One Massachusetts homeowner was deeply perplexed to find that "cutting out the middle man" led to more expensive solar panel installation quotes than going through the reputable solar installer marketplace EnergySage.
The scoop
If you want to save money on your home energy bill, installing solar panels is one of the most reliable ways to do so. EnergySage's free online tools are a quick, easy way to get reliable solar installation estimates from providers near you.
The original poster on the r/solar subreddit had heard something similar. "I started off on the EnergySage platform and quickly got 5 quotes, spoke with a couple vendors, and went out to do more research," they said. "I read here and other places that cutting out the middleman (EnergySage) and doing local research for good quality work from solar customers in my community could put me in touch with other great vendors who can pass some of the customer acquisition savings onto me. I asked around and got in touch with two well-respected and experienced local contractors."
However, they were surprised to find that going directly to local vendors resulted in more expensive quotes. "I was shocked at how much higher they are than almost all the nameless quotes I got from EnergySage!" they said. "4 of the 5 EnergySage quotes I got come out to somewhere between $2.75 - $3.00/W, and both of the 'local guys' quotes are above $3.20/W. Just a sanity check question for all of you: am I missing something?"
How it's helping
That result may have been surprising to this homeowner, but it isn't uncommon. With EnergySage's free tools, the average homeowner can save up to $10,000 on a solar installation through its reputable bid curation service. It also offers a mapping tool that breaks down the average cost of a home solar panel system by state and details the local incentives available. With that information, you can get the best deal in your area. To save even more money and go off-grid so that your home is protected during outages, you can also add a battery backup using the information provided by EnergySage.
What everyone's saying
Commenters confirmed that EnergySage is the way to go. "The last solar company I briefly worked at, most of our sales were $3.20-3.50, but if a customer went through energysage it was $2.80 because it meant they were more price-conscious," said one user.
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If you don't have solar panels on your home, which of these factors is the biggest barrier to installing them? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
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