Ways solar can save the planet

Solar energy offers the hope of a global energy solution in the near future. Considering the fact that global capacity for solar energy production is more than doubling every year, the question of whether or not to jump on this growing 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 get to in a moment.

How the homeowner benefits from solar

Consequently, we decided to take a look at what homeowners stand to gain from going the solar power route. As it turns out, there’s quite a lot. Some of the biggest benefits beyond contributing to a greener planet are:
The federal government and some states offer large rebates for installing solar
You can eliminate your monthly electric bill
If you don’t use all the electricity you generate, you can sell the surplus to utilities
Excess power can be used to charge electric vehicles for free
Installing solar panels can increase the value of your home

Solar costs coming down

Currently, having solar panels installed on your home is still a pretty pricey endeavor. Even though the price per watt of photovoltaic panels has dropped more than 20 percent since early 2010, the system required to power the average American home still runs more than $20,000. Fortunately, like we mentioned above, going solar actually costs less than the initial sticker price thanks to some nice financial incentives from the government. It is important to report that solar costs have steadily been declining and competing technologies compete to keep costs falling.
You can get a solar power system installed for next to nothing, 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

This includes a 30 percent federal tax credit based on the gross 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. You can see a breakdown of federal, state, and utility-offered rebates. In addition to getting a good chunk of the upfront cost covered, you’re actually able to sell electricity you generate to your utility company in some cases. This often takes the form of a credit that accumulates throughout the year and becomes a nice payout depending on how much you have to sell. 

Say Goodbye to Your Bill

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

Take control of your energy future now!

If you want to move into the future and join the solar revolution, or if you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 20 years. 

For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.