Frequently Asked Questions
Our panels are engineered to handle any type of weather and extreme snow conditions. The panels will be located in a place where you receive the most sun. On your roof, we’ll install them directly under the ridgeline so the snow falls and melts from the top of the roof quickly. Solar panels will usually help snow melt faster than normal.
The average break-even point is around 9 years, but can be as low as 6 years based on the size of your system. Solar panels are warrantied to 25 years but actually have average lifespans of 40 years. If you are wondering about your Return On Investment (ROI), call for an estimate and we can crunch the numbers for you. Commercial applications that use photovoltaics to reduce their peak power usage will see their utility bill reduced significantly. In Colorado, we have the strongest sun available for conversion into electricity. In addition, commercial systems can depreciate the rest of the cost of the system over five years as a capital equipment investment.
Starting in 2020, the Federal solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) step-down began bringing the ITC from 30% to 26% in 2020, 22% in 2021 before phasing out entirely for residential customers in 2022. Commercial customers will be eligible for a 15% tax credit after that.
This means NOW is the best time to take advantage of solar incentives. LPEA additionally offers an optional Renewable Energy Credit (REC) payment valued at approximately $16/kW installed for all solar customers. Businesses are also able to capitalize on an accelerated depreciation schedule for solar assets, adding additional savings. SolarWorks will breakdown all incentives, rebates and savings for your specific project in your free estimate.
Rising utility costs are a great reason to go solar—they’ve risen 68% in Colorado in the past ten years according to the Department of Energy, and are only going up. With new power plants scheduled to be built out of state to meet new demand here, ratepayers will foot the bill. As prices go up, you only have more to save!
Over the life of an average system, you will prevent more than 100 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. The Four Corners area is home to several coal-fired power plants with the highest number of sunshine days per year in the country. Not only will you be reducing your carbon emissions, but you will also be eliminating other harmful emissions such as nitrogen and sulfur compounds and ozone (which contribute to asthma, respiratory diseases, and acid rain).
There are solar installation packages to fit any level of need that can be integrated seamlessly into your electrical system and your lifestyle. Call us for a creative solution. You will forget your panels are even up on your roof powering your energy needs and you will be able to just sit back, relax, and let the sun shine.
Note: Off-grid systems do require adjusting your behavior to live within your power capabilities. Off-grid life isn’t for everyone, but SolarWorks can help you design the right off-grid system for you and your lifestyle.
On grid-tied systems, the panels will generate more electricity than you use during the day, supplying energy back to the grid. During the night, you will draw energy back from the grid into your home, using the grid like a battery. Your energy bills will still be zero—or close to zero—and you won’t have to worry about battery back-ups or losing power at night. The benefit of the grid-tied system is that you receive the safety of not having to be attached to a battery.
The solar energy industry is one of the largest job sectors in Colorado. Solar businesses support experts from a wide range of skill levels and backgrounds including manufacturing, distribution, transportation, marketing, sales, construction, electrical, design, accounting, web design, graphic design, customer service, plumbing, engineering, law, and printing. The solar industry is rapidly growing in the USA and bringing many talented individuals along with it.