You might have heard terms like “going solar” as a homeowner. This usually refers to solar panel installation. Many property owners who wish to either help the environment or cut down on their high energy bills want to move in this direction.
What many people ask, though, is whether “going solar” is worth it and how easy it is. The average homeowner wants to save money and help the planet, but how practical is it to go through the solar panel installation process? Solar power has a number of benefits that can allow a home’s owner to save money over the years, including being energy-independent from the grid and avoiding monthly utility bills. Install a solar installation in your home which can have an up to 30% return on investment over 20 years! In order to install solar panels in your home, you should hire a professional electrician of Kilcoy.
We’ll take a little time to talk about that right now. As it turns out, going solar is nowhere near as complex or difficult as some people think, and it’s well worth considering for several practical reasons.
How Many Panels Might You Need to Power a Home?
When some property owners hear the term going solar, they might think about purchasing VFDs, motor controls, enclosures, custom assemblies, and much more. Generally, though, simple solar panel installation does not require all of these additional items to be effective.
The average homeowner can power a home by installing 20-25 solar panels, typically in the roof. This involves removing some of the roof to make room for those panels. 20-25 panels can cover 100% of your electrical needs unless you have a much larger home than average.
If your home is anywhere from 1,500-2,500 square feet, that amount of panels should do the trick. However, you might need less or more depending on factors like panel rated power, panel efficiency, geographic location, and your family’s energy consumption habits.
How Much Would Installing Solar Panels Cost?
Next, most people want to know how much these solar panels would cost. You might expect to pay anywhere from $15,000-$40,000 for panels for a 2,000 square foot home.
That might sound pricey, but remember to keep a couple of things in mind. The first is that there are government rebates you can often get if you invest in your home this way. The federal government
understands that the more people do this, the better it is for the planet, so rebate programs exist.
At the moment, there is a 26% tax break you can get. That might change at some point, but for now, that immediately knocks the price down if you’re considering this option.
The other factor worth thinking about is that if you invest in your home this way, you increase its resale value considerably. If a time ever comes when you decide to move on from that house, you should be able to get much more back for it than you could if it did not have those panels.
Many people also find that solar panels add to a home’s aesthetic appeal. If your house is the only one on your street or in your neighborhood with these panels, it should make the structure stick out in a positive way.
What Else Should You Know About Solar Panel Installation?
There is one other noteworthy fact about solar panel installation, which is that you can’t install them anywhere around the country. You first need to look into what the government calls the solar rating for your area.
Essentially, that refers to how much sun an area gets every year. There are some parts of the country where the sun does not shine enough for solar panels to be an option. You’ll need to look into that a little before you start seriously considering this move.
You should also know that most people don’t regard solar panel installation as a DIY project. Some individuals like to try and do almost everything around the house themselves. That’s admirable, but unless you have better-than-average electrical skills, you’d better hire a professional for this job.
A professional electrician can first install a solar-power inverter in your home, which is the required first step. Next, they can install the panels.
The inverter can convert the electricity the panels generate. The direct current they generate can become an alternating current, which your home can use.
Once the inverter has converted the raw, direct current to an alternating version, your home’s electrical system can take advantage of it. It can also store any excess power in a battery for later use. In essence, this is what you’re paying for with solar panels.
Solar Panel Disadvantages
If someone says that solar panels are modern miracles, they are being disingenuous. While there are some clear reasons to go with a solar panel system, assuming you live in a region where that’s an option, there are a couple of disadvantages worth mentioning.
The first is that you can’t harness solar power at night. That’s when you’ll have to use any excess solar energy your panels have stored from that day. There are several hours out of every day when the darkness renders your panels useless.
It’s also worth saying that some solar panel companies make inferior-quality products. You might have a company that’s trying to cash in on the solar panel craze, and they’re making poor-quality panels that will not last very long or work very well.
Because of this, you should do some careful research if you plan to install panels in your home. You can definitely compare and contrast some of the companies in your area to see if any have conspicuous, poor reviews. If you can find a company with some solid reviews but a little bit of a higher price tag, it’s probably worth it to go with them over a competitor.
Now, you should have enough information to go on if you’re thinking about making this move sometime soon. High energy bills are certainly one of your biggest incentives, but you should also know that you’re doing your part to reduce your energy consumption.
Helping the planet in small ways can matter if we all do it. If you have the money and you live where this is an option, consider going solar before any more time passes.