Solar
Solar gets pitched as the first move. It is usually a better move after the efficiency work is done, when the system you are sizing is built around a smaller, more honest load.
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Efficiency first, panels second
Every dollar spent shrinking your home’s energy use before going solar is a dollar of panel capacity you do not have to buy. Air sealing, insulation, and a right-sized HVAC system are cheaper per unit of energy saved than solar is per unit of energy generated, in most cases.
What actually drives payback in Louisiana
Payback period varies a lot with usage patterns, available incentives, and system size, and it changes as those incentives change. Run the real numbers on your specific home and utility rate rather than trusting an installer’s generic estimate.
Sizing a system right
A system sized against your current, inefficient energy use will be oversized once you tighten up the house. That is another reason the order of operations matters: audit and efficiency work first, then size solar against the load you will actually have.
Questions to ask installers
Ask how the system was sized, what assumptions were used about your usage, what the actual production estimate is for your roof orientation and shading, and what happens to your bill in the months your usage is lowest. A straight answer to all four is a good sign.
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