FAQs

The cost of solar is dependent on how big your system needs to be. The first thing we want to do is look at your electrical usage history. 

12 months worth of kilowatt hours consumed is best. By looking at how much electricity you usually use, and when you use it, we can accurately size your system. 

The average Wisconsin home needs a 6.9 kW system which, depending on site circumstances, could cost $17,000 - $20,000 before incentives. Of course we install many systems much smaller than that, and many systems much bigger than that. It really depends on your individual circumstance. 

Begin our free site evaluation process here and find out.

There is a 30% federal tax credit. That means if your solar system costs you $20,000, you'll receive a $6,000 tax credit. Not everyone can take advantage of this credit. Talk to your tax preparer to find out if this incentive would be of benefit to you. 

Also, depending on your utility, in Wisconsin, Focus on Energy offers up to $1,000 for residential systems and much more for farms, businesses, and non-profits. 

Solar is also exempt from property tax evaluation. This means despite your home or business' value increasing because you have solar, this will not cause an increase in your property taxes.

Click here for more info on incentives.

Solar energy systems require very little maintenance. Because there are virtually no moving parts, the only things you can reasonably expect to replace during the life of your system are your inverters. Generally you can expect 15 - 20 years before an inverter fails. Inverter warranties are 15 - 25 years depending on the brand so this usually happens under warranty. 

Other than that, if you have a ground mount, adjusting the angle of your system seasonally, and in the case of ground mounts or roof mounts, snow removal in the winter is helpful (but not necessary).                                                                                                                                                      

Ethos does not offer financing but there are a couple of good local programs that we recommend. 

Westby Coop Credit Union has the LEG Up program. This is a 12 months/no payments option that people use to gain the value of their federal tax credit up front. They then pay the loan off at tax time when they gain the tax credit, often without ever needing to make a monthly payment on the loan.

Contact Greg Wagner at WCCU at

608 634-3118

gjwagner@wccucreditunion.coop

greenpenny.com offers a similar program to gain your tax credit up front, along with an option to fully finance your project. greenpenny.com is an online bank based out of Decorah, Iowa. Their rates and terms are fair.

Contact Jason MacDuff at https://www.greenpenny.com/Resources/Contact-Us

The solar industry is full of financing options, some better than others. It is definitely a "buyer beware" type of situation. If you are being offered financing based on the loan's monthly payment being less than your electric bill, do the math and figure out how much you're actually paying over the life of the loan. Then divide that total amount by the wattage of the proposed system. 

Example: Your total loan cost ($19,000) ÷ Your system size (6.9 kW or 6,900 watts) = $2.75/watt

Generally speaking you should not be paying over $3.00/watt. Sometimes a cost higher than $3.00 is justified, but usually its much less than that. Financing can be dressed up to look like a much better deal than it is. 

Do your homework and get multiple bids.

The actual installation process is pretty quick. Just a couple of days for electrical and mechanical installation. 

Despite those steps being usually very quick, the interconnection and permitting phase prior to installation may take four to six weeks, depending on your utility’s schedule and local permitting requirements. 

Additionally, the process after installation, by which we gain permission from the utility to turn your system on, can take a few weeks. All told, it takes an average of 10 weeks from signing your contract to turning your system on. Sometimes it’s faster and sometimes slower, depending on many factors. 

Unlike battery systems, simple grid-tied systems do not have backup capability when the grid is down. Their main function is to offset your electric bill. These systems are the majority of systems we install and they pay for themselves the fastest. 

Battery storage systems can be utilized in both grid-tied systems and off-grid systems. While these systems give you independence from the grid and more resiliance, they are much more expensive and take much longer to pay for themselves.

If you have a simple grid-tied system, if you are not using all of your solar generation, you will send excess energy out to the grid during the day and bring in needed energy from the grid at night. 

If you have a system that includes batteries, you may utilize energy from your batteries at night, depending on how you have your battery system set up. Modern battery systems are very smart and can be set up to both provide energy needs at night and offer backup power during a grid outage.

Of course! Energy is produced any time solar panels are exposed to light -- rain or shine -- because photovoltaic panels can use direct or indirect sunlight to generate power. Sunny days will generate power more effectively, but even on cloudy days power will still be produced.

It has everything to do with your site and your goals. We'll help you determine if your site is a good solar resource and we'll talk you through some things to think about to help you make sense of why you want solar. 

Sometimes it takes a little creativity and sometimes the site is simply not suitable for solar. Look for areas that have plenty of southern exposure, either on your roof or on the ground. 

We will help you figure out if solar is a good idea for you and, if it's not, we'll let you know. The last thing we want is to help someone get solar for whom it is not a good idea. 

Contact us to begin your free evaluation. 

Generally speaking, your panel's electrical production is warrantied for 25 - 30 years. The panels themselves are warrantied for 12 years. 

Inverters are warrantied for 15 - 25 years, depending on the brand. Your racking is warrantied for 20 years. 

Ethos' labor warranty stands in support of these component warranties. If there is a warranty issue with one of the components of your system, we will not charge you to come out to do the service work.