Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What kind of roof do I need to go solar?
Answer: While we most often install solar panels on asphalt shingle roofs we can work with most roof materials including slate, terra cotta tile, flat roof, TPO,  and standing seam and R-panel steel roofs.

Question: Is there enough Sun in Louisiana for solar to work?
Answer: YES. Louisiana gets an average of 5 hours a day of sunlight during the hours considered optimal for solar production.

Question: How much does a system cost?
Answer: It totally depends on you and your house. It depends on what your goals are: if you are trying to reduce your energy bill, cover your entire bill, or sell back energy. It depends on your current energy consumption. Our consultant will go over all of these things when he comes for your consultation.

Question: What size system do I need for my home?
Answer: Your homes energy needs are highly dependent on your homes age, insulation, appliances, and usage habits. In most cases the size of your solar system will be limited by your available roof space or budget. No matter what the size of your solar investment the important thing is that you will be saving money on the portion of your energy generated by The Sun.

Question: What happens at night and on cloudy days?
Answer: You are still connected to the grid of your utility. This means that when your homes electricity demand is higher than what your system is producing the difference comes from the utility. There is never any interruption of service and your homes power quality will be actually be improved. Also, have you ever gotten a sunburn on a cloudy day? Even though you don’t see the sun, it’s still there.

Question: How will I know if my system is working?
Answer: Your production is monitored through the inverters Enphase system. At any time, you can view the production of your panels online and you will be e-mailed monthly reports.

Question: How long will my solar panels last?
Answer: SolarTEK’s photovoltaic panels feature 25 year power production warranties. Our solar hot water systems are covered for 10 years. Inverters will likely have to be changed 1 time during the life of the system. All of our solar products can be expected to produce well beyond these periods as well for even greater savings.

Question: How long will my system take to install?
Answer: We reserve 4-6 weeks to install your system. Because of permitting processes and energy company policies, your actual tome for PV may vary.

Question: How does “Net Metering” work?
Answer: Net Metering means that whenever you need extra power it comes from your utility and when you are producing more than you are using with solar the difference flows out onto the utility grid, earning you a credit that can drawn on for later use.  Energy utilities install a bidirectional meter to keep track of this usage.

Question: Do I need to obtain building permits to install a system on my home?
Answer: Yes, but SolarTEK Energy will take care of the entire permitting process for you. The cost of the permits is included in the cost of the system.