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Solar ROI January 2019

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If you buy a rooftop solar system, how long will it take for the savings you realize each month on your electric bill to equal the cost of the system? That’s called “return on investment: and it’s the kind of question financial consultants and accountants tend to ask. But if you are considering rooftop solar, you should be asking yourself the same question. There are two reasons to install rooftop solar at your home. First, it’s the right thing to do. As the Earth gets warmer, we all owe it to ourselves and to our fellow humans to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible. Second, it can save you money. Instead of paying a hefty utility bill each month, you can generate some of your own electricity and put the savings to work paying for your solar panel system. Once the system is paid off, the savings go directly into your pocket for as long as the system continues to make electricity. Most solar systems come with a 20 year guarantee, but a useful life of 25 to 30 years is com

Online Solar Power Resources

Want to learn more about how solar energy works? The Union of Concerned Scientists has compiled a wonderful overview of the sun’s power to harness energy in an article called, “ The Solar Resource .” It offers a nice introduction to photovoltaic (PV) panels and their potential kilowatt-hours per year for a typical US household. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority offers a series of nice links to resources about solar for a home as part of its community solar awareness and empowerment programs. The site answers a series of frequently asked questions about residential solar. How does solar energy work? What are the benefits of solar? Am I ready for solar? How do I get started with solar? How do I pay for solar? Wondering what the total solar energy picture looks like right now in the US? The Solar Energy Industry Association constantly updates its “ Solar Market Insight ” to describe current Gigawatts (GW) of total installed capacity and how many

Rooftop Solar ROI

The idea of putting solar panels on the roof of your home is very appealing. Once installed, the can produce free electricity for decades. Who doesn’t like free? Rooftop solar systems themselves are not free, however. The first question most homeowners ask is, “How long will it take to for the system to pay for itself?” The answer to that question depends on many variables. Here are some of them. The cost of the system The price of electricity in your area The efficiency of your solar panels   Federal, state, and local rebates and incentives Local utility company policies Let’s take them one at a time. The Cost of Your System No two rooftop solar systems are the same, so no two systems will cost the same. But on average, the typical residential solar installation in the United States has a capacity of 6,000 watts. Since the average installed cost is $3.14 per watt, that typical system has a gross cost of $18,840. Notice that pri

Solar Panel Installation Cost

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Solar panels save most buyers a lot of money. Solar panel installation costs are not always easy to swallow, though. The fact is, you sometimes have to spend money to save money. And you sometimes have to spend a lot of money to save a lot of money. Solar panels are not really like TVs or phones when it comes to cost; they're more like tiles or mulch. That is, there is not dramatic variation in the technology options, and the differences in cost are mostly just related to how many you need. If you have a big roof and use a lot of electricity, you need more solar panels. If you have a small roof or a heavily shaded roof or you just don't use much electricity, you don't need as many solar panels and the price will be lower. There's an extra factor that is important, though. While the number of solar panels you need to have installed and the price of those panels are heavily dependent on your home and your energy use, and not very dependent on the solar

Is Solar Worth It?

Governments, businesses, and consumers are increasingly supporting the development of alternative energy sources and new technologies for electricity generation. Solar power is becoming one of the most popular renewable energy choices, as it has a nearly inexhaustible supply source. Yes, installing residential solar is definitely worth it. Here’s why. Cost Savings With prices falling rapidly, installing home solar panels can dramatically trim your energy bills. New technology has sent solar prices plummeting more than 60% in the past several years, so the time it takes to recoup what you paid for your system, also known as the payback period, is shorter than ever. Google’s Project Sunroof is in the process of helping homeowners to determine their potential home solar panel savings. Tax Credits Homeowners who buy their panels — instead of leasing them — can claim a federal tax credit worth 30% of their purchase at tax season, which translates into a $6,000 return on a $20,000 home sol

7 Advantages of Solar Energy

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There are dozens of solar energy advantages when compared to all other energy sources, even compared to other renewable energy sources on some topics. I will run through several of these advantages of solar energy in the article below. However, there are numerous others that benefit society, your local and national economy, and all types of living creatures on the planet. Solar Makes You Feel Good Starting with an advantage that doesn't get nearly enough love or attention, this one is perhaps the biggest solar advantage of all. People often like to crunch numbers when considering the advantages of solar power, but much of this is about rationalizing a feeling. Also, no simple numbers compare to the good feeling you get every day when you think about something cool and helpful that you bought. For all of the reasons below, it just feels good to go solar. Having that feeling pop into your head and heart each time you think of your rooftop solar system is, as a certain credit

Cost Of Solar

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