Decoding the sales pitch: The term ‘free solar panels’ is sometimes used to advertise solar lease or solar power purchase agreements (PPAs). Under both types of arrangements, a company will put solar panels on your roof for no money up-front but will charge you for the electricity that they produce. We have partnered with the number one training institute: Wavetra Energy Academy and other carefully screened and selected international solar installers to bring to you a online yet detailed step by step training on solar panel installation. This is a free online solar training. We have programs that help convert older heating sources to cleaner technologies, produce advanced biofuels, install solar panels, build biorefineries, and much more. USDA Rural Development is at the forefront of renewable energy financing, with options including grants, guaranteed loans and payments.
Getting Government Tax Credits. Federal government incentives are given in the form of tax credits. The current program in the United States will give you a 30% credit for 2019 and 26% for 2020 of the installation cost of your solar power system. Samil Power Supply is a completely free solar design software for Windows. Through this software, you can select right components for your system which further help you to make the complete solar design. The first component that you can configure with software is Module (Solar panels). In Module section, first, you need to provide some details.
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If you’ve been shopping around for a solar panel system, you’ve probably heard at least one company advertise ‘free solar panels’ – that they will install a solar energy system on your roof for free. But, much as with anything, remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch (or a free solar panel).
What do companies mean when they say free solar panels?
Decoding the sales pitch: The term ‘free solar panels’ is sometimes used to advertise solar lease or solar power purchase agreements (PPAs). Under both types of arrangements, a company will put solar panels on your roof for no money up-front but will charge you for the electricity that they produce. Most offers will save you money but not all of them, so make sure you’ve thoroughly compared all your options. Also consider buying the solar panels or financing them with a zero-down solar loan.
So what do a company’s marketers and salespeople mean when they say ‘free solar panels’? Usually, they are referring to solar leases and power purchase agreements (PPA’s). Under these solar financing arrangements, a solar company will put a solar system on your roof at no up-front cost to you. This sounds great – you get to say that your home is powered by clean energy, and can even point to the solar panels on your roof to prove it.
But the reality is that you do not technically own the system, and the solar energy the panels produce is not free. Under solar lease agreements, ownership is retained by the solar company, and you pay for the electricity it produces. In essence, the company has built a small power plant on your roof and is selling you the electricity.
Will free solar panels save you money?
You may have various reasons for going solar. If you’re like most people, saving money, eliminating your utility bills and/or reducing your carbon footprint are probably at the top. The environmental benefits of going solar are more or less the same regardless of who installs your system, so it’s key to focus on the financial benefits.
Regardless of its ‘do-good’ image, the solar industry is an industry like any other: the companies offering products are looking to turn a profit. Providers of solar leases make their money by selling you electricity, usually at a lower rate than what you pay your utility.
Although companies like SolarCity once dominated the market for solar leases, countless other players have since entered the space and begun competing with each other. Some solar leases will save you more money than others. You as a solar shopper can now take your pick of company based on the attractiveness of their offering. So even if financial gain is secondary to environmental considerations for you, you should still shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Interested in learning about your local solar options? By shopping on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace you can compare not only solar lease options, but also purchase and solar loan options. Sign up today to get quotes from solar installers in your area.
Looking for free solar panels? Try financing your system with a solar loan instead
The revolutionary thing about solar leases was that they made it possible for virtually anyone with a roof to go solar, regardless of whether they had cash in the bank to purchase a system. Solar leases were crucial in removing barriers to entry back when solar system prices were prohibitively high.
But times have changed substantially since solar leases were introduced. Solar systems are now more affordable than ever, and that financing options other than solar leases have become viable. The most important of these is the solar loan, which combines the ‘zero-down’ aspect of the solar lease with the benefits of system ownership (‘the best of both worlds‘).
The falling cost of solar
So before you sign up for the first ‘free solar panel’ deal that comes your way, make sure you understand what you’re being offered and that you’ve considered all of your other options. In other words, be a smart solar shopper.
cost/savings content
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) supports funding opportunities on photovoltaics, concentrating solar-thermal power, systems integration, technology to market, and soft costs projects. Following an open, competitive solicitation process, these funding opportunities encourage collaborative partnerships among industry, universities, national laboratories, federal, state, and local governments and non-government agencies and advocacy groups. Solicitations may include financial or technical assistance. Learn more about how to apply for a funding opportunity.
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Funding Opportunity Announcement: FY 2021 Photovoltaics and Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power Funding Program– Full applications due on June 24, 2021, 5:00 p.m. ET
Funding Opportunity Announcement: SolSmart Program Management – Full applications due on August 17, 2021, 5:00 p.m. ET
Closed Funding Opportunities - Applications in Review
Other Funding Opportunities
Solar Panels Installed Free
American-Made Challenges: Perovskite Startup Prize – Countdown contest applications due on June 30, 2021, 4:00 p.m. ET
American-Made Solar Prize Round 5 – Informational webinar on July 13, 2021, 3:00 p.m. ET
American-Made Challenges: Solar Desalination Prize Round 2 – Innovation ideas due on July 15, 2021
Cadmium Telluride Photovoltaics Accelerator Consortium Solicitation – Applications due by July 19, 2021, 6:00 p.m. ET
American-Made Solar Prize Round 4 – Go! winners determined at a Demo Day in September 2021
American-Made Solar Prize Round 5 – Apply by October 5, 2021
Programs That Install Solar Panels For Free
Learn more about related funding opportunities within the Department of Energy and energy-related financial assistance programs in other government agencies.
Free Solar Panel Program Maryland
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