Why Should Solar Power Companies See Your Utility Bills Before Giving You a Quote?

If you are too worried about your monthly energy bills and want to shift to solar, here are  few things you should understand about solar panel installation. Solar energy is one of the cleanest sources of energy and is favoured across the world as an alternative to traditional sources of power. Along with its other benefits, it can help you reduce your monthly energy bills greatly.

For this, a professional solar power company will want to see your utility bills before presenting an estimate. Going forward, we will discuss the reasons for the same.

Top reasons why solar power companies should see your utility bills

Here are some key reasons why solar power companies ask for your utility bills:

To analyse your energy consumption:

Your current energy consumption is an indicator of the energy requirements of your home or industry. Solar power companies need to perform site analysis as the first step before installing a solar power system. Analysis of current energy consumption is part of the site assessment. This will help you get the perfect design for the solar system.

Every site may not require the same solar plant design as the consumption varies. The energy consumption record acts as a guideline to decide the size and capacity of the solar system for your site. Solar installation companies can customise a specific plant design for your site based on your historical records. 

To make way for future increases in capacity:

Changes in consumption patterns may arise in the future. This can be understood with historical data. It helps solar power companies provide for any increase in capacity that may be needed in the future due to additional electrical connections, extension of the building, etc.

Professional solar power companies can plan and design a flexible system that can add additional panels, etc., based on an increase in consumption. This will help reduce any cost that would have arisen due to a major change in the solar system.

To calculate ROI:

An initial investment is involved when installing a solar power system for your homes. Good solar panels last for nearly 25 years, and there isn’t any heavy maintenance required. However, the solar payback period may range from 3 to 6 years. This also depends on individual consumption.

So before a solar power company provides a quote, they perform a financial analysis based on your utility bills. This will help them guide you on your goals and the expected payback period, thereby presenting a customised plan.

To identify peak usage:

Electricity consumption varies during different parts of the day. Peak usage is when electricity consumption is highest during any part of the day. Generally, consumption reduces during the night. Since solar companies have a billing structure based on peak and non-peak consumption, it is essential to look at your utility bills.

Your solar bills provide valuable information for the solar installers to prepare tailored quotations. Peak period charges are generally high to cope with the increased demand during that period. Solar professionals can guide homeowners on the usage of battery storage as a way to reduce peak demand charges. Thus, proper financial planning is possible only when the solar power companies browse through your current utility bills.

To provide a comparative analysis:

There are so many solar power companies with varied pricing structures. In such a case, the solar installers have to provide a comparative cost analysis to let you choose the best one. This necessitates that they are presented with your current and historical electricity consumption. 

It is usual for consumers to compare brands before choosing the one suitable for them. Comparative cost analysis is detailed information on how a particular solar company is better than the other based on various factors, including the cost. Since budget also poses a constraint in solar plant installation, this is an important point to note.

To understand eligibility for concessions:

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy offers financial concessions for rooftop solar systems, which are directly transferred to the consumer’s bank account. Subsidies vary based on the capacity of the solar plant. For example, a 3kW solar plant may receive a subsidy of nearly INR 14,500/ kW.

The solar installation company provides the subsidy information in its quotation. For this, it requires the site’s monthly billing information. The quote can help consumers understand the approximate monthly expenditure, savings, concessions, etc. They can thus calculate the benefits of the cost incurred and thereafter choose the best company for solar installation.

To offer tailored proposals:

As we have seen, not all sites are similar. There may be differences in the size and consumption of different solar systems. Therefore, solar proposals cannot be one-size-fits-all.

The solar company also needs to know your goals in setting up a solar system. This they do by analysing your past utility bills. They can provide tailored proposals that will be suitable for your current and future consumption. 

To let you understand the savings:

A customised quote lets you understand the savings compared to your current consumption. The main aim behind setting up a solar system is to bring in huge savings in monthly spending on energy bills. As a consumer, not everyone is aware of the technical complexities involved in understanding the approximate savings.

A solar power company, with the help of your bills, can present you with a statement of expected savings along with the quote.

Conclusion

A customised quote for a solar installation is a good way to let consumers understand the benefits of solar systems. Many companies are offering free quotes without looking at your utility bills. However, they may not reflect your exact need, and your actual solar panel bills may come up as a surprise. Look out for the best solar power company in India that offers tailored estimates along with a cost-benefit analysis before you take the plunge.