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Homeowners are continually looking for ways to make their homes more energy-efficient and reduce their impact on the environment.
There are many ways to achieve this. You may be wondering if it is worth investing in solar panels? There are many benefits to generating your electricity in this way, both ecological and financial.
Here are a few facts that might help make that decision easier.
Save Money On Your Energy Bills
The more power you generate with through your solar panels, the less you will have to pay to energy companies.
You can find out how many solar panels your need to supply your home’s energy needs with this solar calculator from Home Solar.
If you have a surplus of energy, you can even make money by selling it back to the energy companies. If your energy use is low and you live in a particularly sunny location, you could even derive a small income from your solar panels.
Reduce Your Impact On The Environment
With the impact of climate change becoming more apparent, people are starting to take steps to reduce their impact on the environment and make their homes sustainable. One way you can do this through your home is by using solar panels. The less you have to rely on fossil fuels for energy needs, the better. The US second only to China in emissions of carbon dioxide.
It is estimated that the average home, using solar panels, will offset approximately 100,000 lbs of carbon dioxide in 20 years. This is the same as dring a family car on a journey of 100,000 miles.
You Can Store Electricity For Darker Days
By investing in battery storage, you can power your home 24/7, not just when the sun is shining. You’ll also have some reserves if there’s a power cut too.
You Can Take Advantage Of Financial Incentives
Cost is often a factor in people choosing not to install solar panels. There are ways to offset this. Depending on where you live, there are a number of incentives available to homeowners to greatly reduce the cost of the equipment and installation. You’ll be able to recoup the costs of the equipment even sooner.
They Require Very Little Maintenance
Aside from the occasional cleaning, solar panels require almost no maintenance. Systems that were made earlier can last for up to 25 years and more recent models, almost double that.
Solar Panels Increase Your Property Value
Properties with existing solar panels are very attractive to prospective buyers. They know that they will be looking at reduced energy costs and won’t have to spend any money on the installation themselves. The Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory found that the average sale price of a home with solar panels was $17,000 higher than those without.
Selecting the Right Contractor
Solar panels are reasonably new technology, so you need to select a contractor whose bread and butter is solar panels. This Solar Panel Contractor has been fitting solar panels to residential homes for over 20 years. They also connect a battery storage system at the home, so you can store excess energy on particularly sunny summers. First, a project coordinator and his team arrive at your house. They then plan where the solar panels should be fitted for maximum efficiency and then safely plan how to get on the roof. As luck would have it, they’re a team of veterans too, so they work honestly, quickly and with integrity. Solar panels are great for homes that get sunshine all year round and even for those that don’t. If you can save a few hundred dollars a year for the rest of your life, solar panels are worth every penny.
There are very few negatives to solar panels. Some people think that they look a bit unsightly, but in the grand scheme of things, does that really matter? The pros of solar panels far outweigh the cons.
Please note that some of the links above and below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.
Understand that unless you have an actual storage system…about $3,000 to $4,000, you can’t keep this energy. You are exchanging it for credits to your energy company. So when California had rolling blackouts people were still without power! Eventually the cells die, they must be replaced. You bare this cost. It goes into the landfill. If these were installed incorrectly you get roof leaks! We had to replace our roof, ceilings, etc! The company was long since gone out of business. A lot of this is dubious so do your homework about the company. Do they have a track record? Get names of other people who have this. How NEW ARE THEY TO THIS INDUSTRY? DON’T ASSUME YOU CAN TRUST THEM! They may be gone by next year! We got really ripped off with no recourse. It’s a dicey business area, like many construction companies. Call your state Capitol to check on their license, do they have any mechanic leans on them? This means they skipped out without paying the workers and YOU NOW HAVE TO PAY TWICE OTHERWISE THEY CAN TAKE YOUR HOME! Do they have worker’s insurance, ask to see it and call on it! DO NOT TRUST ANYTHING THEY SAY WITHOUT VERIFICATION! I speak from sad experience on this! We almost lost our home and had to take out a second mortgage to pay off the workers and get our roof replaced!
Hi Jauquetta, Thank you so much for this important information. I am so sorry that you were ripped off and had such a terrible experience. We are just starting our search for solar panel companies and your info is very valuable to us.