How Long Does It Take to Install Solar Panels?

Photo voltaic panel purchases and installations have been skyrocketing, reaching report numbers in the previous few years. Within the subsequent 10 years, 3 times as a lot solar energy shall be put in within the US as in all of the years earlier than 2021.

This pattern may counsel shopping for photo voltaic panels for your home is straightforward and straightforward, however it may be a prolonged course of. Potential patrons want to find out their house’s suitability for photo voltaic, vet photo voltaic corporations, examine quotes and signal a contract. (Try our photo voltaic panel shopping for information for the entire particulars.) After doing their due diligence, photo voltaic clients depend on others to deal with the remainder of the method: allowing, set up and ultimate approval.

That is all necessary, as a result of the time it takes to get rooftop photo voltaic working can have an effect on how a lot cash your photo voltaic panels will prevent. The federal tax credit score is ready to say no on the finish of the yr. Internet metering plans are altering across the nation, with deadlines to get in on extra favorable, earlier plans. Understanding the standard timeline for photo voltaic panel installations will be an necessary half in understanding simply how useful photo voltaic panels shall be. Here is what to know. 

Learn extra: Ought to You Put money into Photo voltaic Panels in 2022? It is Difficult

Provide chain points and private analysis

There are a few factors within the course of of shopping for photo voltaic which might be laborious to schedule out.

One variable is that the present provide chain points have not skipped the photo voltaic trade and means 2022 is a extra unsure yr than regular for photo voltaic. Thus far, residential photo voltaic installations have continued to set information, whereas a lot of the delays have affected industrial and utility-scale installations.

One other variable is the time you spend doing your individual analysis and soliciting quotes. As a result of the residential photo voltaic trade is extremely aggressive, salespeople are extremely responsive. This step will take so long as you want. Strain to signal a contract rapidly could possibly be an indication of a scammy firm, so beware.

Photo voltaic corporations could have barely completely different processes, so your expertise may range from the one outlined under. Even so, it will offer you a good suggestion of how the method typically works and the way lengthy it will take.

Photo voltaic website evaluation and system design

Earlier than a photo voltaic firm can set up the panels, they should design a system that matches your roof. This virtually all the time entails a photo voltaic skilled visiting your property for an evaluation. They need to be sure that your roof will not want changing earlier than set up and that it is not too shaded by timber or different buildings. If your home wants a brand new roof or timber have to be trimmed, your timeline goes to get a bit longer.

After assessing your property, your photo voltaic contractor will design your system to suit your roof and your vitality wants. You will settle for the ultimate design and signal a contract. Totally different consultants estimate this stage takes wherever from one to 4 weeks.

Permits and approval

After you log out in your photo voltaic system design, your metropolis or native authority must as effectively. From the time your photo voltaic installer submits the required permits to the time of set up is determined by the allowing course of, which some native governments have chosen to hurry up.

Estimates vary from three to 11 weeks. You will get an concept of how rapidly allowing takes with the clickable map within the Photo voltaic TRACE software from the Nationwide Renewable Power Laboratory, although just for areas with sufficient information to offer estimates.

Set up

Maybe probably the most thrilling a part of the photo voltaic set up course of can also be one of many quickest. Set up — when employees are in your roof attaching panels — takes only some days, even for sophisticated jobs. Count on it to be accomplished in three days or fewer.

Permission to function

After set up, you may’t simply flip a change and begin utilizing electrical energy out of your panels. Your metropolis wants to examine the set up and ensure it is as much as code. The Photo voltaic TRACE software may give you an concept of how lengthy this can absorb a couple of locations, although a few weeks is a good estimate.

The ultimate step is getting approval of the system out of your utility, known as permission to function, or PTO. As a result of the utility has an obligation to offer the electrical energy wanted inside their territory, they should approve tasks that ship vitality to the grid.

Relying on the utility, this will range dramatically, however some estimates say it is going to take three to eight weeks after set up to get permission to function.

In complete, from system design to permission to function, your photo voltaic buying course of could possibly be wherever from two to 6 months, although some set the cap at 4 months.

The timeline is one thing you will wish to focus on along with your installer earlier than signing a contract. Whereas sudden delays pop up, having a common concept of how lengthy every step takes will aid you establish irregular or unreasonable delays all through the method. The faster you get these ultimate permissions, the faster you may begin saving cash.