Why do YOU want to go solar?
Many of the early adopters of solar energy were out to save the earth at any cost. They lead the charge and helped form the now booming solar energy industry. However these days, people are choosing to install solar panels for a myriad of reasons; To save money, to have fixed, predictable energy costs, to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and ultimately to leave an earth and civilization behind that their grandchildren’s children can enjoy.
What’s your reason?
Knowing and vocalizing your reasons for going solar can impact the size and type of system that you install. If you are most concerned with independence from foreign oil, you may want to put in a system that offsets 100% of your energy usage. Offsetting 100% of your usage is the fastest way to take yourself out of the loop of dependence on foreign oil for your personal needs.
However, using solar panels to produce 100% of the energy your house uses in a year often does not have the best return on investment (ROI). If your power company has a tiered rate plan, your biggest bang for your buck (aka ROI) might be to produce only enough power to reduce your demand such that it falls into one of the two lowest rate tiers. (A detailed explanation of tiered rate plans can be found our your energy providers website.)
If your goal is just to have fixed, predictable energy payments, then the question just comes down to how your want to pay for your system. Do you ultimately want to own your system so that you benefit from the energy produced for the life of the system, or do you just wanted fixed energy costs for 10-20 years? If it’s the latter, a solar power purchase agreement or a solar loan might make the most sense for you.
Whatever your reason, please explain it in detail to whichever installer you choose so that they can help you design & install a system that meets your goals. Welcome to the solar revolution!
And as always, we’re happy to get you set up with a free estimate for a solar installation for your home.
Why to go solar
Thank you for a good post! I particularly liked how you said that you don't have to eliminate your electricity bills but lower them so that you're in the lowest tier. It makes a lot of sense.I think that there are several distinct reasons for why one would want to go green. For solar panels, it can be a fun DIY project especially if you have kids or grand children. In that case, you can help educate them in green living and kids just love helping around building stuff.There's also the money saving and environmentally beneficial aspects. Depending on your electricity needs and the solar power system you're looking for, there's the possibility to completely eliminate your electricity bills. With the help of other green energy solutions such as wind turbines, this is actually a reality for people nowadays.All the best/Jeremy Green housing