6 Things You Didn’t Know About Solar Panels
The Sun has always been a source of wonder for mankind throughout its history. We have gone from worshipping the Sun due to the large number of deities representing the Sun to using the Sun’s energy to power our everyday activities.
Solar energy has become today more common for the average homeowner than ever before. Nowadays, solar panels are being installed across the country due to their improved efficiency and reduced prices.
Are solar panels right for you? Here are 5 things you didn’t know about solar panels to help you decide.
1. Solar Panels Have Gotten Cheaper
As the demand for more solar energy has increased due to the interest to reduce the carbon footprint of the household, the cost for solar installer jobs has decreased. The price of panels has dropped 80% since 2008. This has significantly decreased the solar panel installation cost for the homeowner.
More homeowners are learning about the benefits of solar as the prices have decreased: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power#Forecasts.
2. Solar Panels Have Gotten Better
As technology has improved, solar panel cells have become more efficient in turning the sunlight into clean and free energy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), rated average efficiencies to be around 15%-20% in 2020. The first silicon solar panels built in the 80’s had an efficiency of only 6%.
As research continues in the solar energy field, solar cells will become more and more efficient and the price per kWh of solar power installed will continue to decrease. This will make PV panels even more useful as an energy source and a tool to reduce the carbon footprint of a building, while reducing the monthly energy bills for the user.
3. Solar Panels Get Energy Even On Cloudy Days
Many solar installation companies get questions such as: solar panels work on cloudy days? they work on rainy days? etc. The answer is yes! On cloudy days, solar panel cells still receive light from the Sun, even if this light is reduced in intensity, and for this reason, solar panels continue to generate power.
On rainy days, the light is even weaker in intensity, however, solar cells continue to work and produce power at reduced capacity.
The placement of the PV (photovoltaic) panels is still important. If your house is surrounded by tall trees producing a lot of shade, or by buildings that are taller than your house, your solar panels will have a diminished exposure to the Sun. Once you contact a local solar installer, he will come and look at your roof, and will tell you if your roof is suited for solar or not.
Luckily, solar panels can also be installed in the backyard where you might have a better exposure to the Sun.
4. Solar Panels Can Pay For Themselves
The solar installation cost is still a concern for many homeowners today. By reducing your power bill producing your own power (solar), you can pay for the installation in less than a decade. Depending on the size of the PV system, what type of solar panels you use (monocrystalline or polycrystalline panels), and the capacity of the inverter installed, the PV system can produce more or less energy.
If you install a battery system to store the excess energy produced by the panels, the installation price of the PV system will get higher, but you save even more on energy bills. Such a PV system can help you pay almost zero on the monthly bills.
Even so, since most panels come with a 25-year warranty, after the decade dedicated to recover the installation cost, what follows is only free energy and benefits for the homeowner.
In many U.S. states, net metering has become available for any homeowner producing solar energy. Due to net metering, solar homeowners can sell back the excess energy produced by the panels to the power company. This is another source of income for solar homeowners, which can reduce the time required to recover the installation cost of the PV system even more.
Net metering can help the PV system to pay for itself much quicker.
5. Solar Panels Benefit Your House
Besides the energy costs, having solar panels installed on your roof can boost your home’s resale value. A recent research conducted by Zillow, found that homes with solar panels installed are sold for 4.1% more than homes without PV panels installed.
Nowadays, buyers are very interested to see a renewable energy system installed that can lower the carbon footprint and the monthly energy bills. They know that such a building is more efficient and more attractive for tenants or a future buyer of the house, so they always choose a house with solar panels installed on the roof.
There is also the benefit of tax breaks. Many governmental incentives and tax breaks are still available for homeowners and companies that want to install solar panels on the roof to reduce their carbon footprint and the monthly expenses on energy bills.
Many states offer a variety of tax breaks for using solar, and finding a local solar installer near, you can help you get state-specific tax benefits of installing solar.
6. Harness the Sun for Your Home
Solar energy isn’t something you only hear about on the news now. In time it becomes a much stronger option for the average homeowner and for many companies because is considered a viable source of clean power that works during the day.
Now that you know what are solar panels and how can they increase the value of your home while reducing your monthly bills, which will save more money on your pocket, you can contact a local solar installer to know if solar panels are suited for, and if they represent a good investment for you.
Conclusion
We consider that the future of alternative energy and especially solar power, is very important because a renewable resource like the Sun can help us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
Check out our other articles about sustainability and renewable energy, because only this way you will better understand how important is to save the environment while reducing your monthly energy bills and increasing the value of our home.
