How Many Solar Panels Do You Need?
How Many Solar Panels Do You Need? With
The Top 6 Myths About Installing a Solar System on Your Home
Solar Myth 1: Solar panels are too expensive
The truth is that there has never been a better time to go Solar. According to Energy.Gov, it is cheaper to purchase a Solar system than from the utility company in 42 or the 50 U.S. states. The first benefit is a 26% Federal Tax Credit homeowners can now qualify for. This will drop after 2020 and the maximum saving will no longer be available. In addition to the tax credit, there are many zero-down financing options that homeowners can pay by redirecting what they currently pay to their utility companies. Along with these reasons to go Solar, one of the best is that it will increase your home’s value.
Solar Myth 2: Solar technology is changing and will be cheaper in the future
It is true that all technology continues to evolve, however, there is no proof that better technology will be cheaper. I you take Apple and the iPhone as an example, their technology gets better each year, but it also gets more expensive. The great thing about Solar Panels is that the technology available today carries the best workmanship and production warranties you can find. With a 25 year guarantee on performance, you would be hard pressed to find a better product with better assurances.
Solar Myth 3: Going Solar means going Off-Grid
Some people believe going Solar means disconnecting from the grid entirely, however that is rarely the case and that is a good thing. In Colorado we are lucky enough to have a program called Net-Metering offered by the utility companies. What Net-Metering does, is allow you to roll over unused production as credit. This way you can use the power you produce during the day, all through the night. It also means you can “bank” those credits for months when you are producing less due to shorter days.
Solar Myth 4: Solar panels don’t work in cold weather or on cloudy days
In fact, Solar panels produce more on cold days. This is because warm weather heats up the panels and reduces production, while colder weather allows the panels to produce at maximum efficiency. A benefit to the panels producing better in cold weather is that you can bank more power on shorter days than if they performed the same as when it’s hot outside. During cloudy days your panels are still producing too. The clouds can inhibit some production, but on most days, you can still produce what you need.
Solar Myth 5: Solar panels use more energy to manufacture than they produce
According to cleanenergyreviews.info “Solar panels do not produce any emissions while in use but they are made of different materials including glass, Aluminum, silicon and some plastic, which all require different levels of resources and energy. The energy used during the manufacture of a product is known as the ‘embodied energy’. A typical solar panel will generate enough energy to repay the embodied energy within 3 to 4 years, however as panel efficiency increases this is expected to reduce to less than 2 years within the next decade.” Click here to find out more.
Solar Myth 6: Solar panels will increase the cost for those without Solar
While some utility companies may claim they raise your neighbor’s rates when you go Solar, the truth is that rates are rising anyway. We live in a system with a grid that is over 100 years old in most places. As that system begins to break down, those maintenance costs are passed along to you and your neighbors alike. That would be that case even if there were no Solar panels available. As the populations continues to grow in Colorado, demand on the existing system continue to increase, as do utility rates.
When people start to research a Solar system for their home, they have many questions and have sometimes heard inaccurate information. It’s important to have the right information as you begin your Solar search.
Now that you have more information, Contact Us Today for your Free customized Solar Consultation and find out what Solar can do for you!
