Installing solar panels translates to many advantages: Tax breaks, lower energy costs, being environmentally friendly, and increased home value, to name a few. If all of these benefits made you take the plunge, you’re not alone: Since 2008, installations of solar panels in the United States have increased by a factor of 17, and today power more than five million homes.

After you install solar panels, you’ll need to perform regular maintenance, to help ensure they work as efficiently as possible. Here’s how.

How to Maintain Solar Panels On Your Roof

1. Wash Them.

Since solar panels lay flat, they won’t experience too much wear and tear. However, since they are outdoors, they are prone to dirt buildup (in addition to pollen and bird droppings). Although they’re still functional while dirty, too much surface dirt will interfere with their capacity to convert sunlight into energy.

To wash them, get up on your roof on an overcast or chilly day. If those two options are not feasible, do so as early in the morning, as possible, before it gets too hot. You only need to clean the top portion, and you can do so either by hosing them down, or wiping them with soap and water. Using a wiper or a small brush is more practical and efficient than using paper towels. It’s only necessary to do this twice a year. If you live in a particularly rainy area, you won’t have to worry as much about hosing them down.

2. Monitor Performance.

You can do this by installing a solar monitoring system. Once set up, you can track the panels’ energy usage through your computer, tablet, or phone. You’ll be able to see exactly how many kilowatts of electricity the panels are producing, as well as how much money you’re saving each month from your power bill. If you see that performance is going down, you’ll know that there’s an issue and that it’s time to take action.

3. Inspect them.

This one has to be done by a professional. Contact the company who installed your solar panels, to schedule yearly checks for any cracks, exposed wires, or potential issues with the hardware holding them up. In fact, many manufacturers will honor their warranty only if you schedule periodic inspections.

Other than these three items, you don’t have to lose any sleep over providing meticulous maintenance to your panels – yet another benefit of having this technology power your house.

Learn More about Solar Energy Panels With the Help of Allied Siding & Windows

If you’re a Texas resident and you’ve been thinking about installing solar energy panels, don’t hesitate to contact Allied Siding & Windows! Contact us for more information about our services or stop by one of our showrooms in Austin, Dallas, or Houston!

Admit it. Living in Texas is pretty grand. The Lone Star State is home to the best foods, best football games, the most soul-inspiring country music, and enough state pride to last a lifetime. As if all those factors weren’t reason enough to brag about how lucky we are to live here, now you can add solar incentives to the list.

Tax credits and rebates for installing solar panels in Texas

1. Federal Tax Credit

Since 2015, the federal government has been providing renewable energy tax credits for homeowners who install solar energy systems in the property they use as their residence. It doesn’t have to be a primary residence. Living in it for a portion of the year will suffice.

2. Investment Tax Credit

Also known as the ITC, the investment tax credit allows you to deduct 30% of the cost of the solar panels regardless of whether the installation was done on a residential or commercial property.

3. No Cap to the Federal Credit

The cost of solar panels varies on several factors: the materials, the quality, the number of panels that are necessary to cover your household’s energy needs. However, even if you were to make a substantial investment, rest assured, there will be no cap on the amount you can use as tax credit when filing your federal taxes.

4. Federal Credit Rollovers

Depending on the size of your home and the type of solar panels you install, 30% of the cost of the system may exceed the amount of your tax liability. Then what? Do you get a rebate? No. However, you still get to use your credit, and the amount that exceeds your liability can be rolled over to the next tax year.

5. Texas Solar Rebate Programs

Although there isn’t a statewide rebate program, local governments and some utility companies do offer them as incentives to go green. Austin Energy, City of Sunset Valley, Garland Power and Light, Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative, and CPS Energy all offer rebates for homeowners.

6. Texas Net Metering Credits

When solar panels are connected to a power grid, any unused power generated by the panels are transferred into the grid. Many Texas utility companies credit owners for that energy surplus. El Paso Electric, City of Brenham, Green Mountain Energy, and CPS Energy all offer these credits.

7. Property Taxes Won’t Increase

Property taxes are calculated based on your property’s value. While it’s true that installing solar panels may increase that value, the Texas Property Tax Code allows an exemption of 100% of the value’s increased when such boost is based on the installation of solar or wind-powered energy.

Do keep in mind that all of these benefits only apply to homeowners who actually own the panels (some contractors allow you to lease them. If that is what you opt for, the owner from whom you leased the panels will actually get the credits).

Also, if you have one of those annoying Homeowners Associations that create a fuss for simply breathing, be aware that while HOAs may regulate where to install solar panels, or where on your roof to install them, they cannot actually prohibit you from installing solar energy.

Learn more about solar energy panels with the help of Allied Siding & Windows

If you’re a Texas resident and you’ve been thinking about installing solar energy panels, don’t hesitate to contact Allied Siding & Windows! Contact us for more information about our services or stop by one of our showrooms in Austin, Dallas, or Houston!