How solar affects the climate

Perhaps a better question is: how do greenhouse gases affect the climate? News reports of global weather extremes, droughts, fires and more help us realize we are in the midst of a warming planet. Solar energy offers the hope of a global energy solution now. Prices for solar panels are falling, which makes many more people consider installing solar. Considering the fact that global capacity for solar energy production is doubling every year, the question of whether or not to get in on this trend is one that homeowners are faced with more often than ever. Now there are a  number of companies offering to outfit homes with solar panels at little to no cost to the owner—with some caveats we’ll discuss shortly.

Solar costs are falling

Currently, installing solar panels in your home is still a relatively expensive effort. Even though the price per watt of photovoltaic panels has dropped more than 20 percent since early 2010, a system required to power the average American home still costs from $10,000 to $20,000. Fortunately, switching to solar actually costs less than the initial sticker price thanks to some financial incentives from the government. It is important to report that solar costs have steadily been dropping and competing technologies try to keep costs falling. You can get a solar power system installed for little money down, but the companies that provide them do so in exchange for signing an equipment lease and turning over government rebates and a cut on any extra energy produced.

Federal tax credits for solar energy

Tax credits are making it sweeter for homes and businesses to enter the renewable energy world. This includes a 30 percent federal tax credit based on the cost of setting up the system. The state you live in will have its own form of a rebate. In California, for example, the rebate amounts to several hundred dollars. In some states, it’s in the thousands.  In addition to getting a good chunk of the upfront cost covered, you’re actually able to sell electricity you generate back to your utility company in some cases. This often takes the form of a credit that accumulates throughout the year and becomes a substantial payout depending on how much you have to sell.

Say goodbye to your electric bill

In many situations, installing solar power on your home doesn’t entirely liberate you from the power grid. You will still need a way to send the excess power to the utilities and without rather large and expensive batteries there’s no way to store excess power for later use. Even though you’re still connected to the power company, the amount of energy you’re generating can take care of your needs, so you’ll no longer be paying an electric bill. For most households, this means a savings of hundreds of dollars per month, especially during the summertime when electricity usage is higher.

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save.

Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.