Solar FAQ

In our experience an average homeowner usually will need about 20 panels (approximately 7kW) to offset their entire annual electricity bill.  The typical cost for this system can range between $16,000 – $28,000 before the tax credit and other local incentives.  After incentives are taken into account, total costs for a typical system fall to a range of about $11,000 – $20,000 give or take.  

People often wonder why there can be so much variance in price from one project to the next.  Well, a number of factors are at play in determining the cost for each individual customer.  Variables to consider include:  

• The pitch and accessibility of your roof
• Roof type
• Your home’s current electrical infrastructure and its location
• The distance we need to travel to get to the site location
• The type of solar panel you choose
• The type of inverter system you choose

Yes!  Believe it or not, solar panels actually work better in moderate to cold weather than in hot weather.  Solar panels only need sunlight to produce energy and moderate to cold weather will not have a negative impact on performance as long as there is sunlight.  It turns out that the temperature that will most impact solar performance is hot temperature.  Specifically, lab tests tell us that solar panels begin to lose their efficiency at about 77 Fahrenheit.  Every solar panel type on the market outlines a metric on it’s specification sheet called temperature coefficient that measures how much efficiency is lost for each degree in temperature the panel measures above 77 degrees.   Luckily, the times when the panels tend to get above 77 degrees tend to also be summer months when the days are longer and the panels receive more than enough extra sunlight to offset any losses due to increases in temperature.  

Yes, almost certainly.  As a general rule, if you can walk on the roof it’s probably going to be a safe bet that we can install solar panels on it.  The panels along with the racking material generally only weigh about 2-4 pounds per square foot.  We will always assess your roof prior to installation to ensure the structure is sound and the roof is in suitable condition for a solar installation.  In addition, your project requires a PE stamp from a 3rd party structural engineer in order to get a permit approved.   

It’s possible, but we’ve yet to see it happen.  Solar panels are typically tested and certified to withstand hail that is at least one inch in diameter and traveling at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.  Those lab tests are assuring, but even more assuring are examples we’ve seen in the real world.  

One such real world test of panel resiliency occurred on May 8th, 2017 in Denver, Colorado.  On that day, Denver incurred the costliest hailstorm in the history of Colorado.  The storm featured baseball sized hailstones that shattered windows and windshields, tore through siding and caused an estimated $2.3 billion in insurance claims.  NREL’s lab in Golden, home to over 3,000 solar panels, reported hail in the area of up to 2.75 inches in diameter.  In the face of this hailstorm of epic proportions, only 1 solar panel out of over 3,000 solar panels incurred any damage.  

Colorado is part of “hail alley” and is known for having some of the worst hailstorms in the country.  Therefore, it’s probably safe to say that Region Solar territory will likely never see a hailstorm any worse than this Denver catastrophe.  However, in the event that we do, we recommend that you have your solar panel system covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy.  Adding the system to your homeowner’s policy will oftentimes not increase your annual insurance premium.  If it does, the added cost is usually only between $0 – $200 per year depending on your provider.  We think this added cost (if any) is well worth the peace of mind.