substitute, you get a free photo voltaic panel set up after which pay the photo voltaic set up firm for the power produced. Energy buy agreements have many execs and cons, so it is best to learn up on them earlier than locking in one in every of these contracts.
HELOCs/Residence fairness loans: These are each loans which will will let you finance your photo voltaic panel system, nevertheless it’s greatest to needless to say failing to repay these kind of loans can lead the monetary establishment to assert your own home as collateral.
Learn extra: Need one thing smaller than a whole-home photo voltaic system? See our picks for one of the best transportable photo voltaic panels and photo voltaic mills.
Set up elements to think about
Quite a few elements may help you establish whether or not it is smart to go photo voltaic. Your explicit residence might have one thing particular that might make photo voltaic a nasty funding. It is good to seek the advice of an expert and licensed photo voltaic panel installer to debate these and obtain quotes from a minimum of three corporations earlier than selecting one.
Insurance coverage in your photo voltaic panels: Many owners insurance coverage corporations cowl photo voltaic panels of their insurance policies. Earlier than investing in photo voltaic panels, discover out in case your insurance coverage firm can defend them. In the event that they do, bear in mind so as to add them to your coverage after set up.
Shading round your property: Your photo voltaic panels can generate electrical energy with some tree shading, however heavy shading could make photo voltaic panels a nasty match. Knowledgeable photo voltaic installer may help you perceive your state of affairs
Renting or proudly owning your own home: Renters sometimes have problem putting in photo voltaic panels as a result of they do not personal their houses. Landlords will decide whether or not they need photo voltaic panels on rental items. A method for renters to get inexperienced power is to enroll in a group photo voltaic program.
Roof: Figuring out your roof’s age and situation is important earlier than putting in photo voltaic panels. In case your roof is greater than 20 years outdated or in poor form, it’s possible you’ll wish to exchange your roof prior to installing photo voltaic panels to keep away from a a lot costlier substitute after set up.
How we discovered one of the best photo voltaic panel corporations
The businesses we listed above as “one of the best” are curated from CNET’s greatest photo voltaic corporations listing. Corporations making one of the best listing are scored on the gear, warranties and customer support they provide. Then, we be certain that these suggestions can be found in your state. You may learn a full breakdown of how we evaluate photo voltaic corporations right here.
Corporations listed beneath the native installers had been chosen in a much less rigorous manner. We selected them as a result of they supplied one thing distinctive or notable to prospects within the state, they appeared well-regarded by web reviewers or as a result of they had been one of many few installers we may discover data on within the state.
Whether or not we have accomplished a full evaluate on an organization or not, it is all the time a good suggestion to get a number of quotes from totally different installers earlier than selecting an organization.
Utah solar energy FAQs
Are all photo voltaic panels the identical?
No, not all photo voltaic panels are the identical. Photo voltaic panels can differ from each other in effectivity, dimension, wattage and extra.
How do I do know if photo voltaic is the proper match for me?
There isn’t any uniform reply to this query since each residence and household has distinctive wants and conditions. Your electrical energy charges, consumption habits, native incentives, set up prices and the form and dimension of your roof are some elements that decide whether or not photo voltaic is smart for you. One of the best ways to search out a solution to this query is to seek the advice of a licensed and skilled photo voltaic installer.
What number of photo voltaic panels does my home want?
The variety of photo voltaic panels you want will rely upon a number of elements, together with your present electrical energy utilization, the quantity of power you need from photo voltaic technology, your own home’s dimension, shading round your property and the photo voltaic panel output. Knowledgeable photo voltaic installer may help you establish the quantity and capability of photo voltaic panels.
Do photo voltaic panels function throughout an influence outage?
Grid-tied photo voltaic panel programs shut off throughout an influence outage to stop utility employees fixing transmission traces and substations from being harmed by electrical energy despatched to the grid. However corporations like Enphase and SMA promote inverters that disconnect from the grid throughout a blackout and ship electrical energy to your own home out of your photo voltaic panels. Utilizing such inverters with photo voltaic batteries is one of the simplest ways to make sure a steady electrical energy provide.