Best Solar Panel Installation Companies in Puerto Rico

Living in Puerto Rico comes with the frequent problem of energy outages, rolling blackouts and surges, which might add appreciable stress to every day life. Making issues worse, utility prices on the island common almost 3 times increased than on the U.S. mainland. Fortunately, photo voltaic panels provide a extra reasonably priced various, offering residents with better vitality independence.

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Seven years after hurricanes Maria and Irma devastated Puerto Rico’s energy infrastructure, the island has made important strides in adopting photo voltaic vitality. Now, Puerto Rico ranks seventh amongst U.S. states and territories in per capita rooftop photo voltaic installations, with a long-term purpose of assembly 100% of its vitality wants by way of renewables by 2050.

Puerto Rico’s web metering insurance policies assist cut back photo voltaic bills by permitting households to earn credit for sending extra vitality to the grid, which they’ll later use to attract energy from the grid for free of charge when their panels aren’t producing sufficient.

If these advantages have you ever occupied with putting in photo voltaic panels in Puerto Rico, listed here are a number of the finest photo voltaic firms that function on the island.  

Best nationwide photo voltaic panel firms in Puerto Rico

Freedom Forever

Best for money clients

Include Freedom Forever in your search if you need the backing of a nationwide firm that installs all kinds of the most well-liked photo voltaic gear accessible. Freedom Forever additionally extends a few merchandise that take a number of the ache and danger out of going photo voltaic, like a manufacturing assure and an escrow choice with money purchases. Online critiques say buyer satisfaction has been low of late, although the corporate says that is altering.

We even have critiques for Sunnova and Sunrun, that are each nationwide photo voltaic panel set up firms that function inside Puerto Rico.

Local photo voltaic installers in Puerto Rico

How to find out which photo voltaic firm in Puerto Rico is finest for me?

There are many photo voltaic firms in Puerto Rico, so discovering the appropriate one can really feel overwhelming. We’ve put collectively some steering on learn how to discover the most effective firm on your scenario.

First contact a number of firms that set up photo voltaic panels in Puerto Rico. You can begin with those on our checklist or get suggestions from individuals you recognize. Reading by way of some on-line critiques from a number of third-party sources might help you get a greater understanding of a photo voltaic firm’s popularity. These firms ought to have not less than a number of dozen critiques with a comparatively excessive customer-satisfaction rating. 

Once you’ve got an inventory of some respectable suppliers, name not less than three of them for a quote. Ask not less than the next questions:

• Do you’ve got expertise working with the kind of roof I’ve and the kind of system I’m putting in?
• Are you licensed by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, or NABCEP?
• Are you licensed to work in Puerto Rico?
• What’s a practical deadline for my mission?
• What type of financing choices do you provide?

When you converse with a consultant or salesperson, they need to clearly clarify the mission and tackle any questions you’ve got. They also needs to have data of the native allow necessities, the method of connecting with the native utility firm, HOA guidelines, and tax credit and incentives.

Cost of photo voltaic panels in Puerto Rico

“The prices for almost every thing in Puerto Rico are increased, together with electrical energy, as a result of the supplies or items are all imported,” stated Lauren Rosenblatt, the co-founder and CEO of photo voltaic nonprofit Barrio Eléctrico. 

That’s one purpose island residents are changing to solar energy, which is cheaper and extra dependable than fossil fuels. Solar panels are additionally able to withstanding pure disasters, which have been concentrating on Puerto Rico with extra regularity in recent times.

“There is an unbelievable demand for photo voltaic and vitality storage — a lot increased now than it was earlier than Hurricane Maria in 2017, which make clear the vulnerability of {the electrical} grid,” Rosenblatt stated.

The value of photo voltaic panels will depend on components like the scale of the photo voltaic panel system, the place the panels are put in, the gear that is getting used, and labor prices in your space.

We usually use state information on photo voltaic panel prices from DiscoverEnergy.com, however figures particular to Puerto Rico had been unavailable. Instead, we have added data concerning nationwide common prices for typical photo voltaic panel techniques to the chart beneath to present you an thought of what prices may seem like in your space.

The following map incorporates the info for the typical whole money worth, value per watt and system measurement for a photo voltaic panel system in your state, based on information from DiscoverEnergy.com. These costs do not think about tax credit or state incentives. Certain states have no DiscoverEnergy photo voltaic information and are grayed out on the map. While Puerto Rico is not displayed right here, state information might help offer you an thought of what photo voltaic prices may seem like in your space.

Puerto Rico photo voltaic panel incentives and rebates

Residents of Puerto Rico who wish to set up photo voltaic panels could profit from a number of incentive packages. 

The federal photo voltaic tax credit score permits you to declare 30% of the whole value of your photo voltaic panel system in your federal earnings taxes. This applies to photo voltaic techniques bought from the start of 2022 by way of 2032. However, only a few Puerto Rico residents can declare this tax break. “The profit is a credit score towards a federal tax invoice, and most Puerto Rican residents don’t pay federal taxes,” Rosenblatt stated.

But residents could profit from web metering, which permits them to promote their extra photo voltaic vitality to the ability grid. 

Additionally, the prices of photo voltaic gear and set up are exempt from gross sales tax. And whereas photo voltaic panels can improve the worth of your property — and due to this fact improve your property tax invoice — all eligible renewable vitality gear is exempt from property taxes in Puerto Rico. 

How solar-friendly is your state?

CNET just lately ranked states primarily based on their residential photo voltaic insurance policies: the legal guidelines and rules affecting consumer-level photo voltaic panel set up and adoption. These insurance policies play a serious position in figuring out how accessible and reasonably priced a photo voltaic panel system is to the typical resident. 

Each state was evaluated by way of a strategy and scored primarily based on eight classes. The last rating was transformed to a letter grade. 

Here’s how your state scored on CNET’s photo voltaic coverage take a look at.

Puerto Rico

Grade: D

Incentives accessible:

• Territory-governed web metering at fraction of retail charge
• Solar panel techniques totally exempt from property taxes
• Solar panel techniques totally exempt from gross sales tax
• Territory-wide low-income packages

Strongest scoring classes:

Solar panel techniques and all of their related gear are totally exempt from each property and gross sales taxes in Puerto Rico. Additionally, the territory’s Solar Access Program gives 30,000 households with photo voltaic panels at no upfront value.

Categories to enhance:

There’s no photo voltaic tax credit score in Puerto Rico, and web metering is not provided on the full retail charge.

How to pay for photo voltaic panels in Puerto Rico 

Buying and putting in photo voltaic panels in Puerto Rico can value $10,000 or extra, however you’ve got a number of cost choices to contemplate. Each cost technique comes with advantages and disadvantages. 

While the upfront prices may be excessive, “the gas for photo voltaic vitality is perpetually free,” Rosenblatt stated. This provides you management over the quantity and price of the vitality you employ.

Here are some cost choices to cowl these preliminary prices:

• Cash: You’ll save on curiosity prices, however you may have to foot the whole invoice upfront. 
• Solar loans: The photo voltaic firm could provide one of these financing, the place you purchase the photo voltaic system and make installment funds over time with curiosity. 
• Solar lease: You pay a month-to-month price to lease the photo voltaic panels. But you is probably not eligible for sure incentives. Since the federal tax credit score goes to the proprietor of the system, you will not obtain it.
• Power buy settlement: The firm installs the panels in your property and sells you the electrical energy at a lowered charge. There are few or no upfront prices or upkeep, however you won’t qualify for tax incentives.
• Local monetary help: Some nonprofits in Puerto Rico assist make photo voltaic companies extra accessible to low- and moderate-income households. For occasion, Barrio Eléctrico installs photo voltaic gear at your property and costs you for the photo voltaic vitality you employ at a lowered charge.

Installation components to remember

When you are occupied with putting in a photo voltaic system to energy your property, there are numerous components to contemplate. Take time to research the next components.

Insurance: Once the photo voltaic panels are put in, you may want to inform your owners insurance coverage company and replace your insurance coverage coverage. “This usually entails a rider and a slight improve within the annual premium,” Rosenblatt stated.

Homeowners affiliation: Check your HOA or different neighborhood affiliation guidelines concerning photo voltaic panels. “Some, however not all, states have photo voltaic entry legal guidelines that prohibit native governments or HOAs from prohibiting a photo voltaic set up,” Rosenblatt stated.

Maintenance: Solar panel upkeep is minimal, however it nonetheless includes cleansing and checking the panels. You can do that your self or outsource the duty. Meanwhile, “inverters and battery backup techniques usually include a service plan [and a warranty],” Rosenblatt stated.

Replacement: Solar panels usually have a lifespan of over 20 years, however inverters and batteries may have substitute between the tenth and fifteenth 12 months.

Location: Solar panels are best once they’re put in below direct daylight. And batteries usually carry out finest in an enclosed area, like a storage, in excessive warmth — which Puerto Rico typically receives.

Rent or personal: Homeowners should not have issues putting in photo voltaic panels on single-family homes. But renters could also be prohibited from making modifications to the property with out the owner’s permission. 

Roof situation: “The roof needs to be in good situation earlier than set up,” Rosenblatt stated. “It shouldn’t be simple to uninstall a photo voltaic system to repair a foul roof.” The photo voltaic panel installer ought to examine the roof beforehand and offer you a report.

How we discovered the most effective photo voltaic firms in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico solar energy FAQs