One of the best ways to save energy within your home or office is to use solar power. Though buying solar is a worthwhile investment, you should not get carried away by the marketing hype.

To make sure that the product will satisfy your energy needs, it is important to do some objective research, such as looking at product performance and company and customer service record before deciding to buy.

Below are some tips that will help you make your buying decision: 

  1. Get Recommendations from a Reliable Source

Talk to people who are currently using solar power to get a feel of what their experience is like. Your source of information should be a reliable person who is able to give you the exact information you are looking for.

Sift the hard facts from the fluff. Statements like, “it’s awesome and you must try it”, don’t tell you much.

On the other hand, a statement like the following is an objective statement that tells you exactly what your benefits will be, “I spent $5,000 on my home solar system to power my entire home and heat water. As a result, I’m saving $50 on utility bills”.

  1. Financing

You should do a post mortem of your finances to determine whether you will buy your solar power system in cash or whether you will get your bank to finance your purchase.

The advantage of a cash purchase is that:

You will own your system as soon as you pay for it.

You will not pay any interest.

Any amount that you used to pay to the utility company will go directly to a savings account.

A loan will allow you to own the solar system on manageable monthly payments. The downside of a loan is that:

Since the loan will have interest, you will end up paying more for the item in the long term.

In case you get into financial difficulties, the solar provider might repossess the solar equipment.

  1. Customer Service

Customer service is a very important factor to consider when dealing with any company. Equipment is known to fail and as a result, you need able technicians on hand to attend to any unforeseen problems.

When deciding on the solar power equipment provider to use, settle for one who has a complaints department that operates twenty-four hours a day, every day of the week.

  1. The Warranty

Look for equipment that comes with a long-term warranty. Solar panels and power systems are a costly investment. You, therefore, don’t want to buy equipment only to have it malfunction within a couple of years.

A product warranty will assure you that in case the product malfunctions within the warranty period, the manufacturer will shoulder the cost of replacement.

  1. The Manufacturer’s Reputation

Only buy from a manufacturer with a good reputation. Some companies invest a lot of money in research and development and also review their processing methods to create products that are more efficient. Such companies undoubtedly have the solar equipment that is top of the range in the market.