17 Best Solar Companies in Chico, CA (Oct 2022 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Chico

The cost of installing solar panels has decreased greatly over the past several years, but it's still a substantial investment for most homeowners. The installation cost is just one important factor you should keep in mind when looking into installing solar panels. How much it'll cost and how much you can save depend on things including:

• Average daily sunlight: Since Chico gets lots of sunlight, your solar panel system will most likely be able to generate enough energy to power your whole home, which affects how much you can save on your energy bills.
• Your income and budget: This determines what kind of solar panels you can buy.
• Incentives: Those who install a solar energy system this year can save 30% of their solar installation costs by taking advantage of the federal solar investment tax credit. You can also save about $32,000 on your energy bills over 20 years excluding incentives.
• Energy consumption: Installing solar panels may be an expensive investment for families that don't consume too much energy each month.

Because of the cost of solar panels being lower than before as well as various solar incentives, they are a solid investment for most homeowners.

Solar Incentives in Chico

In an effort to increase the adoption of solar power, federal and local governments — and even some utility companies — offer incentives to help make solar more affordable and accessible. Regardless of where you live, you can take advantage of the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which will allow you to claim 30% of how much your solar project cost when you file taxes, reducing the amount of taxes you owe that year. In addition, there may be some state and city incentives that can save you some extra money too. The table below tells you about the incentives you can take advantage of in Chico.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Chico

There are lots of reasons to trade traditional energy for solar power, like saving on electricity bills and helping to lower your carbon footprint. But you may be curious — how much exactly can you help the planet by making the switch to solar? No matter where you are, you can help save the environment by switching to solar energy, but homes that use lots of energy will have a bigger impact. In fact, if you install solar panels, you could look forward to lowering your carbon dioxide emissions by about 50 pounds each year. For homeowners who care about the environment, the upfront cost of solar is a small price to pay for reducing your carbon footprint.