How You Benefit from Investing in a Home Solar System
Go Solar with Route 66
We are firm believers in YOU owning the means of production (owning the solar system).
Route 66 Solar offers a variety of flexible solar financing options to make installing photovoltaic (PV) systems possible for
almost everyone, while still providing energy savings. Solar panel installation cost should not stop you from going solar.
Our financing options allow you to enjoy the benefits of going solar without the large initial cash outlay. Although a cash purchase
provides the most financial benefits, including the shortest payback period, financing-related benefits are not far behind.
Solar panels are built to withstand storms and even hurricane-force winds. The solar panels have a 25-year warranty, inverters generally
have a 10-year warranty, and the installer usually has a 5 warranty on their installed work. Unless something breaks down out of warranty,
or you are hiring a company to do a deep clean on the panels, maintenance costs for solar are usually pretty, pretty low.
The price of solar includes soft and hard costs, including design services, local permitting, panels, skilled installation labor,
components, and maintenance. Solar system costs have significantly decreased in recent years, but the costly investment is primarily
due to the materials, manufacturing, and installation. Marketing and sales only count for about 10% of the sale.
Unfortunately, every homeowner cannot go solar! Many homes are not right for solar due to shading issues, rental situations, or roof design.
What Types of Roofs Are Not Suitable for Solar Panel Installation?
- 1. Slate Roofs Materials: Slate roofing is made of thin, flat stones that can be brittle and heavy.
- 2. Wood Shingle Roofs Materials: Timber roofing has wooden overlays, making it attractive but unsustainable.
- 3. Thatched Roofs: Thatched roofs are made from natural materials such as grass or reeds.
- 4. Metal Roofs with Many Angles.
- 5. Flat Roofs with Limited Load-Bearing Capacity.
- 6. Tile Roofs.
Some people don’t buy solar panels for the same reason they don’t improve their diet:
It’s hard to change course after decades of doing something the same way, even if the benefits are apparent.
All we can say to that is if you don’t like change, you definitely won’t like what utility company's electricity prices are doing…keeps going up!
If you have an average monthly bill of $150, you will pay over $106,000 to your utility company over the next 25 years.
Installing a solar system could potentially save you up to $40,000 or more over the next 25 years and add resale value to your home.
With energy prices soaring, residential solar is becoming a meaningful cost-savings measure for more and more households.
We put together no-obligation proposals, with a system designed based upon the customers annual electric usage,
and roof space available for the solar panels. We educate the client. We show them what the system would look like on their home,
go over their lifetime savings, cost of the system, answer any questions they may have, and work with them on the various
financing options that are available with $0 down if you qualify!
At Route 66 Solar, we only use the highest-quality solar panels and microinverters available, ones that are backed with industry-leading
warranty protection. In addition, we stand behind our products with our own expert workmanship and roof penetration warranties.
This means your solar panels, racking, and inverters will continue to deliver the savings we promised for decades. Enhanced performance,
increased durability, a sleeker design, and savings are some of the many advantages you will receive with the premium solar offerings we provide.
An estimated 60% of the system costs are covered within the first five year of ownership through available incentives.
At Route 66 Solar, we’re more than just installers. Our team of in-house experts can handle every aspect of the installation process —
including helping you apply and qualify for affordable solar system financing (regardless of your budget).
Schedule a FREE no-obligation consultation today. Get started saving money!
About Vital-Funds
Creative Financing Example
○ Solar is owning a power plant versus renting a power plant
Fact: You ARE going renewable energy one way or another, whether you like it or not!
U.S. utility regulators are now considering further rate hikes as electric utilities seek to fund
investments necessary for transitioning to wind and solar technologies.
Do you want to own your own the electric production one day, or continue to rent the electricity until the day you die?
What if you could turn back time and party like it’s 1999. On your way to the party,
you need to grab some gas. Looking around at the signs, the price is 99¢ per gallon.
I come up to you right before you fill up and offer you what I call my “magic gas card”. It’s $1.25 per gallon today,
but next year it’s still $1.25, in two years, five years and ten years it’s still $1.25 per gallon,
and in 20 years you’ll pay it off and won’t have to pay for gas anymore.
You'll still have to pay taxes, road fees, etc. But you won't be buying gas.
Would you take that magic gas card or pay 99 cents per gallon today?
Especially knowing you’d end up paying $3.50-$4.00 or more per gallon 30 years into the future?
It’s not just the cost of oil that fluctuates and rises, but inflation also making your dollar worth less.
In the year 1999, the average retail price of gas was $1.18 per gallon. This is equivalent to $2.21 in 2024 dollars.
Solar is the exact same way. There are cases when people have saved a little money right out of the gate,
but often times, it might end up being a little more expensive today than what you are currently spending.
Keep in mind the monthly price never goes up and one day you’ll pay the system off.
Plus, you are shielding yourself from inflation and the constant annual rate hikes by the utility companies.
When you pay your electric bill every month, you are paying off the electric company’s mortgage, you get to keep $0 from that.
When you own your own solar power plant, you pay off your loan and it goes back into your own pocket in the form of equity.
¨You will never pay off your electric bill until the day you die,
but you will pay off a solar power plant that YOU own on YOUR house! ¨
According to a Zillow study, installing solar panels can increase your home’s value by about 4%.
A newer 2024 SolarReviews study found that homes with solar panels sold for 6.8% more than homes without solar panels.
The exact amount depends on location, energy savings, and solar appeal to potential buyers.
Both studies showed that homes with solar systems sell faster than those without by up to 20%.
When you rent energy, the price is going to continue to rise 4 to 7% almost every year because of inflation and rate hikes.
In 12 years, it will double and in 24 years it will quadruple. Think about the price of eggs, gas and milk 12 years ago.
If you own your own solar power plant, it stays the same price every month until you pay it off.
Solar energy can help most consumers power their homes as an alternative or supplement to purchasing electricity from a grid.
With power prices on the rise, consumers stand to save a considerable amount on monthly power bills by switching to solar.
A home reliant entirely on solar power features the capacity to function entirely off-grid, especially when
supplemented with a solar battery system or solar generator to maintain power during non-daylight hours.
These battery systems can also turn solar systems into emergency backups during power outages.
(Premium Back-Up Storage adages are available)
“With energy storage, homeowners can avoid purchasing electricity during high time-of-use rate periods
and benefit from energy arbitrage with net metering, maximizing savings.”
— Remi Akinwonmi, solar expert and clean energy advocate, SolarReviews Advisory Board Member.
Myth: Illinois is too cold and does not get enough sun for solar.
One of the most enduring myths about solar panels is the belief that they're practically useless in cold or cloudy climates.
Even on cloudy days, solar panels can capture diffused sunlight. In fact, solar panels can be surprisingly valuable in cold climates.
This is because solar panels actually operate more efficiently in cooler temperatures. Excessive heat can reduce the efficiency of
solar panels, so a crisp, cold day can be more optimal for solar energy production than the sweltering heat of summer.
Myth: Installing Solar is Too Expensive!
If you qualify for our program, there are NO Up-Front Costs or Out of Pocket Expenses.
If the thought of installing solar panels has ever crossed your mind, you might have been deterred by the initial price tag.
When you only think about the cost of solar panels, you're missing out on the full financial picture.
State and Federal levels are working to make solar more affordable through special offers like incentives, rebates,
and tax breaks. These perks can cut down the overall cost of getting a solar energy system, making it a much better deal.
It is also essential to think about the long-term savings on your energy bills.
With solar panels, you will be producing your own electricity which can drastically
reduce or even eliminate your monthly energy bills. As these savings accumulate, they will eventually cover the
initial investment in the system, meaning the solar panels essentially pay for themselves over time.
Installing a solar system also adds additional value to your property. Homes equipped with solar energy systems
often see a boost in market value, which can make it a smart long-term investment.
Myth: Installing Solar Panels Will Damage My Roof
Your roof is a frontline defense for your home, protecting everything and everyone beneath it from the elements,
and it is natural to think installing solar panels might compromise your roof. This fear is often fueled by the thought
of drilling holes into the roof, which seems like it could damage the structure over time. While these fears are not entirely baseless,
they often stem from a lack of information or understanding about the modern solar installation process.
Installations are carried out by qualified professionals who are well-versed in the nuances of safely securing solar panels to
various types of roofing materials without causing harm. The installers will also use specialized mounting equipment
designed to anchor the panels securely while minimizing any impact on the roof itself. Additionally, since the solar panels work
by blocking direct sunlight, they can reduce wear and tear caused by UV radiation and extreme temperature fluctuations on your roof.
Myth: You Won't Have to Pay Electricity Bills After a Solar Installation
Yes, you’ll still have an electric bill before and after your solar panels are installed and producing clean energy.
Most homeowners need power from the grid at night and when their panels aren’t producing enough electricity.
However, the balance due on your monthly bills will be much lower – or even negative – because your solar production
replaces and offsets the cost of buying grid electricity from your utility. Unfortunately, we will always have
to pay taxes, regulatory fees, line usage fees, delivery charges, etc. resulting in at least a small electric bill.
Net Metering credits offset your energy usage costs during periods when your panels don’t produce enough energy,
such as at night or on cloudy days. Your bill will show these credits, reducing your total charges further,
or possibly even resulting in a negative bill. ComEd, Ameren, and MidAmerican customers can participate in Net Metering.
CWLP customers can participate too, but it's not called Net Metering, it's called "Distributed Energy Resources".