On the eve of Earth Day 2024, I have been inspired to share my journey of putting solar panels on the roof of my house a couple years ago. Although I live in southern Canada, what I write about in this short seriesapplies throughout the northern hemisphere, so I hope this helps to demystify things and clarify expectations. The first couple articles are also useful if you are looking to buy a house and put solar panels on it later - in other words, things you can look for before making an offer.
For your next steps, you don't need to brave the elements. You will need a flashlight, a ladder, jeans, a long-sleeve shirt that can get dusty, and some shoes that can also get dusty. For those of us who like clean houses, don't worry. The mess will be a small one.
After taking a brief walk in the sun, your attic, and what was likely your basement, now you know what to look for. Many people make the mistake of jumping online and googling solar panels. Don't.
Since you've made it this far, give yourself a pat on the back since it seems your solar panel dreams are very likely to materialize. This article is about the last few steps to making it happen and I have divided it into two parts: Quotes & Installers and Financial Considerations.
Alrighty folks, it's time for me to show you what happened when I got my hard hat out, put in a new battery, and turned its light on because I am going deep on mining in this article. Okay, it's blockchains, so a computer is going to do all the work for me - or will it?