If you’re contemplating whether to install a solar energy system at your home or workplace, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we will take a detailed look at the scope for a solar energy system in New Orleans.
We will see how popular solar systems are in New Orleans, their prices, and the incentives provided by the state for their installation. We will then see how much sunshine New Orleans receives, what to look for while setting up your system, and the Top 9 solar companies that will help you do it smoothly!
New Orleans Solar System Installation Costs
The price of solar panels has gone down in the last five years. The average cost of a solar panel in New Orleans would come up to $3 per watt. If you are installing a solar system to power about 5 kilowatts, you might have to spend somewhere between 12 to 17 thousand dollars, which means about 14,500 dollars on average.
Given that solar panels last for at least 25 to 35 years and cut down your electricity bill by a lot, it is more than just economical.
Average solar panel cost in New Orleans
|
System size |
Avg system cost |
Avg system cost |
|
3 kW |
$8,610
|
$6,372 |
|
4 kW |
$11,980
|
$8,865 |
|
5 kW |
$14,500 |
$10,730 |
|
6 kW |
$17,350 |
$12,839 |
|
7 kW |
$20,180 |
$14,934 |
|
8 kW |
$22,930 |
$16,969 |
|
9 kW |
$26,340 |
$19,492 |
|
10 kW |
$29,350 |
$21,720 |
Incentives, Tax Credits & Rebates For New Orleans Solar Panels
The government has put some policies in place, especially after Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, to encourage citizens to go solar. The ITC, which is short for Investment Tax Credit, allows a deduction of a fixed percentage of your installation cost.
It was 30% before 2032, At the end of 2032, this number will fall to 22%. You know what this means. If you’re considering going solar in the near future, the time is NOW!
Home value increases a LOT by installing a solar energy system. The increase is as much as twenty times the electricity you save every year.
Keeping records of your solar installation, its warranty, and the permissions obtained is important, especially if you want to highlight the added value of the solar system when selling your property. Potential buyers would always go for an energy-saving home, too. You could give a comparison of your electricity bill prior to and post-installation of Solar.
There is a solar property tax exemption in the state, and you are exempted from property taxes that arise specifically due to the increase in your house’s value from the solar installation. According to the state legislature, this applies to any device that uses the energy of the sun to heat or cool the inside of or the water within any structure or a swimming pool. This saves you a lot of money.
However, there are no sales tax exemptions in the state. The affordability of solar in Louisiana was the highest from 2008 to 2015 when a 50% tax credit was offered on the installation of solar systems. When you take into account the federal tax credits this meant about an 80% tax credit for the installations worth up to 25 thousand dollars.
Sunlight in New Orleans
Sunshine is higher in places that are closer to the equator. The state gets an average of over 5kWh of sunlight for every square meter every day and is, therefore, suitable for solar energy. When you look at New Orleans specifically, it gets 5.02 hours of good sunlight per day. The number goes below five from November to February only.
Google created an app called Project Sunroof that estimates which buildings in the USA are “solar viable” and reports that 94% of buildings in New Orleans fall in the category. That would mean over 2 million metric tons of CO2 can be avoided from polluting the air.
However, it is necessary to find the right direction to get the best possible result. Avoiding shade is not all that you need to worry about.
Ideally, a roof in the United States should face the South. Since maximum power is produced when the sun rays are at a 90-degree angle with the solar panels, the solar arrays must be tilted towards the average elevation of the sun.
This is usually the same as the latitude of your location, which is 30 degrees in New Orleans. If you have a flexible system that you can tilt according to the season, you may be able to improve your system’s efficiency further, by tweaking the angle a little. [Find the Best Angle for Your Solar Panels]
All of this will be taken care of by your solar installer, which is why it is necessary to make a well-informed decision when you are picking a Solar company. Here’s a list of some of the best Solar installation and maintenance companies in New Orleans.
Top 9 Solar Companies in New Orleans
1. SunPower by South Coast Solar
This is a NABCEP certified company in sales and installation. It offers residential and small commercial solar services that are tied to the grid and hybrid solar systems. They have been in the industry for 13 years and have mastered building solar projects that are highly durable. They do not use any subcontractors, however, their in-house workforce performs the quality installation.
Location: 2605 Ridgelake Dr, Metairie, LA 70002
Phone: 504-529-7869
2. Solar Alternatives
The company has been in business for over 15 years and is NABCEP-qualified. In addition to solar electric, solar power backup, pool heating and solar water heating, they provide expert consultation in specialty solar services like ventilation and daylighting.
Location: 5804 River Oaks Rd S, New Orleans, LA 70123
Phone: 504-294-3766
3. Sunpro Solar
Sunpro Solar is reputed for its quality service, ranking 5th in the 2020 Solar Power World’s Magazine Top Solar Rooftop Contractors. They give energy audits, provide energy monitoring solutions, and can set up your residential and small commercial solar systems.
Location: 3201 St Charles Ave #206, New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: 504-383-8639
4. PosiGen
The company aims to increase the accessibility of solar energy to low and middle-class families. The lack of good income and high credit scores denied a lot of people the opportunity to get their own solar energy systems. PosiGen set out with a mission to deliver savings to these families and make it an attractive option for visionary investors to tap into.
Location: 819 Central Ave Suite 210, New Orleans, LA 70121
Phone: 866-767-4436
5. A1 Solar Source
The company has been in business for over 7 years and is a master in creating custom designs for your home to maximize return on investment. They can make the best use of any kind of structure to provide an optimal solution.
Location: 540 S Broad Ave Suite 100, New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone: 504-298-9240
6. KDH Solar
A relatively newer company, KDH Solar, designs and installs residential and commercial solar systems. They take up assignments in a serial manner and do not work on multiple projects simultaneously. Their holistic approach delivers superior standards and guarantees a solar installation that is appropriate to each customer’s lifestyle.
Location: 4375 Michoud Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70129
Phone: 504-273-6704
7. BuildPro
They have expertise in roofing and installation of Solar. BuildPro offers off-grid and grid-tied solar system services and solar electric/PV and solar charging system installation. They also perform roof inspections and set up Solar shingles.
Location: 3201 Street, St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: 504-383-8639
8. Envisha Energy
This is a Veteran owned and operated company. It assists homes with Solar energy and mini purification plants of air and water in New Orleans and surrounding places. They perform Solar panel cleaning and install grid-tied solar systems.
Location: 1517 Edwards Ave, New Orleans, LA 70123
Phone: 504-313-3366
9. Supreme Power
They are solar installers, electricians, and Solar panel cleaners. Supreme Power provides in-person visits as well as video consultations. They claim to provide the best solar maintenance services and are experts in boosting the efficiency of your solar systems through energy audits, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
Location: One Galleria Blvd, Ste: 1900, Metairie, LA 70001
Phone: 800-975-7964
Conclusion
New Orleans receives a considerably high amount of sunlight. Thus, solar energy systems are a great investment, potentially saving you significant money in the long run.
With low prices of solar panels, federal tax benefits, and property tax exemption, the benefits clearly outweigh the costs. Since the tax benefits are reducing year by year, it is advisable that you make your solar installation as early as possible to earn the most profit.
Moreover, it is a boon to the environment. The sense of satisfaction you gain, knowing that you are reducing your carbon footprint, is definitely not something you can put a price tag on.
With the help of this article, you can contact one of the Top New Orleans Solar Installers and get the job done!