Solar Panels More Common on New Homes

solar-new-construction-california-ameco-solar — Many new home builders are now partnering with solar companies. In this case, our crew has installed mounts for solar panels before the roof is done.

The most recent numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that new housing construction is rising as the economy recovers from the recession and existing housing stock fills up. As the housing market picks up and more single family and multi-family residences are built, Americans may notice that many of the new units will come with solar panels on the roof.

SunPower Survey Reveals High Interest in Solar

SunPower — a manufacturer known for its highly efficient solar panels offered for installation by AMECO — conducted a survey and found that six of the ten biggest home builders in the country, are including solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on newly constructed houses. Because of rising demand for clean energy technology and favorable public policies, solar power is becoming more of a priority for these firms and their customer base.

There are a number of reasons for this trend. First and foremost is the fact that Net Energy Metering and government rebates and incentives have made solar an extremely popular investment that guarantees a positive return on investment. Another is that it tends to be less expensive to install solar panels at the time of construction, rather than after the home is already built. Lastly, it’s easy to fund the solar project by embedding the cost into a mortgage.

California Leads in Solar for New Constructions

The inclusion of solar panels on new homes is largely a California phenomenon, according to Megan McGrath, a real estate analyst with MKM Partners LLC who was interviewed by Bloomberg News.

This is due to our state’s more solar-friendly regulatory environment and favorable outlook towards renewable energy. A few cities, including Lancaster, California, have even begun requiring that all new homes within the town limits be built with solar panels already installed.

Having solar panels installed on your home at the time of construction is a great way to take advantage of the numerous benefits of solar power. You’ll be able to claim the various local, state and federal incentive programs that make California solar energy such a great investment, while saving money on installation costs if you decide to purchase the panels.