Beware of companies that call you or come to your home claiming to be a "preferred or approved" contractor for UniSource. UniSource does not endorse or have formal partnerships with any solar company. Please call us at 877-837-4968 to report this and provide the name of the company and the salesperson, if possible. Homeowners should check a company’s credentials carefully before signing a contract.
What You Should Know About Residential Solar Systems
Going solar has many benefits. It harnesses Arizona’s abundant sunshine to produce energy and is a renewable resource that creates no emissions. It also reduces your carbon footprint to help combat climate change. It may even increase your home value and reduce your monthly energy bills, if you continue to use energy wisely and conserve.
Customers: What’s Important to Know
Access issues are the top reason for a failed meter set. A few of the most common access issues are: a locked gate; a community gate code; a dog in the yard (tiny dogs and big dogs).
Please feel free to email Renewables@uesaz.com at any time during your project to let us know if there are any potential access issues so we can notify our Metering Department ahead of time. They will be sure to schedule an appointment with you to set your meter.
In addition, you can also follow up with your installer to confirm that they have the required labels for your new equipment, that the necessary clearances have been transmitted to UniSource directly and that all the necessary inspections have been completed.
Deciding to install a photovoltaic system (PV) at your residence is a big decision. Before investing in a solar system at your home, consider a variety of factors: local building codes, availability of sunlight, costs, potential cost savings and system maintenance.
Payback Period
The actual payback period for investing in a PV system depends on your energy usage, system size, PV technology, tax credits available, installed system cost, and electric rate changes, among other factors. Any payback projection should reflect UniSource's history of stable electric rates, which have increased less than 1 percent per year, on average, over the past two decades.
Choosing a Solar Company
It is critical for customers to choose an experienced, reputable solar company that will meet their needs and expectations. Here are some helpful tips for selecting a solar company:
Only hire a licensed contractor qualified to do the project. Solar installers must be licensed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZROC) and possess an Arizona business license that is active and in good standing.
Verify the company’s license status by calling 877-692-9762 or visiting the AZROC website.
Check to see if the installer is bonded and insured and ask for proof.
Use a local installer, if possible. Mohave and Santa Cruz County area installers are familiar with UniSource’s requirements and the application process to help ensure project approval and a successful installation.
Obtain detailed proposals and estimates from several installers and meet with each of them. Prices, project specifications and warranties vary significantly. Compare each of the proposals to make sure the system will meet your goals and expectations.
Check references. Request at least three (3) references from customers whose projects are similar to yours. Consider the company’s experience and find out if they have any unresolved complaints, judgments or liens. Check their Better Business Bureau
Get everything in writing. Any material changes to the system design, performance, equipment or estimate should be documented in writing.
Read all documents carefully before signing. You need to understand the terms and conditions before you sign. This helps prevents disagreements during and after installation. UniSource advises against signing an agreement or making payments on leased systems until a DG meter is installed and a Permission to Operate is issued.
Questions to ask solar companies:
Are you licensed, insured and bonded? Can you provide proof?
How many other PV systems have you installed that are similar to mine?
Can you provide several references?
How much energy will my system produce?
What will be my cost savings by having solar and what is the estimated payback period?
What are the benefits of purchasing rather than leasing?
Can the contract be renegotiated and under what circumstances?
Is the contract transferrable to new owners if we sell our home?
How long will the equipment last before it needs to be replaced?
What are the warranties on the equipment, and can I purchase extended warranties?
Should the age and condition of my roof affect my decision?
Selecting a TOU Pricing Plan
Solar customers may choose from any of our time-of-use (TOU) pricing plans. These plans can reduce your energy bills if you avoid using a lot of energy or operating several large appliances during times of peak demand. For the greatest cost savings, learn to shift your energy usage to off-peak hours, such as mid-day or later in the evening. Customers on TOU plans should reduce energy usage from 3-7 p.m. during the summer and from 6-9 a.m. and 6-9 p.m. in the winter.
Customers with PV systems sometimes make the mistake of actually using more energy and could see their UniSource bills increase. It is important to remain as energy efficient as possible and continue to make energy-saving upgrades even after a PV system is installed to keep energy costs low.
Billing & Credits
Even after you install your PV system, you will still be connected to UniSource’s grid and will rely on us to provide safe, reliable power when the sun isn’t shining and your system isn’t generating electricity. Even if you have stored energy from a battery system, it may not meet your power needs. That means you will still get a bill from UniSource every month, although it should be lower if you keep your energy usage in check.
All UniSource customers, including those with solar systems, have monthly service charges that cover our costs associated with operating and maintaining our electrical grid.
Excess Energy Credits
Once your PV system is installed, UniSource will replace your existing meter with billing and production meters to measure your energy usage and the amount of energy your system exports to our grid. The excess energy and credits will appear as “KBH” – kilowatt banked hours – on your monthly UniSource bill.
The buyback rate for excess, unused energy is specified in UniSource’s Rider-14 Resource Comparison Proxy (RCP) Export Rate. Customers’ bill credit is based on the RCP rate in effect when their interconnection application was submitted. This rate is fixed for 10 years.
After the initial 10-year period, the bill credit is based on the current export purchase rate, and may change from year to year. The RCP rate for new applications is adjusted October 1st of each year.
Each month if the customer’s RCP credit balance exceeds their UniSource bill for electricity, the credit is applied to their next month’s bill. In October of each year, UniSource will pay the customer any remaining RCP credits if the balance is more than $10.
If a power outage occurs, your PV system is required to shut down automatically for safety reasons. This prevents excess energy generated by your system from flowing back to our circuits while our crews are repairing equipment, which must be de-energized to prevent an electrical hazard.
Your system will not generate energy during a power outage unless you have a PV system with a battery storage system. Once power is restored, you can resume operation of your PV system, which may require a manual reset.
Maintenance & Repairs
If your system requires maintenance or repairs, contact your solar company. If the existing DG meter needs to be pulled for repairs, email us at renewables@uesaz.com or call us at 866-467-1229.
Working with UniSource
UniSource’s role is to assist installers and customers through every step of the application and approval process and ensure that projects meet all safety and electrical requirements. At different stages of the application process, customers and your installers may work with up to three different departments at UniSource: Energy Programs (Renewables), Engineering, and Metering.
Customers and installers can expect regular communications from UniSource to help keep projects on track. Customers can do their part to advance their project and prevent delays by providing UniSource with their correct address and email address, signing the Interconnection Agreement in a timely manner and ensuring there are no access issues – such as pets in the yard or locked gates – at their home.
UniSource will review the Final Permit from the AHJ submitted by the installer once the installation is complete; if necessary a Technical Specialist may conduct a physical inspection of your equipment. If and when approved your project will be released to our Metering Department for a meter exchange. Once UniSource has issued you a Permission to Operate, the installer may energize your PV system.
Steps to Installing a Residential Solar System
The solar company completes and submits the Interconnection Application and required documents to UniSource on their customer’s behalf.
UniSource conducts an administrative review of the application and documents within 7 days of receipt to ensure they comply with program requirements.
UniSource completes an Interconnection Review of the project’s technical specifications within 14 days and notifies the customer and installer if the project is approved or needs corrections. For PV systems greater than 20 kWac, UniSource has 21 days to complete its Interconnection Review.
The solar company pick-ups UniSource-supplied equipment and materials for the project from our designated vendor.
The solar company installs the equipment and then notifies UniSource when the installation is complete by submitting electronically a System Commissioning Form that includes the Final Permit from the AHJ, along with “as-built” photos of the project. UniSource may require a physical inspection of your DG System. If Deemed necessary we will send out a Technical Specialist to conduct the inspection.
UniSource reviews the final permit and photos, and then coordinates with our Metering Department to install billing and solar production meters and complete a revenue meter exchange.
Upon receiving Permission to Operate from UniSource, the solar company may energize the customer’s PV system.
Your Installer’s Role & Responsibilities
Solar companies are responsible for designing a PV system tailored to the customer’s home and energy needs, and calculating its size, configuration and energy production. The installer should provide a detailed cost estimate, the manufacturer and model numbers for your equipment and a project timeline.
The installer will complete and submit the Interconnection Application and project drawings to UniSource on your behalf, obtain the necessary permits, schedule inspections and secure the required approvals. They’ll also need to contact UniSource if there are any major modifications to a project. Installers must adhere to UniSource’s Distributed Generation Interconnection Requirements and our Electrical Requirements.
If a power kills is needed for installation, the installer needs to reach out to Energy Service at renewables@uesaz.com or by calling 866-467-1229.
When a PV system is completed, the installer must submit a Final Permit from the AHJ, along with “as-built” photos of the PV system. After UniSource installs new billing and production meters and issues a Permission to Operate, the installer will complete a walk-through with the customer and energize the system.
Changes to your PV System after Installation
Customers who want to expand their system by adding an inverter and more modules need to have their installer submit an application to UniSource. They will keep their initial net metering rate for the remaining duration of the 20-year contract if the addition to a grandfathered system does not require utility distribution upgrades.
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