Solar technology is a wonderful method for saving cash and use completely eco-friendly power, but to be perfectly sincere, it’s not suitable for everybody. Solar power equipment and installation is pricey. Certain areas and house circumstances will not be suitable for generating energy, and certain places and states will not deliver the identical incentives, rendering it a tougher decision. In order to clear up a few of the questions and dilemma, here are 5 various questions you should ask yourself to find out if solar power fits your needs and also your home.
Are You Going To Be At Your Residence For A Long Time?
This is probably the very first and most important questions to ask when it comes to solar powered energy. A solar power system can be quite costly ($10,000-$40,000 depending on the dimension and wattage), so much like when purchasing a property, you need to consider your alternatives carefully. The average house will end up reducing about $100-$200/month based on the incentives and programs you qualify for, so you are looking at about four up to 3 decades before the system pays for itself. If you’re undecided how much time you’ll be in your home, leasing your solar equipment will probably be the best choice.
Does Your State/City Make It Worthwhile?
This is how you’re going to have to do some investigation. Several states (most notably California and Vermont) seriously incentivize the purchase, installation and use of solar panel systems to the degree that you will not just save money, but you may actually profit from your extra energy and from the sale of SRECs. Some other states do not have such programs or possibly a accreditation program for SREC generation, which makes it much more expensive for the same equipment. Do your research, and make sure to find all of the city, state and federal programs you qualify for.
Is Your House In An Ideal Location?
You can’t make solar power without sun rays, so having a home with a little roof (a narrow house) or even a house that is shaded by trees, hillsides or structures will seriously restrict the amount of energy you can generate. You do not need a huge top in direct sunlight for solar to make sense, but the better your situation, the more money you’ll save over the lifetime of the panels.
Do You Have Significant Energy Needs?
Determining your power requirements can be tricky. Most people do not power their houses 100% from solar power, but you need to get a good suggestion of just how much you will need. A typical a solar panel system will produce in between 1000-2000 kWh each month. To get a good idea of just how much energy this is, the easiest way might be to look at your electricity bill to see how much you are currently utilising. Alternately, you might go through your house and add up the electrical appliances you actually need. For instance, a pc uses around 300-500 watts, whereas a refrigerator uses 500-1000 watts. How this switches to kWh is take your total power level usage (for this instance, let’s say it’s only the computer and also the fridge, so around twelve hundred watts) times the time period it’s being utilized (again, let’s think that both are utilized twenty-four hours/day) and you get 28,800 watt hours (or 28.8 kWh). There are also gadgets you can get to evaluate your utilization, or you can merely look at your meter and measure it from month to month or daily.
Is Going Green Crucial To You?
Finally, how important is it that you “go green”? For some, the cost, the irritation of trying to get governing programs and the prospective to save virtually no cash depending on your circumstances may not matter when you take into consideration the positive impact you’ll be having on the environment. The green facet of going solar is an intangible value that you’ll need to think about and decide for yourself what its worth. Ultimately, there will be some cost associated with either decision, so weigh all of the implications and options carefully before making your final decision.