What to Expect During Your Arizona Solar Consultation

If you’re exploring solar energy for your home, the first step is to schedule a consultation with a solar expert. But what happens during these meetings and how can you prepare in order to ensure you’re getting good information, and not just a sales pitch?

In this blog post, we explain what to expect during your solar consultation, including the steps involved, questions to ask your potential solar partner, and how to get the most out of your solar consultation. 

What is a solar consultation?

A solar consultation is usually the first step in exploring whether solar energy is a good fit for your home or property. It involves meeting with solar experts to learn how solar works, what kind of system might suit your energy needs, what kind of financial relief and other benefits you could expect, and the potential investment involved. 

During a typical solar consultation, the solar professional will review your recent utility bills to understand how much energy you use annually, including how your consumption patterns change throughout the day and various seasons. 

A reliable solar partner should also conduct a complete roof and property inspection to evaluate electrical and structural integrity, roof orientation, shading, and available space. It’s critical that inspections be done on-site, rather than virtually. These walk-throughs help determine whether your site is suitable for solar or needs updates—like roof repairs or electrical panel expansion —as well as informing proper system size, design, and final project cost.

In most cases, your solar consultant will also explain available solar incentives, rebates, and tax credits, as well as how solar works with your local utility rate plans. By the end of your solar consultation, you should have a clear understanding of your options and a rough estimate of costs, system size, and solar ROI. You should also use this opportunity to get to know the solar company, evaluate their expertise, and decide whether they’re the right company for you. 

At Sun Valley Solar Solutions, our Solar Integrators are always free with no obligation to move forward. Our goal is to educate and provide you with the best options to meet your savings goals so you can make an informed decision. 

How to prepare for your solar consultation

If you’re considering solar and have a consultation booked, here’s how you can prepare. 

Have your electricity bills ready

Solar consultants typically want to review 12 months of energy usage to understand your consumption patterns across seasons and times of day. While a couple of bills can work in a pinch, downloading a full year’s worth of data is ideal. To make it easy, we’ve created step-by-step guides for accessing your usage history from both APS and SRP.

SRP Usage Download Instructions
APS Usage Download Instructions

If you're new to the home or your utility isn’t listed, don’t worry. Our Solar Integrators can help retrieve available data—or estimate usage based on the following:

• Square Footage – A baseline for expected energy needs.
• Occupancy – More people typically means higher usage.
• Appliances & HVAC – Pool pumps, EV chargers, and electric heating/cooling all impact demand.
• Lifestyle Factors – Work-from-home habits or future energy plans help refine estimates.

While not as precise as actual bills, these estimates provide a solid foundation for sizing your system and generating cost projections. 

Think about future home additions or energy usage needs

Solar energy systems are a long-term investment that will stay with you for decades, so it’s worth thinking ahead when planning your system. This can help you forecast any potential changes in your home’s energy needs. 

Some things to consider: are you planning to buy an electric vehicle, install a hot tub or swimming pool, or build an extension? If so, it’s a good idea to let your solar installer know during the consultation so they can recommend a system that meets both your current and future energy needs. 

Other considerations here might be solar energy storage or EV chargers. Solar batteries store excess solar energy generated by your panels so you can still use clean energy during periods of no sunlight (e.g. nighttime or cloudy days). 

An informed solar consultant will understand how local utility rate plans may change—and how those changes could affect your system’s performance and long-term ROI. That’s why working with a local installer is so important. Local providers stay up to date on utility policies, have firsthand experience with regional conditions, and maintain relationships that help streamline permitting and planning. National installers often lack this local insight, which can lead to missed opportunities or costly oversights.

Learn more about solar batteries here: Should I Get Battery Storage for My Solar Energy System?

Consider your roof’s age and condition 

Most homes will install solar panels on the roor. A reliable solar consultant will ask about your roof’s age, material, and whether you’ve had any issues like leaks or repairs. An on-site inspection is typically conducted as well. Solar systems are designed to last 30+ years, so ideally you’d want your roof to last just as long or even longer. 

At Sun Valley Solar Solutions, we take quality roofing seriously and conduct expert roof assessments before every solar installation. We’ve partnered with local experts Azul Roofing to ensure your roof is properly inspected and in the right condition to support and protect your solar investment for years to come.

Learn More: Why Quality Roofing Matters for Solar Panels Installation

Make sure you provide the same information to each solar company

If you’re gathering quotes from multiple solar companies, make sure you give each company the same information to get a consistent estimate. This includes sharing the same energy use information, potential home additions or changes in energy consumption, and anything else. By doing so, you’ll know the quotes you receive are based on the exact same data so you can make the most informed decision. 

Prioritize companies that perform in-person inspections over those that sell virtually.

There’s no substitute for seeing the project site firsthand when it comes to locking in an accurate price and ROI. Virtual evaluations often miss key details, increasing the likelihood of costly change orders during installation due to unforeseen variables.

What does a solar consultation involve?

Solar consultations usually involve:

• Initial conversation: This is your first meeting with a solar company. You’ll discuss your energy usage, savings goals, roof suitability, and general information about going solar. 

• Site assessment: A reputable solar partner will conduct an in-person site visit to evaluate roof orientation, condition, and other key details. Be wary of companies that postpone this step until after contract signing—or claim they can do a full inspection virtually. Skipping an on-site assessment often results in unexpected change orders during installation due to overlooked variables.
• Proposal/system recommendation: Based on your site information, energy needs, and eligibility for incentives and rebates, the installer will provide a detailed proposal with a recommended system (size, equipment, layout), cost, and estimated savings.

Below, we look at each step of the solar consultation process in more detail so you know what to expect. 

Initial conversation

Depending on the solar company, this can be in-person, over the phone, or a virtual solar consultation. The first conversation is all about understanding what’s involved in a solar installation and whether it’s suitable for your property. This is your chance to ask any questions, get to know your installer, and review your current energy usage, estimated savings, and eligibility for incentives and rebates.  

In Arizona, you might be eligible for residential solar incentives like: 

• The federal solar tax credit, which offers a 30% reduction on your tax liability. You can read more about the federal solar tax credit in our blog post: Federal Solar Tax Credit: Everything You Need to Know.
• Arizona state tax credit of up to $1,000 for a solar purchase.

Depending on your utility, you might also be eligible for a solar net billing program. You can read about Arizona’s net billing programs (particularly for APS, SRP, and TEP) in our blog post: Net Billing And The Case for Arizona’s Solar Market. 

Navigating all this stuff can be confusing, and a reputable solar partner will take the time to sit down with you and help you understand your options and the costs and benefits involved. At Sun Valley Solar Solutions, we can evaluate your eligibility for various incentives and rebates and help you get clear on how your utility manages solar installations. 

Site assessment

After your first conversation, a solar professional will visit your property to evaluate its suitability for solar. This includes checking the roof’s orientation, pitch, condition, and any shading caused by trees or nearby structures. 

The goal of this visit is to find the best place to install your solar panels to maximize energy production and efficiency so you get the most out of your investment. At this stage, a roof assessment will also be conducted to make sure your roof is strong enough to support the weight of solar panels for their lifespan. 

Customized solar proposal

After the site assessment, your solar provider will build a proposal based on your energy usage (gathered from past bills), roof layout, and available incentives. This proposal should be clear and transparent, outlining:

• System size and layout
• Equipment details (panels, inverters, mounting system)
• Projected energy production
• Installation costs and financing options
• Estimated savings and payback timeline. 

At Sun Valley Solar Solutions, our proposals are laid out clearly so you know exactly what you’re paying for. One of our team members will walk you through each aspect to make sure you understand what’s involved and are comfortable moving forward with the installation. 

Choosing your solar system

Next, you can review the system design and decide whether it’s the right fit for your needs and budget. Some things to consider in this step include:

• System size: Does the solar panel system meet your household’s energy needs as well as future plans?

• Types of solar panels: There are different types of solar panels, including monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film, each of which differs in terms of efficiency, cost, and appearance. The right choice for you often depends on budget and preferences. 

• Inverters: The two main types of inverters are string inverters and microinverters, both of which have unique benefits and considerations. You can learn more about solar inverters here: What Is a Solar Inverter? Essential Solar Components.

• Solar Batteries: There are different types of batteries, including AC coupled and DC coupled systems. Each have unique advantages depending on your goals and property. Here are some great blogs to learn more about solar batteries.
  
  Adding Batteries without Solar in Arizona

New Powerwall 3 Technology is Slashing Battery Installation Costs

Batteries or Generators: Which Backup Solution is Best for Your Home? 

Questions to ask your solar installer during a consultation

Solar consultations are a great opportunity to really get clear on the benefits of solar, installation process, potential costs and payback period, as well as the expertise and reputation of the solar company you’re considering working with. Don’t be afraid to ask your solar consultant any number of questions you need to make a well-informed decision. 

Below are some questions to ask solar installers during the consultation:

• Can you help me estimate how many solar panels I’ll need?
• Is my roof suitable for a solar installation in terms of angle, material, and shading?
• What happens if my electricity usage increases in the future? Can I expand my solar system later?
• What is the total cost of the system, and what does that include (equipment, labor, permits, etc.)
• Do you offer financing options or payment plans?
• How long will it take for my system to pay for itself through energy savings?
• How much will my utility bill be after going solar?
• What solar incentives, rebates, or tax credits do I qualify for?
• How long will the installation process take, from start to finish?
• What kind of solar panels and inverters do you use?
• Do you handle installation in-house or use subcontractors?
• Can I track my solar panel performance online or through an app?
• How long have you been in business, and how many installations have you completed?
• What do your warranties cover (e.g. equipment, labor, performance)?
• What happens if part of my system breaks? Who do I contact and what’s the process?
• Are you a local company familiar with Arizona weather conditions and utility policies?
• What happens if I move or sell my home after installing solar? (You can learn about this process in our guide: Selling Your Home With Solar Panels: Expert Guide 2025)
• Do you offer a maintenance or monitoring plan?
• Do you offer additional products, like solar batters or EV chargers?
• Can I take my time to think it over, or is there a deadline to sign a contract? (If there’s a deadline, we advise looking elsewhere – a reputable solar company would never make you feel pressured to make a decision). 

Not all solar companies are the same. To help you choose a trusted and reputable solar installer, here are 10 Things to Check Before Hiring Solar System Installers.

How to get the most out of your solar consultation

Below are some tips to get the best value out of your solar consultation: 

• Be prepared: Take some time to research the basics of solar and gather your recent electricity bills. This will help you approach the consultation with some understanding of what’s involved so you can get the most out of your time. 

• Be clear about your goals: Think about why you’re interested in going solar – is it to save money on your energy bill, lower your carbon footprint, or anything else? Knowing your energy goals can guide your system’s design. 

• Ask questions: No question is too big or small. Ask about anything that’s on your mind or you’re unsure about. Good solar installers will take the time to explain every step of the process so you know your options and proceed with confidence. 

• Compare quotes: It’s a good idea to speak with a few different companies and review multiple proposals. This not only allows you to compare quotes but also compare companies. 

• Take your time: Don’t feel pressured to sign anything on the spot. Reputable solar companies will give you space to review the proposal, ask follow-up questions, make requests or changes, and decide to move forward when you’re ready. 

Book a free, no-obligation solar consultation today

Ready to explore solar power? Click here to book a free, no-obligation solar consultation with one of our Solar Integrators at Sun Valley Solar Solutions.