Most homeowners are aware that they can invest in solar power for their homes. What they often don’t quite grasp, however, is the full extent of both the environmental and financial benefits of using solar energy. There is a relatively long list of reasons that make the move to solar worthwhile, so we’re going to cover the biggest or most financially valuable reasons here.
Environmental Benefits Of Solar Energy
There are some significant environmental benefits to using solar energy, and while you may not see some of these benefits directly, intense research and data analysis show that solar energy has a far smaller impact on the planet when examined over the lifetime of the equipment.
Decreased Reliance On Fossil Fuels
This benefit generally has a two-fold effect. Firstly, moving to a primarily solar energy source means that your home no longer needs to rely on the power produced by larger fossil fuel-burning power plants. Not only do these power plants create immense amounts of pollution that cannot be easily sequestered or controlled, but they also contribute to our country’s dependence on oil. This is a big benefit since the US imports nearly half of its total oil and petroleum products, and more solar installations can push that reliance percentage down.
Smaller Carbon Footprint
Producing solar panels and batteries indeed has an environmental impact, however, when compared to the life of the components that impact becomes quite small. This carbon footprint, while not only smaller than fossil fuel power sources, can also be considered a “one-time investment” by most homeowners since the solar panels will seldom need to be replaced.
Maintain Power Even During Grid Outages
While most solar panels tied to the grid are required to activate a rapid shutdown feature in the event of a grid outage, to prevent potentially deadly current from being sent into power lines being repaired, this can be mitigated with newer panels equipped with the latest microinverters. These can create a microgrid for your home, keeping your power on even when the grid is down.
Financial Benefits Of Using Solar Energy
The financial benefits of using solar power are numerous, and once you make your initial investment, you can begin experiencing these financial benefits for yourself. Many of the financial benefits will apply regardless of if you bought your solar system outright with cash, or are financing it over time.
Owning Your Home’s Power
Owning something is nearly always considered to be an asset, and your investment in solar is no different. Rather than renting power from a utility, you are producing it at home, in your own “green” power plant. This lets you own more of the energy your home needs.
Insulation From Constantly Rising Prices
Anyone connected to municipal power companies knows that you are more or less at their mercy when it comes to pricing. Your price per kilowatt-hour may be relatively steady for one year while jumping 4% to 10% over the next year or two. When you produce your power, you become essentially immune to these financial attacks.
Increased Resale Value
Real estate focal point Zillow performed a study using listing and sale data from 2018 and 2019, which showed that homes with solar power installations tend to fetch about 4% higher sales prices than comparable homes lacking solar power.
Tax Credit & Potential Rebates
This is the incentive that many people focus on right away, it is potentially the most valuable in the short term. Using local, state, and federal incentives, homeowners can recoup more than 26% of their total solar investment cost. That can mean thousands, or even tens of thousands, back in the homeowner’s pocket.
Reap The Environmental & Financial Benefits Of Using Solar Energy
There are many more benefits that can be appreciated when you decide to move to solar power. Reach out today for your free quote on your system, and to begin calculating the financial benefits of using solar energy.
