Green building and sustainability are becoming ever more popular with consumers, not just because of the positive impact on the planet, but also the positive impact on the bank account.
Why Solar?
Marketability – Offering your customers a solar option gives you an edge. With ever-rising energy costs, your homes offer them a source of sustainable clean energy that will save them money for 25 years or more.
Value – PV systems add between $2,680 and $4,310 per kW in value to a home, according to a study from Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory.
Incentives – Both the Renewable Energy Tax Credit and Federal Energy Policy Act have been extended. The Renewable Energy Tax Credit allows home builders to write off 26% of the cost of the system for systems placed in service before 2023. The Federal Energy Policy Act gives home builders a $2,000 tax credit per energy-efficient home built or manufactured before the end of 2021.
Some states also offer Incentives for homebuilders. You can search for your state’s incentives using the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.
Profitability – People are willing to pay a premium for homes with solar panels. These incentives make adding solar to your projects, or offering a solar option to your customers, even more profitable.
Solar Ready Homes
A solar-ready home is new construction built with the future installation of a PV system in mind. This simply means that it’s constructed in a way that optimizes a PV system’s energy production. Ideal conditions for a solar-ready home are as follows:
Roof Slope – 15 to 40 degrees.
Orientation – South Facing with fewer hips and valleys to maximize usable solar space.
Shading – To optimize system efficiency, the fewer obstructions the better.
Materials – The warranty of most PV systems is 25 years, so a roof that is expected to last for 25 years or better is the best choice for a PV system.
Energy Efficiency – Making sure the home’s other building materials add to the overall efficiency of the home will also ensure the PV system maximizes your customers’ savings and pays for itself at a faster rate.
Other Considerations
With electric cars becoming increasingly more popular, consider adding a charging station to your new construction. Here is a resource from the U.S. Department of Energy on Developing Infrastructure for Charging Plug-in Electric Vehicles.
The National Association of Homebuilders has another great resource for homebuilders, Builders Tool Kit for Solar, outlines basic information on PV systems and how it pertains to home builders.
Hirst Solar Consulting can customize systems to your floorplans or simply by system size. This gives custom home builders a way to offer a solar solution to their customers, as well as real estate developers to simply have solar added to their building projects.
Partnering with Hirst Solar Consulting means we take care of design, installation, permitting, and interconnection with the power company’s grid. You get to offer your customers a PV system that gives them immediate savings on their electric bill and a 25-year warranty on their panels. This is smart business. Contact Hirst Solar Consulting today and become part of our partner network.
