Pros and Cons of Adding Solar Panels to Your Home

Are you a homeowner? Do you want to save money on your electricity bills? Solar panels are an appealing choice, especially for Arizona residents—the year-round sunshine can help significantly reduce energy bills in Scottsdale, AZ. Before you get ready to slap a few panels on your roof, though, you should fully understand what kind of commitment you’re making.

Are solar panels right for you? Here are some benefits and drawbacks to consider:

• Lower your utility bill: The biggest benefit of adding solar panels to your home is the prospect of lowering your monthly utility costs. Most states allow you to offset your electric costs, then sell any excess energy to the state for further savings.
• Solar panels are getting cheaper: It’s true that solar panels aren’t cheap, but their price has been steadily lowered over the last few decades. In fact, over the last 10 years, the price has dropped 70 percent. This makes them a lot more accessible to the average homeowner.
• Avoid paying rising electric costs: While solar panels are cheaper, electricity is getting more and more expensive. We can expect the trend to continue, which means the sooner you get solar panels, the sooner you’ll be protected against rate hikes. Plus, when you sell your excess electricity, you’ll benefit from those higher rates.
• Get tax rebates: Because the government wants to increase solar panel installation, federal, state and local governments may offer tax rebates and other incentives. In fact, the current federal tax rebate is a whopping 26 percent of your total costs. There are also solar energy credits available, which rewards high-performance solar panel setups. These incentives help cut down on the operating and installation costs.
• Save the environment: News of climate change is inescapable, and it’s important that we all do our part to conserve whenever possible. One of the best solar energy benefits is that it doesn’t produce any greenhouse gas emissions. If you can afford solar panels, you’ll not only save a hefty chunk of change on your energy bills, but you’ll be contributing to safe, clean, renewable energy.
• Intermittent energy source: Of course, there are some drawbacks to solar panels. For starters, it’s an intermittent energy source, meaning that you can’t generate power (or as much power) when the sun is down, on cloudy days and depending on the sun’s intensity. Some solar panel systems do include batteries, which allow homeowners to literally store power for a rainy day.
• Big upfront costs: The major downside to solar panels is that they’re not cheap—even with tax rebates and financial incentives, some homeowners may not be able to afford them.
• Requires plenty of space: Finally, your solar panels require quite a bit of space to generate enough electricity. Usually they’re installed on a roof, but if yours is inadequate, you may look for another way to generate electricity.

Are you thinking about installing solar panels on your property to reduce your energy bills in Scottsdale, AZ? Eavenson Electric Co. can help. Contact us today to talk about our solar panel services.

Categorised in: Energy Saving Tips

This post was written by Writer