ENERGY STORAGE
Premium energy storage for your home
“I can’t recommend SolarTech highly enough! They did a fantastic job on the install and their customer service is second to none.”
Ryan G. – Satisfied Customer
BATTERY STORAGE
Residential battery storage for reliable energy
Ensure your home remains powered during outages and gain independence from the grid with our advanced energy storage solutions. Our top-tier residential battery systems are tailored to fit your unique requirements, providing you with continuous power and true energy security. Enjoy the comfort of uninterrupted energy and the peace of mind that comes with it.
WHOLE HOME ENERGY
Premium home battery storage solutions
Experience uninterrupted power around the clock with our comprehensive home energy systems, designed to keep you running even during outages. As Certified Installers for the leading home battery brands, we stand out in the solar industry by deploying more home batteries than our competitors. We manage the entire process for you, from obtaining city permits to conducting inspections.
Combine solar and battery storage for total energy security
Reliable emergency backup
Ensure your home remains powered even during outages with our combined solar and battery storage system. Our solution provides a dependable backup power source, keeping your essential appliances and devices running when you need them most.
Achieve net zero energy usage
By integrating solar panels with battery storage, you can generate and store your own renewable energy, reducing your reliance on the grid. This approach allows you to achieve net zero energy usage, minimizing your environmental footprint while maximizing savings on your energy bills.
Optimize energy use during peak hours
Take control of your energy consumption by using stored solar power during peak hours when electricity rates are highest. Our combined solar and battery storage solution allows you to access your stored energy at night or during high-demand periods, ensuring cost efficiency and consistent energy availability.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Contact SolarTech Support
Phone
(619) 743 9193
Installing solar is a fantastic way to save money on utility bills. Homeowners in California and Arizona typically see savings of about 50% on electricity bills averaging $300/month. While also adding value to the home when it comes time to sell. Besides being a smart financial decision, having a residential solar system allows you to become partially independent from the grid, meaning you won’t have to worry about blackouts or increasing energy prices.
There are several Federal and State incentives that make acquiring a residential solar system easier than ever, such as the Federal Solar Tax Credit.
Solar photovoltaics (PV) is the process of converting sunlight into electricity. When sunlight hits the solar panels, it energizes charged particles that pass from one layer of the solar cells to another. For most residential solar PV systems, this is done using silicon cells.
The energy produced via solar PV is direct current (DC), which is then converted to an alternating current (AC) — which powers our homes — by the solar inverter. That energy is then fed into the main electrical panel to be consumed by your home — consumed by appliances, lights, etc. — or sent to the electric company through the grid for Net Metering credits.
Net Energy Metering is an arrangement with the utility company that compensates a homeowner for producing more energy than they utilize. Instead of disconnecting from the utility grid (which would require significant on-site energy storage capabilities), most homeowners opt to remain as a customer of the utility, then install enough solar panels to offset all or most of the electricity they consume.
About half of the energy your solar panel system produces is consumed immediately by the home, but the rest is sent to the utility company to generate credit at rates close to, or equal to, retail rates for electricity. These credits are then used later at night when the solar panels aren’t producing electricity.
You can learn more about the current Net Metering and how it affects solar homeowners here.
The most common question asked about solar financing is whether to buy or lease a solar energy system. The answer depends on your financial situation, plans for the future in the home, and desired savings. Most California homeowners are choosing to own their solar panel systems with a cash purchase or one of several zero-down loan options. Choosing to own the system allows you to take advantage of the Federal Tax Credit and provides the opportunity to continue saving long after the loan has been paid off.
Leasing a solar energy system for your home will save you money on your monthly utility costs as well. While the savings are usually a little less attractive than owning solar panels, you’ll still save significantly over the traditional costs of electricity from the utility. Leasing carries several other advantages, including worry-free system performance for the length of the contract. That means any equipment maintenance or replacement, even after the product warranty expires, is the responsibility of the leasing companies.
Lease terms tend to be 20-25 years and often come with a production guarantee. For homeowners who cannot absorb the Federal Tax Credit, leases are an attractive option. A solar lease allows the third-party owner (TPO) to absorb the solar tax credit, then pass some of the savings on to the homeowner.
In the past few years, more and more solar financing options are becoming available. These options for financing a residential solar energy system help homeowners capture the value of installing solar panels. Acquiring a home equity line of credit has always been an option, but now many banks and credit unions are offering special unsecured solar loans to finance your home solar installation with no out-of-pocket costs.
These are great options that carry competitive interest rates as low as 1.99%. Financing options still allow you to take the Federal Solar Tax Credit — PACE programs, such as HERO and YGRENE, are also available to fund your residential solar installation and other energy-efficient home improvements through your property taxes.
PACE stands for “Property-Assessed Clean Energy,” and is a financing method that includes the HERO Program, YGRENE, and California First. These programs utilize the property taxes associated with your home to finance improvements, such as installing a residential solar energy system. Typically, these programs offer zero-down financing for 5, 10, 20, or 25-year terms.
By attaching the loan to the property instead of the individual, these programs have lower qualification standards and don’t include credit scores as a deciding factor. Though interest rates tend to be higher than other loan options, they also carry some added tax-deductible benefits (consult your tax professional for more information).
There are as many manufacturers of solar equipment as there are solar installers in San Diego County — over 400! There are several factors that can make the decision easier when choosing solar panels for your home; pricing, wattage, product warranty, and company stability. Ultimately, installing a solar energy system in your home is about saving money on your electricity costs. Even though choosing a less expensive panel may seem like the obvious answer, you should look at the warranty provided by the manufacturer.
Most solar panel warranties include a 25-year performance guarantee in their product warranty, with degradation of less than 1% per year. Performance of all solar panels gradually declines over time, to about 80% performance after 25 years. When considering the product warranty, company stability, and history becomes another piece in the equation. You’ll want to be confident that the company will be around to honor the warranty in the future.
Industry leaders that produce the best-performing products and hold significant market share, such as SunPower, are a great example of a healthy company.
At SolarTech, we offer several solar panel options to achieve your solar goal, whether it’s getting the most cost savings or owning a best-in-class renewable energy system.
Central inverters are the workhorse of the industry, with the longest history in operation. Central inverters are most often used for commercial/utility applications. System costs tend to be lower, however, there are some limitations. All solar panels on a central inverter or string system will operate to the lowest common denominator of production. Meaning that if one panel experiences shade from a tree or chimney, the whole system’s production will decrease to the level of performance of the least productive panel.
Optimized central inverters are string systems with panel-level performance optimizers. This allows each solar panel to produce electricity independent of typical string system limitations.
Micro inverters, the most common choice for residential solar energy installs, convert the electricity from DC to AC at the source, allowing each solar panel to achieve the best individual performance possible. Micro inverters are especially effective for multiple-array systems, such as those with panel systems facing East and West.
Under the current Net Energy Metering agreement: Yes.
As the cost of credits provided by the grid under the new NEM 3.0 was greatly reduced, the smartest decision for solar homeowners is to store their excess energy, and use it during peak hours, thus saving more money at the end of the month in their utility bill.
A variety of new energy storage unit models are being produced today, each with its features and efficiency. SolarTech designs every system to be storage-ready and provides the best options in the market that will fit your energy goals and budget.
Learn more about what energy storage units we recommend here.
SolarTech