Solar power technology has finally caught up with the promise. For decades, solar has been promoted as the future of renewable energy, but it had a lot of shortcomings that needed to be addressed before it could be adopted by the masses.

It finally has fulfilled its potential and many homeowners are jumping on board the solar wagon. However, that doesn’t mean that it is as straightforward as setting up a traditional electrical system in your home. 

To keep you from making a misstep when getting your solar power system set up, we’ve put together this list of common mistakes people make.

1 – Not understanding grid vs off grid

When you get solar, you aren’t off grid. Unless, of course, you are actually going off grid somewhere. If you will still be living in your home in a city or suburb, then you are still going to be connected to the grid. It’s actually the law in most places that you stay connected. 

There’s nothing stopping you from buying a house in the woods and setting up solar panels and battery packs and not relying on civilization at all. For the sake of this article, we will focus on when you are living in a connected house and simply want to go with renewable energy. 

You’ll actually get a better return for your investment when you go with a grid based solar system as you will be paid when you put more energy into the grid than you take out. Batteries are expensive and can make it take a long time to pay for themselves through the savings.

2 – Not understanding your energy needs

When you are in the planning stages of installing solar, finding the best electrician that understands your needs and solar power in general is essential. 

The solar panel company that you are in contact with likely has a salesman that is working with you and is eyeing his commissions while he talks you into a system. An electrician will let you know exactly what you need for the type of household you have. This way you don’t end up with too weak a system and end up relying on the grid, or too much so you overpay for a system that is more than what you need.

3 – Not shopping around for solar power options

A lot of times, when somebody decides to go solar they end up with the first company that they talk to. It isn’t like your regular energy company in that you don’t have much choice. 

So, make sure to talk to several companies to zero in on the right deal and the one that will be with you throughout your time with their panels. Customer service is very important when it comes to installing solar. If you struggle to get answers then it is time to move on. 
And be careful when it comes to being sent off to third party suppliers. Some people can save money when this is an option, but many more end up paying more and you can’t use net metering which is when you are paid for generating excess electricity for the grid.