Homeowner FAQs

Overview

Projects that have batteries installed inside of an attached garage will often see the AHJ require a heat detection system to be installed. Below is some useful information for homeowners to get a better understanding of what a heat detection system is and how to program it.

What is a Heat Detector?

A heat detector is a device used in fire detection systems to identify the presence of a fire by sensing changes in temperature. Unlike smoke detectors that respond to the presence of smoke particles, heat detectors react to a rise in temperature caused by fire Heat detectors are often used in environments where smoke detectors may not be suitable, such as kitchens, garages, or dusty and dirty areas, because they are less prone to false alarms from non-fire-related particles. They are an essential component of comprehensive fire safety systems, providing an additional layer of protection.

The Honeywell Home ProA7 and ProA7Plus Security Systems Local Programming Guide provides detailed instructions on setting up and programming the security panels locally. Key points include:

• System Startup and Programming Modes:
  • Upon initial power-up, the system offers options for communicator setup or local programming. Selecting "Local Alarm Mode" bypasses the communicator setup and directs to the "Home" screen.
• Accessing Local Programming:
  • To enable or disable Local Alarm Mode, access the Tools menu, enter the installer code (default 4112), and toggle the "Local Alarm Mode".
• Partition Management:
  • Up to four partitions can be added or edited, each requiring a name. Entry and exit delays can be configured, ranging from 15 seconds to 4 minutes for entry and up to 120 seconds for exit.
• Arming Features:
  • Features include Quick Arm (arming without a user code), Force Bypass (automatically bypasses faulted zones when arming), Chime Mode (customizable chime sounds for zones), Quick Exit, and Silent Exit (doubling exit delay time without audible warning).
• User Management:
  • Users can be added or edited with assigned names, 4-digit codes, and authority levels (e.g., Standard User, Duress, Guest). Bluetooth disarming and Z-Wave lock control options are also available.
• Advanced Programming:
  • Various settings such as Old Alarm Time, Communication Paths, Alarm Report Delays, Time Zones, and RF Jam detection are configurable. Options include enabling Alexa, setting backlight timeouts, and configuring fire and burglary bell timeouts.
• System Notifications and Reports:
  • Configurations for inactivity notifications, RF jamming detection, swinger shutdown limits, and test report frequencies ensure system reliability and security.

Honeywell YouTube Resources:

ESP offers a variety of additional services from removal and reinstallation, to cleaning your solar panels. Please visit our Service Options website to learn more. 

ESP also offers an optional upgrade for homeowners with solar that includes monitoring, health checks, and inspections for a nominal monthly subscription. Your investment is worth protecting! Click here to learn more

Overview

The solar investment tax credit was extended at 30% through 2032. Homeowners do not need any paperwork from ESP. There are a few lines to fill out on IRS form 5695 for residential energy tax credits. Any questions about tax liability, qualifying expenses, or other issues should be directed to a qualified tax professional.

It is important to note the solar tax credit is not guaranteed and any credit mentioned at the time of sale is an estimate.

What is the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP)?

SGIP is a California Public Utilities Commission program that offers rebates for installing energy storage technology in your home. These storage technologies include battery storage systems that can function in the event of a power outage. 

What are the benefits of energy storage for your home?

• If you already have solar panels on your roof, you can store excess solar energy and use it
  when the sun is not out.
• Even if you do not have solar panels, this technology allows you to store energy from the electric grid and utilize that power in the event of a power outage. Depending on the battery and how much you are using it, this could last several hours, or longer.
• Battery storage can be an important component of a more robust emergency preparedness plan in the event of a power outage.

Am I eligible for SGIP rebates?

Any residential customer of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), or San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is eligible for a General Market SGIP rebate of approximately $250/kilowatt-hour, which means the rebate covers approximately 25 percent of the cost of an average energy storage system. In addition to this General Market rebate, there are two additional categories of higher SGIP rebates for residential customers: Equity and Equity Resiliency.

For more information on SGIP and to find eligibility requirements, please visit the SGIP page on the California Public Utilities Commission website

Energy Service Partners is proud to be among the elite in the Pearl Home Services Network. Pearl is a nationwide third-party certifier of energy-efficient home improvement service providers. What this means for you is an opportunity to get official certification documents for your home solar system, as well as access to Pearl’s network of providers through Green Door to up your home score even further!

What’s included:

• An official Pearl Home Solar Certification packet, showcasing information about your home’s high-performing solar features
• Appraiser & Realtor documents, approved by the Appraisal Institute and the National Association of Realtors
• Access to Green Door, Pearl’s homeowner dashboard for all energy-efficient home upgrades

Solar can improve a home’s value by a significant amount, and Pearl helps you document this when the time comes to sell or refinance your home.

If a homeowner with a completed solar project is in the process of selling their house, they can transfer ownership of the system to the new homeowners. Homeowners looking to initiate this process can call or chat into the ESP Project Management team, providing the support representative with the new homeowner's name, email, and phone number. ESP will send the new homeowner an updated monitoring link so they have access to the system. ESP also recommends providing the new homeowners with a copy of the contract.

Can I transfer a project to a new homeowner before it is completed?

ESP can not transfer ownership of a solar project before it is completed.

Can I transfer the PPA to a new homeowner?

Yes, you can transfer the PPA to the new homeowners. The new homeowner is guaranteed approval and the same price for the system.

Can I transfer a loan to the new homeowner?

Yes, you can transfer a loan to a new homeowner. Please reach out to the lender to learn more about this process. 

What happens to the warranty if I sell my home?

The original warranty, as listed in the original contract, will be honored. 

Click here to request a proposal for solar or a reroof. 

Overview

If you live in an area with lots of pigeons or squirrels, it is possible that they might try to nest up under the panels, or potentially damage the wiring. The best thing to do is contact us and request a quote for critter guard, which is a barrier around the edges of the solar array. If there are already nests underneath the panels, a pest control company may need to clean up the situation first.

To get a custom quote for Critter Guard click here.

Overview

If you have a solar-related roof leak, contact us through our Live Chat right away. We offer a 10-year workmanship warranty that includes any roof penetrations related to the solar array, so we will want to investigate immediately.

To get a head start on the warranty process, please fill out the Warranty Request form. 

The solar installation itself, where our install crew comes and puts panels on the roof, is dependent on the system size. Most solar projects will take about 1-2 days to be completely installed however, larger systems or projects with batteries will require additional site visits.

If you're curious about the length of specific stages of the project, please visit the process and timelines section of the knowledge base or the Solar 101 page on our website!

Installing solar eliminates the majority of utility expenses. There are a few reasons you might receive a power bill when you have solar installed, so this will help clarify.

Remember: you will continue to receive a utility billing statement from the power company.

It's important to know that you will have to pay a little bit every month to be hooked up to the grid, because of net metering and the accompanying standard connection fees. (A solar salesperson should never, ever promise that you won't get a power bill at all, or that you'll be "100% off the grid".) 

If your system is designed to cover all of your electric usage, the utility bill will include nominal fees and taxes, but will not include any charges for actual electricity consumed. If this is the bill you're talking about, it's normal and everyone else with solar still receives it too.

Please note: depending on your utility, you may have other charges for gas, water, garbage, etc. also included. The solar array will ONLY affect your electric billing and has no impact on any other utilities you receive and consume unless your specific municipality offers credits that lower your overall bill.

Your consumption may have increased recently.

Your solar is designed to produce a specific amount of energy. Systems are generally designed based on your historic usage. For example, if your home uses about 10,000 kWh per year, and the solar system is designed to produce 10,000 kWh, you wouldn't be charged for electricity. However, if you increase your usage to 15,000 kWh next year, you will be charged for the excess. The solar can't start producing extra power "just because". (Solar might seem like magic for how quickly and easily it eliminates your power bill, but it's more Star Trek than Lord of the Rings.)

This can happen without you realizing it. For example, your AC might be running longer if you're staying at home more often during the day. Certain appliances can be "vampires" and draw energy even when powered off. Many people spent a lot more time at home since March 2020 due to pandemic-related lockdowns, and power bills jumped up because of that. There are plenty of ways to conserve energy and reduce consumption, and it's up to individual homeowners to explore what will work best for them.

Your solar may have an issue.

Lastly, your solar may be experiencing some trouble. Solar panels are extremely durable and stable devices, but they are electronics, and can't ever be guaranteed 100% perfect right out of the box. Inverters can experience errors, outages, or failures as well. Every solar array is equipped with a monitoring system that allows users to identify problems in real time.

If your system ever reports a production error, please fill out the Warranty Request form to get a claim started.

Overview

Every solar array comes with a monitoring app included for the homeowner. Enphase and SolarEdge are the two primary providers of this feature. You will receive instructions as soon as your system is activated. Production reports or alerts will go directly to the homeowner.

If your system uses Enphase, go to our Enphase FAQ.

If your system uses SolarEdge, go to our SolarEdge FAQ.

Please note that ESP does not monitor system production for homeowners, and it is up to the homeowner to notify us of concerns with your system.

Solar panels require little maintenance to continue operating for years. Cleaning once or twice a year helps improve production. In the event of severe smog or ash from wildfires, hosing the panels off isn't a bad idea, but we would never encourage you to climb up on your roof or do anything unsafe. If you're going to use water to clean the panels, do it either early in the morning or later in the evening, so that you're not hitting them with cold water while they're directly in the hot sun.

ESP also offers a professional solar panel array cleaning service.

Please use this link to get a custom quote.

Check out our blog post for more details.

Overview

Having a seamless warranty process plays a crucial role in providing peace of mind to customers when they have system or installation concerns. At ESP we understand the significance of these requests and the importance of addressing them promptly and effectively.

ESP provides a 25-year limited warranty on workmanship and a 10-year limited roof work warranty. Please refer to your signed Customer Agreement for detailed Warranty information.

Submitting a Warranty Request

When a problem arises with a system, or the homeowner would like to report a claim for damages, the homeowner must submit their warranty requests to ESP directly using the Warranty Request Form. This process ensures we have accurate and complete information.

Once the Warranty Request Form is submitted, the homeowner will get a call back from a Warranty Specialist within 48 hours. Given the diverse range of potential issues that may arise, certain warranty matters can be addressed immediately, while others may take longer due to factors outside of ESP's control. Please note that ESP is committed to resolving any problem swiftly. 

Throughout the process, homeowners will be informed and updated about any developments or changes related to their warranty issues.

If the Warranty Issue is an emergency, please call ESP at (866) 865-4559 and a Project Manager will assist you.