A solar plan is going to be your best bet for combatting the new budget bill that is currently working its way through the Senate. But what does it mean to put together a solar plan, and why is it important to have one? Given that the tax credit was originally designed to be stepped down slowly over time, you may have previously given yourself a longer timeline in which to go solar. Unfortunately, in its current state, the new budget bill is set to slash that timeline by 7 years, expediting the end of the tax credit to the end of the year.
Given that your planning time has been so severely reduced, you now have a much more limited window to act before the tax credit goes away; and while solar will remain a valuable investment long after the end of the year, we firmly believe in getting you every benefit possible. So, with the early end of the tax credit in sight, let’s talk about the steps you need to take between now and the end of the year to make your solar plans happen, and why exactly this will be such a benefit to you.
Making a Solar Plan
When it comes to making a solar plan, you’re going to want to have a few things prepped ahead of time. This is going to smooth out the process, and ensure you’re not getting hung up at any particular part of the process - remember, we’re working with a limited window of time here! So, first things first - reach out to an installer! You’re going to want to find someone who can serve as a trusted partner and advisor, someone with years of experience in the industry who can help you quickly navigate the process of getting a system installed.
Once you have your installer picked out, you’ll want to schedule your solar consultation as soon as possible. If this legislative change is anything like the NEM update a few years ago, then we’re about to see a legendary run on the solar industry the likes of which you won’t believe. There just weren’t enough hours in the day to help everyone who wanted to make the switch during that time, and the closer we got to the deadline, the harder it became to schedule an appointment. Your best bet is to prioritize your initial consultation, as it is free and can really help you get a sense of what benefits a solar installation would be able to offer you.
Once you’ve scheduled your appointment, it’s time to pull your usage data. You can find it on the PG&E website, and having this prepped ahead of time will be a huge benefit, as this data is critical to identifying your usage patterns and designing a system that perfectly fits your needs. Your consultant can always help you find this if you don’t feel confident you can locate it solo, but it definitely helps.
Finally, you’re going to receive a proposal from your consultant, containing all the information about your potential project. The final step here is to approve that proposal, as doing so immediately secures you a spot on our calendar. We’ll deploy a team of highly trained, in-house installers to take care of your project for you, so all you need to do is sit back and relax as your system is set up!
The Best Laid Solar Plans
Something important to note is that the new budget bill is not finalized yet, and will not be until the day it is voted on, so until then we can only speak to the potential changes it will yield. There is a chance that the solar tax credit could still be spared, especially if you take some time to contact your representatives today and let them know you don’t want it to go! We recently saw a change to the bill concerning the wildly unpopular public land sale, which was entirely made possible by vocal opposition to the plan, which means not everything is set in stone yet.
This is good news in general, but it also speaks to the power of a solar plan. Given the unpredictable future of the solar tax credit, you’ll want a solar plan in place to help you on the path to project completion, just in case something does change. Sky high energy rates are already a good reason to make the switch, and the goal remains accessing the tax credit before it vanishes, whether that happens on the budget bill timeline or not.
Planning Pays Off
Ultimately, planning pays off when things become hectic and clear information is hard to come by. The current state of the budget bill speaks to the value of planning ahead, as things could become unpredictable and chaotic in the coming months. When things become busy and installers are slammed with system requests, you’re going to be well ahead of the curve, thanks to your decision to prepare with a solar plan. Not to mention the fact that as the year draws to a close and people scramble for appointments, you'll already have months of solar savings under your belt, and a 30% tax credit to look forward to next April! If you’re ready to get started before the bill is enacted and the clock starts ticking, our expert consultants are ready to help.
