Shopping for Solar
The 3 articles in this section are about the solar shopping process overall. They show you the big picture, warn you of the pitfalls, and explain how to shop for solar successfully
The Problems of Shopping for Solar
1. You can save nothing or a lot. Solar can save an average SCE homeowner who pays $2,400 a year for electricity ($200 per month on average) between nothing and $1,740 a year. That's $72,000 over the 40-year life of a top-quality solar system. But whether you save nothing or $72,000 depends on what sizes, brands, and models of equipment you get, who sells and installs it, and how you pay for it. These factors also determine how long it lasts, how troublesome or trouble-free it is, and how much it adds to or subtracts from the value of your home at resale time.
2. Shopping for solar is difficult. It's a long-term investment, so considerations like panel degradation, utility-rate increases, inflation, interest rates, tax credits and deductions, and effects on home value play a big role in your ultimate costs and savings.
3. Ordinary ways of shopping don't work for solar. Shopping for solar the way you do for other home improvements, even though recommended by Consumer Reports and most online "experts," do not work for solar! Doing it that way usually results in the wrong size of the wrong brand from the wrong dealer with the wrong financing (loans, leases, or PPAs). This wastes much of your potential savings. You end up stuck with a terrible, one-sided contract to boot.
4. The truth about solar is very hard to come by. You can't rely on solar vendors, online "solar-marketplaces" (including Google's Project Sunroof, for example), or other solar websites for accurate information or advice. They are usually full of errors and out-of-date and misleading information. Most solar salespeople know little about solar and even less about financing. Most installers do poor work.
All 4 of these serious problems fly in the face of conventional wisdom and popular myths about solar. But all the real experts in the field know they are true.
2. Shopping for solar is difficult. It's a long-term investment, so considerations like panel degradation, utility-rate increases, inflation, interest rates, tax credits and deductions, and effects on home value play a big role in your ultimate costs and savings.
3. Ordinary ways of shopping don't work for solar. Shopping for solar the way you do for other home improvements, even though recommended by Consumer Reports and most online "experts," do not work for solar! Doing it that way usually results in the wrong size of the wrong brand from the wrong dealer with the wrong financing (loans, leases, or PPAs). This wastes much of your potential savings. You end up stuck with a terrible, one-sided contract to boot.
4. The truth about solar is very hard to come by. You can't rely on solar vendors, online "solar-marketplaces" (including Google's Project Sunroof, for example), or other solar websites for accurate information or advice. They are usually full of errors and out-of-date and misleading information. Most solar salespeople know little about solar and even less about financing. Most installers do poor work.
All 4 of these serious problems fly in the face of conventional wisdom and popular myths about solar. But all the real experts in the field know they are true.
The Three Articles in This Section of the Website
The three articles in this section of the website are to warn you about the bad shopping advice that is prevalent and get you off on the right foot with good shopping guidance.
The first article, How Not to Shop for Solar, recounts the standard advice you'll find everywhere about solar shopping and explains why it is terrible advice. If you have any doubts about following Solar Consumer Advisor's shopping steps, this article is a good place to start.
The second article, Solar Websites Classified & Reviewed, is the only place you're likely to find an overview of the confusing Internet scene of sites about solar. It organizes the many sites into four categories and names the main sites in each. It warns you about scams, bait-and-switch tactics, inaccurate estimates, incorrect facts, and misleading advice you'll find on most of them. It tells you how they really work, what they're trying to sell you, and the hassles you will experience if you fall for their tricks. If you're going to do any solar research on the web, this article is a must.
The third article, The Right Way to Shop for Solar, is an overview of my four-step shopping process. It outlines the steps, briefly describes the four Buying Guides, and explains the benefits you'll get from going through the process. It makes a good introduction and overview for the whole shopping process.
After you've read these three brief articles, the next step is to try out the Solar Panel Cost & Savings Calculator. This is the only way for SCE customers to get an accurate idea of what solar will cost and save them.
After using the Calculator, the next step is a free download of Solar Buying Guide - Step 1: Whether Solar Makes Sense for You. This gets you off to the best start in your shopping process.
The first article, How Not to Shop for Solar, recounts the standard advice you'll find everywhere about solar shopping and explains why it is terrible advice. If you have any doubts about following Solar Consumer Advisor's shopping steps, this article is a good place to start.
The second article, Solar Websites Classified & Reviewed, is the only place you're likely to find an overview of the confusing Internet scene of sites about solar. It organizes the many sites into four categories and names the main sites in each. It warns you about scams, bait-and-switch tactics, inaccurate estimates, incorrect facts, and misleading advice you'll find on most of them. It tells you how they really work, what they're trying to sell you, and the hassles you will experience if you fall for their tricks. If you're going to do any solar research on the web, this article is a must.
The third article, The Right Way to Shop for Solar, is an overview of my four-step shopping process. It outlines the steps, briefly describes the four Buying Guides, and explains the benefits you'll get from going through the process. It makes a good introduction and overview for the whole shopping process.
After you've read these three brief articles, the next step is to try out the Solar Panel Cost & Savings Calculator. This is the only way for SCE customers to get an accurate idea of what solar will cost and save them.
After using the Calculator, the next step is a free download of Solar Buying Guide - Step 1: Whether Solar Makes Sense for You. This gets you off to the best start in your shopping process.
Another Way to Go: Call or Email Me for Personal Help
As an alternative to using my website to shop on your own, I offer a free service by phone or email to all SCE customers interested in solar, whether just wondering if it makes sense, starting to learn about it, choosing equipment, considering ways of financing, or looking for a reliable dealer-installer.
Reasurrances: I'm not selling anything; no pressure. I don't reveal any contact information unless you specifically ask me to, and even then only to a single dealer.
Reasurrances: I'm not selling anything; no pressure. I don't reveal any contact information unless you specifically ask me to, and even then only to a single dealer.
You can reach me 7 days a week from 9:00am to 5:00pm at
For details about this service and information about me in a video as well as text, please visit the Home Page.
