SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Every seven minutes, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) connects a new rooftop solar customer to its energy grid.

As solar adoption increases, it’s more important than ever for customers to know the right things to ask and research when considering solar. With over 20 years as a trusted solar advisor and more than 200,000 rooftop solar customers, PG&E offers the following top four solar tips to help get customers started:

1. Prepare your home: By ensuring their home is energy efficient before going solar, customers can reduce the size of their solar system and potentially save thousands of dollars in upfront costs.

2. Right-size your system: Customers should make sure they understand how the solar system will be sized based on their energy usage history, size of their home’s roof and how they want to use the solar energy. Tools such as PG&E’s Solar Calculator help estimate the right system size.

3. Do the math: Financing options for going solar can raise a lot of important questions. By knowing more about buying, leasing or Power Purchasing Agreements (PPA) for solar, customers can make an informed decision that works based on their budget and lifestyle.

4. Pick your partner: Customers have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a solar vendor. PG&E recommends obtaining bids from at least three solar contractors, similar to other home improvement projects. Customers can search contractors by zip code as well as ensure their contractor is qualified and licensed by the state.

“PG&E is committed to rooftop solar and wants to ensure it continues to grow as a vital resource for our customers and for California. We take our role seriously as a leading energy and solar advisor to make sure our customers are well-informed and prepared before they go solar. We want customers to reach out to us to help them get started on their exciting solar journey,” said PG&E Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Laurie Giammona.

Solar Adoption Heats up in California’s Counties

More Californians are pursuing the option of installing rooftop solar. Over the past six months, the following counties increased in rooftop solar adoption, many by over 20 percent.

To further support these new customers, PG&E recently unveiled a new interactive welcome kit to guide customers through their first years of going solar.

Customers can visit www.pge.com/solar to learn more about what they need to do before going solar, as well as resources for once they do. PG&E’s dedicated solar customer service center is available to answer additional questions or concerns at 1-877-743-4112.

For updates and additional resources, check back often at www.pge.com/cleanenergyca.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.

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Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company