Your Solar Was Right for Your Business 15 Years Ago
Your solar isn't producing like it used to, so you call your service company. A tech comes out, finds the problem and fixes it, and you're back up and running.
That's exactly what a service call is for. But nobody on that call is asking whether a system built 10 to 15 years ago still fits your business today. Our Free Energy Audit does, and if new equipment makes sense and you'd rather not pay for it, we'll buy your old system.
Request a Free Energy Audit
Three things the audit checks that a service call doesn’t:
How credits are shared across meters. On a site with several meters, credits are split up by a setup chosen years ago. Add a pump, a cooler, or a building, and that split can be wrong. We've seen outdated allocations cost customers tens of thousands of dollars a year.
The age of the system. Each fix can be the right fix, but none makes the system newer, and panels make a little less power every year. On many older systems, the company that made the inverter is out of business, and often the installer is too. Replacement parts become increasingly hard to find, and warranties may be gone.
Whether it still fits your business. If you've added acres, a cold storage room, a second shift, or more pumps since it went in, we'll look at whether more solar or a battery fits.
Why now: the federal tax credit. The federal tax credit takes a share of the cost of new equipment off your taxes, and a repair generally doesn't earn it. That lowers what a repower costs and adds to what it saves you. Under current law, business solar must be running by December 31, 2027, to earn the credit. Putting new equipment on your existing system earns it the same as a brand-new system would: 30% base, and up to 40% or 50% if the system is in an energy community or uses domestic content. After 2027, it's gone. We're not tax advisors, so check with yours on how it applies to you.
What new equipment gets you:
More savings on the rate you already have. A repair gets an old system back to what an old system can make. New panels and inverters make more power, and on the rate you already have, every bit of it is worth close to what you pay for power. Systems that went in prior to April 2023 are on an older Net Energy Metering (NEM) rule, which credits excess solar at or near retail electricity rates, while new systems get lower-value credits. A repower lets you maximize that advantage with new, higher-producing equipment while reducing downtime and repair risk. Replacing inverters and panels doesn't interfere with Net Energy Metering because it fits in with your current interconnection agreement. Your Free Energy Audit confirms how this applies to your site.
New warranties. On a 15-year-old system, most of the original warranties have run out. A repair is covered for the part that was fixed. New panels and inverters come with their own manufacturer warranties, and panel warranties commonly run 25 years. Plus, with our Energy Services Agreement, cleaning, maintenance, and repairs are included at no additional cost.
A faster install. Your site’s already connected to the utility. If the new equipment is the same size, we just send the utility a notice. There’s no new interconnection application.
Two ways to do it. If you don't want to pay for new equipment, we can buy your old system. You get cash when the new equipment is running, and a guaranteed minimum savings on your bill. If you'd rather keep ownership, that works too: you buy the new equipment and we install it. We'll walk you through both options when we meet. Already have a service company you trust? We're glad to work with them. We'll get your system repowered and they can continue to monitor and service moving forward.
Start today: Request a Free Energy Audit
Or call James Kennedy directly at (559) 593-1677, jkennedy@jkbenergy.com.