Easy Home Solar Power | Benefits of Solar Power for Homes



Benefits of Solar Power for Homes

There are many benefits of solar energy use in our homes.

Financial Benefits of Solar Energy:

  • The available amount of fossil fuels and the future price of the fuel is uncertain. If you use solar energy, oil prices won’t affect your household electricity.
  • The trend has been an increase in electric rates, sometimes as much as 30% in one year. Since your solar power system will last for 20 – 25 years, you’ll actually see more of a savings further down the road.
  • The newly amended Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 (H.R. 1424) for solar tax incentives gives the homeowner a 30% federal solar tax credit, with no cap (previously there was a $2000 cap). This lowers the effective cost of your system substantially.

Environmental Benefits of Solar Energy:

  • Reduce your carbon footprint by utilizing your own renewable energy. A typical 2kW home solar energy system will offset over 4000 lbs of CO2 each year.
  • If more people in an area would utilize solar energy it can help reduce the number of power plants that come online during peak periods of energy demand (late morning to early evening). The fewer “peak” power plants running, the less CO2 emitted.
  • You personally helping to slow down global warming.
  • Solar power for homes produce no environmental contaminants or greenhouse gases.

Feel-Good Benefits of Solar Energy:

  • Solar power systems are reliable and dependable. If a battery bank is not utilized in the home solar power system, there is virtually no maintenance needed. There are no moving parts in the basic components and the hook-up is very straight forward.
  • You can become more energy independent. You are no longer tied to the electric rate increases if you have an off-the-grid home. If you have a grid-tie system, you’ll still see the effects of rate hikes, but they will not be as severe as you produce a percentage of your own energy.
  • You are helping to decrease our country’s dependence on foreign oil.

So we see there are many benefits of solar energy usage in our homes. Are there any disadvantages? Well, not really disadvantages as much as hurdles.

Hurdle #1: The cost of a home solar power system. This, like any other new technology, tends to be high priced at first. But as more and more people come to use, and then depend, on the technology, the prices tend to come down substantially. The federal government has also finally stepped up and removed the limit of the solar tax incentive for residential solar power systems.

Hurdle #2: The current electric companies will potentially see a drop in revenue. Because of this, net-metering is slow in gaining acceptance throughout the country. There are only a handful of states that have very good net-metering regulations in place. Utilizing net-metering has the possibility to make a real impact on reducing peak power plants.

The benefits of solar energy use in our homes are numerous,
rom financial to environmental.
Do your part to help the earth and your wallet.
Give Solar A Chance!