Believe it or not, MTE can help you go solar
We’re helping members go solar every day. Homeowners and businesses can use MTE’s renewable expertise and programs to generate and claim solar energy. As with any rapidly growing and evolving industry, there is a lot of information about solar and batteries — but not all of the companies creating this information have your best interest in mind. That's why we’ve collected and created a few resources to help you make the best decision for you. If you want to go solar, our experts are here to help you do it in the way that’s best for you.
Thinking about installing a solar installation at your house?
A few things you'll want to do and know before signing a solar contract:
The first thing you’ll want to do is contact your homeowner’s insurance provider. Find out if they cover adding solar to your home and if there will be any additional costs.
Talk with your CPA or tax advisor regarding the solar tax credit. Tax credits are often confused with a solar rebate. There are currently no federal rebates available. Your tax advisor can provide you a better idea of how much a tax credit benefits your situation.
Find out the age and condition of your shingles. You’ll want to avoid putting a new solar system on your roof if it needs to be repaired or replaced. Replacing your roof after installing solar panels requires you to remove them, and this cost is not accounted for most break-even projections.
Research each vendor you think about using. Check the vendor’s reviews on SolarReviews.com, BBB reviews, and Google Reviews. Reviews are often more telling than the companies rating. If you have a question about quality solar contractors, give our in-house solar expert a call to discuss your concerns or get a recommendation.
Get a minimum of three quotes. While the first offer you get may be the best, you’ll want to get a couple of other offers to compare. You should feel confident you’re getting the best deal for you.
Don’t give in to high-pressure sales tactics. A great solar vendor won’t pressure you into deciding on the spot. They know and understand that a decision of this cost takes time and thought.
Find out from your vendor how easy is it to cancel your contract. Make sure you know their requirements. Typically, you will have three days to cancel after you’ve signed the contract. If you are still in your window to cancel and are unsure about it, cancel the contract and contact our solar expert immediately. We’d be happy to look at it with you and discuss the details in it. You can always sign a new contract.
Typically, contractors will ask you to request some data from your utility. A good contractor is going to ask you to get the last 12 months of hourly data. If a contractor asks you to only get your monthly bills for the past 12 months, you should move forward with caution. If you need to get your hourly data, give us a call and ask to talk with Tim Suddoth, MTE's in-house solar expert.
We are a very solar-friendly utility. MTE doesn’t charge our members additional fees as other utilities do. $0 application cost, $0 metered-based exchange costs, $0 additional monthly billing costs. As with all of our services, you’re charged for the energy you use from us and the basic connection cost of installing or changing your meter.
Talk to an expert in solar. Find the right thing for you.
We’ve got solar expertise on staff. Before joining MTE, Tim Suddoth spent over 6 years in the Solar Industry learning the ins and outs of sales, design estimating, permitting, commissioning, and installing solar systems. He holds certifications from NABCEP — the North America Board of Certified Energy Practitioners — the gold standard for solar. If you have any questions, Tim is available to talk to at no charge.
