Solar Loans — The Pitfalls Nobody Warns You About
May 9, 2026Top 6 Solar Panels Tested — 25% Efficiency Is Finally Here
May 9, 2026Fifteen years and 1,675+ installs teaches you a lot about where money gets wasted and where smart decisions make a real difference. Here are 17 things Jon tells every homeowner before they sign.
For New Jersey homeowners: These 17 tips apply nationally, but several carry extra weight for New Jersey homeowners — particularly the ones about system sizing, SREC registration, and installer vetting. NJ’s solar economics are among the best in the country, but small decisions compound into significant differences in long-term return.
Before You Sign
- Get three quotes. The spread between the cheapest and most expensive quote for the same system quality in NJ is often $5,000–$10,000. Don’t skip this step because one company made a good first impression.
- Compare price per watt, not total price. Bigger systems cost more. Normalize by dividing total price by system size in watts. In NJ right now, fair market rate is $2.60–$3.00/watt for a quality installation. Above $3.20, ask what you’re paying extra for.
- Ask what panels they’re using — and look them up. REC, QCell, Silfab are solid choices with strong warranties. SunPower has had financial instability issues in recent years — check their current status before agreeing to anything SunPower-branded.
- Ask what inverters they’re using. Enphase microinverters are the safest choice for most NJ residential installs, especially on any roof with shading or multiple orientations.
- Check the workmanship warranty. Minimum 10 years, in writing, specifically covering roof penetrations. Roof leaks from solar installs usually show up in years 3–7, not immediately.
- Confirm they pull permits. Every NJ install requires a municipal building permit, an electrical permit, and a utility interconnection application. An installer who suggests skipping any of these is not legitimate.
- Check Google reviews from 2+ years ago. Recent reviews are easy to game. Older reviews show you how they handle problems — warranty claims, roof leaks, permit delays. Filter to show only reviews from 2022 or earlier.
On System Design
- Size for future usage. If you’re getting an EV or heat pump within the next few years, size the system for it now. Adding panels in the original design costs $1,400–$1,800 for a 4-panel addition. Coming back later to add them costs $3,500–$5,000.
- Don’t skip the shading analysis. Even 10% shading can reduce annual production 15–25%. Ask for the shading report, not just the production estimate.
- South-facing first. East/west splits work, but south-facing panels produce the most per panel. For NJ’s latitude, a south-facing 35° pitch is close to optimal.
- Check your electrical panel first. Older NJ homes often have 100-amp panels that need upgrading. A 200-amp upgrade runs $1,500–$3,500 in NJ. Know the cost before you sign, not after.
On Financing
- Ask for the cash price. Then calculate what you’re actually paying for financing. Promotional rates often embed dealer fees of 20–30% in the system price. The cash price is the honest baseline.
- Own, don’t lease. Especially in NJ where SRECs add $850–$935/year for a typical 10 kW system. Over 15 years, that’s $12,750–$14,025 that flows to whoever owns the system. With a lease, it’s not you.
- Confirm SREC registration is in the contract. Ask specifically: “Will you register my system in GATS for SREC income, and is that included in our agreement?” It has to be done before your system generates its first 1,000 kWh, or you forfeit early SRECs that can’t be recovered.
After Install
- Monitor your system in the first year. Check the production app weekly. If you’re running 15% or more below the installer’s estimate in comparable weather, call them. Most issues — a microinverter failure, a monitoring gap, a shading problem that wasn’t caught in design — are covered under warranty but you have to catch them. Nobody else is watching your system for you.
- Clean your panels annually. Dirty panels lose 5–15% production. Spring after pollen season and fall after leaf drop are the two most effective times. A panel cleaning service in NJ runs $150–$300 for a typical residential system.
- Save every document. Permit, warranty cards, interconnection approval letter, monitoring login, SREC aggregator account info. Organize them on install day and don’t move them. When you sell the house in 10 years you’ll need every one of these.
The Tips That Save the Most Money (In Jon’s Experience)
Of these 17, the ones Jon sees homeowners skip most often — and regret — are numbers 2, 7, 13, and 14. Comparing price per watt rather than total system cost catches the most inflated quotes. Checking old Google reviews catches the most problematic installers. Owning instead of leasing recovers the most long-term value in NJ. And confirming SREC registration in writing prevents the most forfeited income. If you only do four of these 17 things, do those four.
The tips that matter least — but that installers sometimes make a big deal of — are things like panel brand tier rankings and monitoring app features. These are real considerations, but they matter at the margins. Getting the installation done right by a company with a track record in NJ, with a loan you understand, and with SREC registration handled properly, is worth 10× more than the panel efficiency difference between two Tier 1 manufacturers.
After the Install: Your First-Year Checklist
Once your system is running, a few things to do in the first month: activate your monitoring account and take a screenshot of the first week’s production to establish a baseline. Verify your interconnection letter is on file. Confirm with your installer that GATS registration has been submitted and get the confirmation number. Check that your utility has switched your meter to the net metering tariff — your first bill after going solar should show both import and export readings. And if you’re working with an SREC aggregator, confirm your account is active and your system is enrolled.
The homeowners who get the most out of solar over 25 years aren’t just the ones who got the best deal on install day — they’re the ones who stayed engaged in year one, caught issues early, and kept their documentation organized. It’s a 25-year asset. Treat it like one.
The Tip That Gets Skipped Most Often
Of everything on this list, tip number 14 — confirming SREC registration in the contract — is the one Jon sees skipped most often, and the one with the most direct dollar consequence. Here’s why it keeps getting missed: SREC registration isn’t glamorous, it doesn’t show up in the sales pitch, and many homeowners don’t know it exists until after the install. A good NJ installer includes it automatically. But “good” varies in this industry, and verifying it is on you. Put it in writing: “Installer agrees to submit GATS registration application for system owner prior to the system generating its first 1,000 kWh of production.” That’s the sentence. Get it in the contract.
If you’re working with an SREC aggregator — companies like Flett Exchange, SRECTrade, or Sol Systems that handle the sale of your SRECs to utilities — confirm that relationship is set up before the system turns on as well. The SREC aggregator is who pays you for your SRECs. Without that setup in place, your registered SRECs sit in GATS unclaimed until you establish an account.
One Last Thing: Trust Your Gut
After 15 years of NJ installations and watching thousands of homeowners go through this process, Jon has noticed one consistent pattern: the homeowners who had the smoothest experience almost always felt comfortable with their installer from the first meeting. Not just sold to — actually comfortable. That means the installer answered questions directly without deflecting. They didn’t pressure. They showed up to the site assessment on time and prepared. They gave a production estimate with actual numbers, not just a vague savings range. If any part of the interaction felt like a sales process rather than a professional consultation, that feeling was usually right. Your gut is data.
These 17 tips aren’t secret knowledge — they’re the things any experienced NJ solar installer will tell you if you ask the right questions. The difference between a great installation and a frustrating one is usually a homeowner who asked the right questions upfront versus one who just accepted the first pitch at face value. Take the time. The system lasts 25 years.
Find Out What Solar Saves You in Your Home
Every home is different — roof angle, usage, utility rate, and local incentives all affect your numbers. Enter your monthly electric bill below for a free savings estimate. Jon reviews every submission personally and follows up within 2 hours.
Put These Tips to Work on Your NJ Home
Jon applies all 17 of these principles on every project he takes — because his reputation in NJ depends on every homeowner getting a strong return. If you want a straight assessment of your home’s potential, book a free call or use the Solar Savings Estimator.
