In late April, I was contacted by an employee at Modernize.com. He told me that they've recently written on clean energy for The Huffington Post, About.com, and even Time Magazine. He wanted to provide some basic and awesome content for my readers as well. He told me that if I posted it on my site, he would send it around to Modernize.com followers (they have over 5,000 on Twitter)! Here's the post and I hope you enjoy my accompanying sketches.
Installing residential solar panels used to be far too
expensive for the average homeowner to consider. However, since 2006 and the
implementation of the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), the price
of solar equipment and installations has fallen by more than 73 percent,
allowing nearly 800,000 businesses and
homes to convert to solar power. If you want to set up a solar system on your
home, you have a lot of important decisions to make—here are 5 easy steps from Modernize
to help you make the transition.
Energy efficiency and solar power go hand in hand, and the
less energy efficient your home, the more solar panels will have to be
installed in order to meet your power demands. Ensure that you keep costs down
and don’t purchase a larger system than you actually need by opting to have a
professional home energy assessor audit your home for energy deficiencies. For
roughly $300 to $500, an auditor can identify hidden leaks in your home, saving
you up to 30 percent on your heating and cooling
alone. Considering that space heating makes up 42 percent of the average home energy use,
that translates into hundreds of dollars saved each year!
The auditor will also assess how energy efficient your major
appliances are and offer suggestions on ways they can be improved. Replacing
these older appliances with ones that have an excellent rating from Energy Star
will be another worthy step to take before talking to a solar professional.
Better yet, opt for appliances that are solely powered by the sun, like solar
water heaters or solar refrigerators, to completely remove their pull from your
main solar panel network.
Once your home is as energy efficient as possible, it is a
good idea to have solar professional come and evaluate how compatible your home
will be for a photovoltaic system. These design specialists will analyze your
home’s orientation to the sun, the pitch of your roof, and how easily they can
perform the installation due to your roofing material. You will need to have
looked over your energy bill history before this appointment so that can tell them
what your current kilowatt usage is. A general rule to keep in mind is that
since most homes use roughly 2,000 to 6,000 watts, you should expect to need roughly 200 to 600 square feet of roof space
to adequately generate enough energy. If your solar professional suggests a
solar power system that is drastically divergent from these figures, then you
should get a second opinion. When the analysis has been completed, you’ll have
a good estimate for just how much this renovation will cost.
Depending on where you live, some utility companies are
willing to buy any excess energy that you generate with your home’s solar
panels through net metering. When you talk to them, find out what their current
rates are and what steps you will need to take in order to participate in this
program.
It is also advisable to contact a local realtor who can
evaluate how adding solar power to your home will impact your property value.
Some homeowners have seen their property value increase enough to recover almost 97 percent of their renovation
expense!
The ITC provides homeowners with a 30 percent return on
their solar investment in the form of a tax credit until the end of 2019. That
means that if your total renovation is projected to cost $25,000, you will
receive an additional $7,500 on your next tax return. This money can certainly
help make your initial investment a far more attainable expense.
Most local and state governments also have some form of
incentivization depending on the system you install. To find out what is
available for your area, visit the database of state incentives.
Now that you have all the important information for how
adding solar power will impact your home expenses, it is time to determine your
cumulative return on investment (ROI). If you determine your ROI to be worth
the renovation expense, then contact your solar professional and have them
finalize your designs. But if your ROI bottom line is too great, does this mean
that you have to completely give up on solar power? Not necessarily. Many solar
companies have a lease option available for homeowners which might be a viable
option for you.
At the end of the day, it will take a lot of research and
effort to make your dreams of having a solar powered home come true, but the
reward of having a home that takes care of its own power needs will be well
worth it
This article from Modernize.com offers valuable insights and practical steps for homeowners considering the switch to solar power. It emphasizes the significant cost reductions and incentives that have made solar installations more accessible. The inclusion of a home energy audit as a starting point showcases the importance of energy efficiency before transitioning to solar. The step-by-step approach, including consultation with solar professionals, power companies, and realtors, provides a well-rounded guide for readers to make informed decisions. Overall, this article serves as an informative and empowering resource for individuals interested in embracing clean energy solutions for their homes. For more details, visit Solar Panel Installation In Chennai
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