Solar powered electricity and energy are becoming more common and more efficient in the residential and commercial spaces, and the industry continues to grow each year. Having a system on your home to give you power is hugely impactful in several ways, and if you’re on the fence, we’ll help you see that the benefits far outweigh the costs, especially in the long run.
We are committed to giving you the best experience while learning about going solar and you can trust that we wouldn’t steer you towards something we didn’t wholeheartedly believe in. Having a home solar system is a way to help your wallet, help the country, and help the earth, and here is how:
1. Solar can reduce your electricity bill.
Energy that is created from harnessing the power of the sun can be more efficient than energy from power lines. Solar energy is the cheapest form of energy in history! With new legislation calling for greener energy, more funding is going towards renewable energy, so that means less money has to come from your pocket.
Our utility bills, on the other hand, have continued to climb upwards and in the United States, they’ve increased by at least 15% in the last ten years and they continue to rise! The sunlight is free, everywhere, and easy to harness, so why would you limit the savings that you can have, especially because solar is becoming cheaper and more efficient every year?
Solar panels have dropped in price by about 45% in the last decade, and they continue on that path. Think about all the money you could save on utilities!
2. You can get a great return on investment!
Solar panels are expensive. No one is going to try and convince you otherwise. However, we like to refer to your solar “purchase” as an investment, because it has some great returns that can seriously impact your future. If you do the math comparing your current utility bill with a solar loan payment, you’ll see that your return was totally worth your investment for long-term savings.
Depending on your state, you can save $15,000-$30,000 on electricity over 20 years. Like with most environmentally conscious decisions, we don’t see the result immediately, but over time and with consistent effort we can see huge changes that make a world of difference. You’ll be going green in more ways than one!
3. Solar increases your property value over time.
Property value is constantly changing with the different economic markets moving at different speeds and directions all at once. Something that will consistently have a higher value amongst other properties will be your home with solar panels. Solar panels and a solar system, because of their excellent savings, are going to increase the value of your home should you ever choose to sell.
Buyers across the country are willing to pay on average an extra $15,000 on homes with solar, and that’s just to start, but there isn’t a set number that your property will increase by, though some have tried the following equation: $20 of value for every $1 saved on annual utility bills.
According to the Appraisal Journal, this is a common way that homes with solar have been appraised, but it is not certain because of the buyer’s possible perception. Naturally, some will see solar as more valuable than others, so it depends on your buyer and how they view renewable energy and lower utility bills, because everyone has their preferences.
Your individual real estate market also plays a role.
4. You help to create jobs and boost the economy.
In 2016, there were approximately one million solar energy projects in operation across the nation, and they were saving American’s tens of millions of dollars per year. With solar growing as quickly as it is (one of the fastest growing industries in the world, and the fastest among renewable energy), more systems are being installed and more jobs are being created. Since 2010, the solar workforce has increased by over 120%, and 2016 was the third consecutive year that solar employment grew by about 20%.
In 2020, the US solar industry employed over 230,000 Americans even amongst the global pandemic, and it is on track to reach 400,000 jobs in the solar energy industry by 2030. The solar workforce is also one of the most diverse of all workforces, with women at almost three times the rate of the overall construction industry, Hispanic and Latinx about 3% above the national average, and other demographics hitting an all-time high in the industry.
5. You’ll be helping the US become energy independent.
With a bit of back and forth going on about the United States’ energy independence, no matter what facts you know, going solar is undoubtedly bringing the nation closer to full independence. Going renewable, especially solar, is a surefire way to continue towards the end of relying on other nations to provide us with resources.
Especially those that are nonrenewable, because we want to avoid those as much as we possibly can. If you’re creating your own energy by using sunlight, that’s that much less energy that needs to be imported and that much more that the United States is producing on its own. Plus, the sunlight is free, and it ends up costing everyone less money because we don’t have to worry about importing fees and whatnot. What a great way to show support to your nation and its people and ideals, while helping the earth stay safe and clean.
6. You help the planet by reducing carbon emissions.
Who doesn’t want to help the planet? Solar is one of the top producing energy resources in the world, and as it continues to grow, it becomes more efficient every day.
One solar panel creates about 50g of CO2 per kilowatt-hour, while coal creates 975g of CO2 per kilowatt-hour, making solar about twenty times cleaner than coal.
Think about that on a larger scale—most systems have 20-25 panels, each creating 20 times less carbon dioxide emissions than energy from burning coal. That difference is enormous, with about 1,000g of CO2 versus 20,000g of CO2. Reducing these emissions is wildly important for the future of our planet, because without conscious change, the earth will continue to be filled with greenhouse gases and emissions that could easily be avoided.
7. Panels are easy to maintain, and the installation is hands-off for you!
With awesome warranties and the great customer service of our trusted solar providers, you will barely have to do any work for your system to do its best energy creation and most efficient electricity conversion. Installation is completely hands-free for you, and maintenance doesn’t really get much easier than solar. If you notice an issue with your equipment or your system, give us a call, and we will come fix it without any extra charge if you’re under warranty.
If you notice your panels are covered in a couple layers of dirt, dust, or a hoard of leaves, simply hop up on a ladder and hose them off lightly, and they’ll be good as new. The panels create a bit of heat in their energy production, so if there’s snow, it’ll melt faster than the snow on your roof and leave your panels in the clear once again.
8. Solar is the fastest growing renewable energy resource in the world.
As mentioned before, solar is growing faster than we ever anticipated. It took about 40 years to get to one million systems installed, and only two years to get to the second million, and it is predicted that by 2023, there’ll be over 4 million solar systems producing energy.
More and more people are seeing the financial and conscious benefits of investing in solar panels for their homes, and there are several companies that have invested in solar as well, including Google, Apple, Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Disney! More people are seeing not only the personal benefits but the worldwide change that happens when people make the decision to join the movement.
There is no better time than now to become part of the furiously growing industry that is changing the world, one home at a time.
9. You can receive tax credits and other incentives.
There is a federal tax credit of 30%. Installing a solar system can even affect your wallet through giving you a boost during the worst time of the year—tax season! Every state has different regulations for incentives as well, so make sure to do some research on the benefits that going solar can get you on state taxes.
Having a federal tax incentive is a huge boost to some, and it’s not very complicated to go through, so anyone that has solar that takes advantage of this would agree that it’s another great addition to all the awesome reasons to go solar!
10. The panels work everywhere, all the time.
Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, the ones that most residential installers use, work with direct and indirect sunlight. As long as you don’t have an enormous canopy of trees over your roof, your panels will be able to work in all kinds of weather conditions without you having to lift a finger. Even in the winter in colder states, snow melts off quickly and the panels are left unobstructed from direct and indirect sunlight, though if the snow is taking too long for your liking, there are ways to safely and efficiently clean off your panels.
Rain is a great way to get your panels a free wash from dust and debris that might be in the way of your PV panels’ access to light. If you’re in a pretty dry place, there’s easy maintenance as described above. No matter the heat, cold, rain, or shine, the panels are efficient and work well without much change in their energy production and electricity capacities.
These benefits are a huge part of the decision-making process to going solar, and we know that they’re important to consider alongside the costs.
Going solar isn’t something anyone should go into without knowing this important information, and we are here to help you with any other questions you might have about benefits or any of the potential costs. We are all for you doing what is best for you, and with these benefits in mind, you can truly make an informed decision.
About Shop Renewable Energy
Shop Renewable Energy started because of a simple question: Which company should we go solar with? As we navigated going solar for our own roofs, we discovered that there were dozens of local and national companies offering different discounts, solar panels, ownership agreements, and more. With hours of research, we made our decision, but we recognized that many homeowners are choosing their solar installers blindly. That’s where we came up with the idea for Shop Renewable Energy. As a small business, we look to improve the lives of our customers by making the solar journey more simple than ever. We do this by connecting homeowners with the best local solar companies in your neighborhood. We hope that you can utilize our business to shop for the best renewable energy in your area!