Solar panel install near Rocklin

Getting really tired of high PG&E bills and constant rate increases so I'm thinking of installing solar panels. Seems like the costs have come down somewhat. Can someone recommend a company that installs panels in Placer County. Also if anyone has gone this route how much did the install cost and how much are you saving per month. Any other advice is appreciated regarding this topic. Probably will get 3-4 quotes and see what they come in at. Thanks

I went with a SunRun lease deal, overall have had no issues at all. Got rebates that paid for the $3000 down I needed to lock my lease rate for the 20 years. Monthly lease rate + additional electricity needed, still saving an average of $60-70 a month at current rates. Savining should increase as the years go by and PGE rates increase. Been online since April of last year.

A couple of my college buddies work for REC Solar. They are all over the Western US but based down here in SLO. In 2011 they were voted the best solar contractor in Sacramento.

http://www.recsolar.com/california-sacramento

Thanks for the heads up. REC Solar installed a system on my neighbors house and I am going to have them along with a couple other companies give me estimates.

What are the cost differences between buying the equipment vs. leasing the equipment? I know different installation companies approach this differently.

Also, what's the effective lifespan of the panels? 10-years?

Good questions. They say the panels last 25 years but I'm not sure about that. I have panels that are 5 years old on my houseboat and they look brand new so maybe they do last 25-30 years. My fear is that I intall them now and the price for the panels keeps dropping and the technology gets better. I was told that the market is flooded with panels right now to the costs are pretty low comparared a few years ago and most of the advances are being made in the inverters. I also don't know for how much longer the30% tax credit will be offered. I'd probably buy them outright if the price is right. I'll have a better idea next week after I get a few estimates. All I know if I am fricken tired of PG&E sticking it to me with high rates and raising the costs every six months. My goal is to install enought panels to cover everything that is over 100% of baseline.

Yeah, I considered the PG&E thing and made sure I purchased in SMUD territory.

One a side note... How many panels and wattage are on your houseboat? I've been refitting an old houseboat for the last few years (very slowly and low budget) and am at the point I want to add solar and build a solid battery bank. I know I can get the cheap harbor freight ones but they are not very efficient for the size.

I've got 9 panels and 12 batteries. It's enough to power a regular fridge, stero, tv and everything else. I also have a Westerbeke generator to charge the batteries if it's cloudy. Not sure exactly how much wattage it's putting out. I think they are Sharp panels and I have an Outback inverter.

Solor a joke it don't work

well it runs my entire houseboat with no problems at all