If a solar plan wasn’t part of your planning for 2025, we’re here to help you get started and understand the benefits of planning ahead. When it comes to the start of a new year, it’s a good idea to think about what you want to accomplish and how you’re going to get to where you want to be in the next 12 months. When it comes to solar, there is a definite benefit to knowing that you want to make the switch now, and then planning for when and how you’re going to achieve that goal.
Solar and clean energy initiatives are strong right now, and they offer meaningful returns on your investment in a market rife with inflation. However, if you don’t put together a solar plan, you run the risk of getting waylaid by unforeseen obstacles, and you may end up paying more out of pocket for power as a result. Let’s explore what a solar plan is, how to make one, and what you might want to look out for in 2025.
A solar plan is an actionable plan for how you will go from not having solar to having an operational solar system in a given period of time. A solar plan is important given the potentially complex nature of the industry, and a trusted provider can help you create such a plan in order to simplify the process.
To create an actionable solar plan, you’re going to want to create your own version of the following checklist, and follow through on each step – potentially with the help of a solar consultant! You could always go it alone, but it’s always nice to let an expert do the heavy lifting on some of this research.
2025 Solar Plan
- Review your energy bills from the past year to see just how much you’re currently paying for power. Remember that we had four rate hikes in the last year alone!
- Find a local solar provider who is reliable and accountable, one that is interested more in providing you with information than a quick fix. Solar is a long term investment, and you want someone reliable!
- Schedule a free consultation, either in home or virtually, with a trusted solar consultant. Virtual can be convenient, but don’t forget that in-home appointments allow a consultant to perform a site inspection as well, leading to greater efficiency and accuracy!
- Review any relevant financing options and create a customized design for a system that meets your needs and budget. Your provider will work with you to ensure the system is perfect for you.
- Let the installation team do their magic, and enjoy your new system! You’ll see savings on your energy bill right away, and you’ll be able to leverage your 30% solar tax credit once next April rolls around!
Something to consider when implementing your solar plan is when to get things started. When it comes to solar, the sooner the better is the generally accepted philosophy, because the longer you wait the more high energy bills you’re on the hook for. With multiple rate hikes last year alone, your energy prices are already inflated beyond where they should be, and we don’t see that trend changing any time soon. So, the longer you wait, the more bloated bills you have to pay.
There is also seasonality to consider. Our industry has a well known busy period known as the Spring Rush, where people wake up to the nice weather and remember that summer is just around the corner. This leads to an influx of appointments for those looking to make the switch before the valuable generation periods of the summer, and it becomes much more difficult to get a quick turnaround on your project.
So, our recommendation is to get started now, in the first few months of the year, to avoid any bottlenecks down the road. No matter when you go solar in 2025, you’ll be making a great investment that provides strong returns, but it’s a good idea to plan for an early year installation!
The final thing you should consider when making your solar plan for 2025 is the potential for changes to the industry. Solar tends to be a stable industry as far as changes go, but policy curveballs are not unheard of. We’ve seen local changes like the update to Net Energy Metering come down the pipe and provide quite an unexpected shakeup, and with a new administration heading into office, there is a chance we will see new adjustments to energy incentives at the federal level.
In the event that something changes, you’ll have some time to get in on the current benefits before a change goes into effect, but that window will be narrow, and if it’s anything like the NEM transition, there will be a significant impact on availability as many customers all try to vie for a limited number of appointments. To avoid this kind of run on providers that might occur this year, you can plan to make the switch to solar earlier in the year, allowing you to avoid any headaches that may come from large changes down the road.
If you’re interested in getting started on your solar plan for 2025, our consultants are ready to help you review your project and provide you with actionable next steps.
