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Jan 08 2021
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Reasons to Go Solar

The Top 5 Reasons To Go Solar in 2021

By How Do Solar Panels Lower Your Electric Bill? No Comments

America’s revolutionary solar advocate succinctly summarized the reasons why you should go solar.

I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power!

– Thomas Edison quoted in 1931

Solar energy systems are proven savings and investment tool with locked in returns over 25 years. Beyond electricity bill savings, here’s a breakdown of the top five reasons for installing solar energy panels in your home, business property or municipal building in 2021.

Let’s expand on the five top reasons to go solar.

No. 1 – Go Solar for Energy Independence

Nonrenewable energy sources – coal, oil, natural gas – are heavily relied on to power the United States to the point of future depletion due to the cost and environmental damage. The renewable energy source of solar power is constantly being replenished and will never cease.

Realize energy independence through solar panel power.

  • Gain control over your energy costs
  • Invest in your property’s energy resources
  • Own your property’s power source
  • Break free from non-competitive utility electric bills
  • End unprofitable electric rentals from utility companies

Regardless of the size of your solar panel installation investment, you will receive savings on your local utility bill that will grow over time. When utility rates increase – your sunshine energy remains free on a constant basis. A home improvement investment in solar energy pays large dividends increasing on a yearly basis.

No. 2 – Go Solar for Savings

Reap monetary benefits through savings realized via solar powered energy.

  • Savings every month
  • Savings over the decades
  • Realization of a lifetime return on investment

You will realize instant electricity bill savings regardless of the size of your solar panel investment. Once your solar energy system is installed and working, your future monthly local utility bills will reduce.

Solar panel technology is modular. This means you can completely cover the roof of your home or select optimal direct-daylight sections for installation. A complete installation covering your roof can easily eliminate your monthly bill entirely. Millions of Americans are currently enjoying freedom from the bondage of payment to their local utility company because of the solar energy phenomenon.

No. 3 – Go Solar and Add Market Value to Your Home

A solar panel system installed in your home will increase the market value of your property. When you place your property on the market, your home will sell up to 17% higher than the competitive homes in the area. Boost your home’s future property value by making the installation of a solar panel system part of your home improvement plans in 2021.

  • The higher asking price for a home with a solar panel systemelectric-vs-solar-bill.png
  • Average $20,000 increase in market value to a $500,000 home with the solar panel system
  • Potential of receiving 100 percent of solar panel investment upon the sale of a home

Solar energy is used to generate electricity powering your home’s:

  • Lighting
  • Heating
  • Hot Water
  • Cooling system

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, every $1 of savings generated from a solar energy system will add $20 to your home’s market value.

Determining factors include:

  • Your home’s location
  • Size of solar panel installation
  • The existing market value of your home

An average increase in the resale of a home with a solar energy system equals $5,911 for each 1 kW of panels installed.

Amazingly, the installation of solar panels will increase the pace of your home’s sale by 20 percent.

No. 4 – Go Solar and Outpace the Joneses

Don’t just keep up with the property owners in your community – outpace them with the future marketability of a solar energy system. You can outdo the Jones by generating passive income through a solar energy investment in your home. Solar energy and its passive income generation realize economic dividends easily measured in monetary terms – dollar, cents, and other incentives.

There are many states offering generous renewable energy incentives for property owners investing in solar panel energy systems. Once you qualify for these incentives, the local utility company is responsible for paying you for the clean energy produced from your solar panels – cash or credit. This translates into a zero balance owed – or – a negative electricity bill.

No. 5 – Go Solar and Reap Environmental Benefits

The environmental and personal satisfaction benefits of going solar are enormous.

  • Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
  • Decreased dependence on dwindling fossil fuels
  • Cleaner and more sustainable energy source of electricity
  • Stimulation of your State’s job growth in green technology
  • Stimulation within energy sectors of your State’s economy
  • Cleaner air, water, and soil
  • Greater energy security
  • Stronger economic growth

Go Solar With a Free Consultation From Solar.com

Discover how to go solar with ease through Solar.com’s innovative online marketplace.

  • The most qualified solar installer in your local area
  • Trusted solar installer at the best price
  • Solar panel installation quotes without a barrage of sales calls

We are your one-stop shop for solar energy resources online. Solar.com’s energy experts are available for one-on-one consultations Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Simply call 800.337.6527 – or – click here to kick off the numerous benefits of solar energy.

Jan 07 2021
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portable generator vs home battery

Home Solar Battery vs Generators for Power Outages

By Solar Battery Prices: Is It Worth Buying a Battery in 2025?, Solar Battery No Comments

As a California-based company, Solar.com is painfully aware of the devastating effect that grid blackouts and power outages can have on homeowners. Just in late 2020, more than half million California residents were left without power. These outages left many homeowners wondering what they can do to secure their homes against future blackouts and outages.

Whole house batteries are a new solution to this problem, and when paired with solar energy, become a very attractive way to protect your home against power outages with solar batteries as compared to generators.

Pricing

For many homeowners, especially those living in states where electricity is most expensive, (NY, MA, CA, NJ, to name a few) going solar with a battery backup will save thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the system. Whole-house backup generators range in pricing from similar to house batteries (~$5,000), all the way up to $10,000 and more. With today’s financing options for solar, you can get a full solar system installed on your roof with a battery backup for no upfront cost. Not only that, but you’ll most likely pay less than your current monthly electricity bill. What’s more, there aren’t nearly as many of the same incentives and financing options for home generators as there are for solar backup batteries. If you go solar and get a battery at the same time, you can likely roll the cost of your battery into your total system cost, and save 26% on your battery when you claim the federal ITC (tax credit). There are no such incentives for buying a home generator.

Maintenance

The typical home generator needs to be serviced every 200 hours of runtime, or approximately every two years. This includes regular replacing of generator components such as oil, spark plugs, and air filters. Source The need to manually keep up-to-date on your generator’s maintenance means that if you slip up, you could be left without power during the time when you need it the most, such as in a power outage. Compare this to a solar home battery, which has many fewer moving parts than a generator, and thus needs far less regular maintenance. Not only that, but most solar batteries come with monitoring software to alert you any time there is a problem with your battery so that you can act preemptively. Most generators do not come with such software and are, by extension, less reliable than a home solar battery solution. Solar batteries also do not have to be refueled every so often, unlike generators. A solar battery will provide consistent electricity until it is out of electricity, while a generator will require constant refueling.

Safety & Environmental

A solar + battery backup solution is, naturally, powered by renewable energy and doesn’t require the burning of fossil fuels in order to operate. Generators, by comparison, burn gas or diesel and generate an alarming amount of carbon monoxide. To illustrate just how much harmful CO is produced by these machines and how deadly it can be, the CPSC estimates that 943 people died between 2005-2017 due to non-fire carbon monoxide poisoning associated with the use of generators.Source A solar + battery solution involves no combustion at all, and doesn’t produce any of the harmful CO that home generators do, vastly reducing not only your personal risk, but the amount of harmful chemicals released into the atmosphere as well. In addition, your solar battery will be powered by the sun through the panels on your roof, and requires no trips to the gas station or refilling, like a generator does.

Conclusion: Solar + Batteries – Winner

Not even mentioning the other benefits of a solar battery that can’t be compared directly with a generator (such as the way a solar battery helps with TOU electricity rates), it’s clear from a pricing, maintenance, and environmental point of view that solar + batteries is a much better solution for power outages and blackouts than a home generator is. Solar.com provides an agnostic, unbiased marketplace where homeowners can compare bids from the most qualified local installers in their area. To learn more about solar + batteries as a solution to blackouts and power outages, visit your dashboard and speak with one of our Energy Advisors.