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Solar Panel Installation Process

1. Solar Consultation

Our solar panel installation process begins with one of our solar energy consultants will meet with you to discuss your family’s energy needs, solar panel installation process cost, our financing options and will be able to answer any questions you might have about going solar. Since each system is unique, the solar panel installation cost will vary depending on a number of factors such as your historic energy usage and if you plan on adding any additional electrical loads in the future, as these factors will help determine your system’s size and cost.

2. Pre-Engineering Site Survey

The site survey is a key step in your solar panel installation process. Your site surveyor checks for things like the overall dimension of your roof, slope angles, locations of the chimneys and vents, and even the overall roof thickness in order to ensure the design your solar energy consultant drafted is the best possible solution for solar installation on your home.

3. Design Engineering

This is when our engineering team takes the initial designs that your solar energy consultant developed and, using CAD software, create CAD drawings for both jurisdictional permitting and potential Homeowners Association approval. There are many factors that go into design before installing solar panels, like string and wire sizing, electric code and module layout.

4. Permitting

Our staff takes care of the city approval process so you don’t have to. Once you as the homeowner have approved your solar installation plans, we will submit said plans and the necessary permits to your city or county. Every city has different requirements for receiving approval for a solar panel installation. Some cities require complicated structural engineering reports, while some require a stamped letter of approval from your HOA before they begin the permitting process. Depending on where you live, this step can take two to three weeks.

5. Installation Day

Our solar panel installation process in Orange County, CA typically take one to three days. The first phase of your solar panel installation is prepping the roof to ensure a solid and highly professional solar installation. The crew installs industry-leading, double-flashed roof mounting to ensure your solar installation is leak-free. The second phase is the actual installation of the panels. It is in this phase of installing solar panels that they’re firmly attached to the mounting, all wiring is completed and the monitoring device that tracks your solar system’s performance is set up inside your home.

6. Jurisdictional and Utility Inspections

The first step in getting permission to operate is filling out a long Net Energy Metering application. During this process, utilities like SDG&E and SCE ask for a lot of detailed information. But not to worry, our staff takes care of this step. We answer all of their highly technical questions, so you don’t have to deal with the headache. Before you can operate your solar system, an inspection from the city is required. Once this is complete, the inspector informs the utility and they review it for approval.

7. Utility Approval

After your solar panel installation has been inspected by the city and your utility and is approved, you will then be issued Permission to Operate (PTO) from your utility and you can begin using your solar system to generate solar power for your home. The utility notifies us that PTO has been granted, and we in turn inform you. Like the city inspection, this process is outside our control and can take between 1-2 weeks. 

8. Closeout

Our solar panel installation process in Orange County, CA, isn’t over yet. Next, our in-home visit by your Meta Solar Power Technician to check system performance and answer questions. We'll show you how how to read the display screen on your inverter(s) as well as review how to monitor your system production utilizing your monitoring service that came with your system. Don't want an in-home visit? We'll send you all the information in how to do this yourself.

Contact us for a free quote on our solar panel installation in Orange County, CA!

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