Before You Go Solar: Why Home Efficiency Matters
At SolReliable, we get a lot of homeowners in the Greater Los Angeles area asking us about the best ways to move toward a more energy-efficient home environment. While installing solar panels can be a very effective way to increase home comfort and efficiency, it's not the end-all, be-all of home performance—it's more like the icing on the cake. Before going solar, it's essential to first address any efficiency issues that may currently be plaguing your home, as this is the only way to ensure that you'll be getting the most out of your new solar technology.
Not sure where to start? You're not alone. Here's a quick primer on how to best prepare for a solar install, no matter how old or new your home may be.
Preventing Energy from Escaping
It doesn't matter how you're producing energy for your home—if it has the chance to escape, it's going to. This is true of solar energy as well, as tiny cracks and gaps in the home can allow conditioned indoor air to leave the home, not to mention enhance the infiltration of dirty, outside air. More often than not, this is an issue of poor insulation or leaky windows, both of which affect the transfer of air between the interior and exterior of the home. Beefing up insulation and upgrading your windows can fix this problem entirely in many cases, especially if you live in an older home that hasn't been serviced in some time.
Reducing Net Energy Offset
The goal of any solar install is to help homeowners move away from the grid and embrace true energy independence, which is easier said than done when your home is riddled with tiny cracks and gaps or lacks the insulation it needs to keep conditioned air from escaping. By addressing home performance issues ahead of time, you can reduce the amount of energy that your solar system needs to work against in order to create a "net zero" environment. If your goal is to reduce costs and enhance home comfort by installing solar panels, you'll be doing yourself a huge favor by fixing existing home performance problems first.
SolReliable Can Help
At SolReliable, we like to think that we're different from other solar contractors in the area. Our team is well-versed in the finer points of home energy efficiency, and we can ensure that your home is more than ready for a solar install before it becomes time to get the job off the ground. We'll guide you through the process, explaining exactly what we think you can do to make your home more "solar-ready" and taking your budget into consideration throughout.
