Is Solar Right for You?

Not all solar panels are created equally. In fact, there’s a huge range in efficiency, reliability, and performance. SunPower® has been leading the solar revolution. They design, manufacture and deliver new solar technologies, changing the way the world is powered.

There are a few key factors you should take into account when deciding if solar makes sense for you: your electricity costs, local solar incentives, climate and the size and position of your roof. SunPower has prepared a short list of questions to help you evaluate your decision:

How much do you currently pay for electricity?

The more you spend on electricity each month, the quicker your solar investment will pay off. Generally, homeowners who pay $50 or more each month on electricity find that solar makes financial sense for them.

What incentives for solar are available?

The Investment Tax Credit enables homeowners across the U.S. to reduce their solar costs by 30%. By combining Federal, state, and local solar incentives, it is possible to cut the cost of your installation in half. The best way to learn more about solar incentives is through your local SunPower dealer.

Do you live in a climate suitable for solar energy?

While clear, sunny skies are ideal, you can still generate substantial amounts of solar power on overcast days. If you live in a part of the Bay Area with a lot of cloud or fog, ask your installer to recommend solar panels that produce the most solar energy in a range of conditions.

Solar systems are often described in terms of the amount of power they are capable of producing in a given instant (measured in watts or kilowatts). The most important factor to take into account when comparing residential solar systems, however, is the amount of actual electricity the system is expected to generate during its lifetime (measured in kilowatt-hours). When compared to other brands, SunPower high efficiency solar panels produce the most electricity in a wide range of conditions over the lifetime of the solar system.

What size and orientation is your roof?

The layout, orientation, and size of your roof help determine the best solar technology to install. South- and west-facing roofs are ideal. Regardless of your roof orientation, higher efficiency panels will require less roof space.

SunPower solar panels use more sun than conventional solar panels, which means we generate more electricity per panel, and we use less roof space to produce the energy you need. With SunPower, you can enjoy the greatest savings on your utility bill over the lifetime of your solar energy system.

Will a solar installation affect the aesthetics of your home?

Solar innovation has come a long way to ensure that your system does not detract from the design and architecture of your home. If aesthetics are important to you, ask your installer to recommend a product that will blend harmoniously with your roof, such as SunPower signature™ black solar panels and the low-profile SunPower Smart Mount mounting system.

Form meets function. SunPower Signature black solar panels are designed to generate the greatest amount of solar electricity per solar cell in an elegant panel format. With our SunPowerMaxeon™ solar cell technology, they eliminated metal gridlines, put wide and thick metal contacts on the back of the solar cell, out of sight, and placed the solar cells onto a black panel background. So not only does SunPower Signature black solar panels capture more sunlight, their elegant engineering creates a streamlined design that blends harmoniously into the roof of your home. This refined design allows our residential solar systems to integrate with a wide range of environments and architectural styles.

SunPower offers a complete solar energy solution, from highest-efficiency solar panels and inverters to mounting system and energy monitoring. For more information, contact your local SunPower Dealer linked below:

For the East Bay Market:

Sky Power Systems - 888-417-6527

For the South Bay Market:

Colbalt Power Systems - 650-938-9574