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10

Irresistible

Reasons to Go

Solar
10 Reasons to Go Solar

Solar energy is the power provided by the sun,


harnessed through technology called photovoltaic
(PV) cells, which turn sunlight directly into electricity.

For a laymans description of the photovoltaic


effect, when sunshine hits the PV cell, the photons
of light excite the electrons in the cell, causing them
to flow and generate electricity.

Homeowners around the country, and cities around


the world, are installing solar panel systems on their
roofs to take advantage of this clean, renewable way
to generate power.

So why should you go solar? How does it benefit


you?

Here are 10 of the top motivations for homeowners


and business ownersand even some rentersto
make the switch from traditional electricity to solar
power.
1.) Its good for the environment.

Unlike conventional power, solar produces no


harmful emissions that hurt the environment. Its a
clean, renewable process that uses the most natural
of all resources: the sun.

Even the energy used to produce the PV cells is paid


back soon after. Depending on the type, Energy Pay-
Back Time (EPBT) for PV and CPV systems is
estimated to be between 0.5 and 1.4 years. After
that point, its all renewable, all the time.

In the U.S., fossil fuels are used to generate 68% of


the electricity we consume, and the resulting
emissions from the combustion of those fuels arent
good, including:

Carbon dioxide (CO2) a greenhouse gas which


contributes to global warming
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) causes acid rain, which is
harmful to plants and to animals that live in water,
also exacerbating respiratory illnesses and heart
diseases
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) contributes to ground-level
ozone, which irritates and damages lungs
Particulate matter (PM) causes hazy conditions in
cities and scenic areas. Coupled with ozone it
contributes to asthma and chronic bronchitis
Mercury and other heavy metals hazardous to
human and animal health

Compare all that with the emission-free technology


of solar energy and solar becomes the obvious
solution.

Solar Energy Spill

2.) Its a solid home investment.

Its fair to say that many of the home improvements


that you will make wont add quite the equal value
to your house as the money that you put into them.
Solar energy, on the other hand, will save you
money from your energy bill each month.
In addition, the investment that you make in solar,
will add its exact property valueor moreto your
home, should you decide to sell it later on.

A study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory


in California showed that across the board, buyers
were willing to pay $15,000 extra for a home with
an average-sized solar panel system. Not only is this
likely to amount to more than your original
investment, its a return on investment that is in
addition to the money you have saved on energy all
the while that you owned the house.

House Sale Info

In a challenging market, solar panels can even be the


difference in selling your house or not, an added
bonus that gives potential buyers a reason to
consider your house over others as their next long
term home.
Additionally, in most states solar panels will not
increase your property taxes. 38 states currently
have property tax exemptions that exclude the
added value of a solar panel system from being
considered in the valuation of a property for
taxation purposes.
https://tinyurl.com/byebills

3.) Solar Energy systems are durable.

Solar panels have no moving parts, and so are not


damaged easily. This lowers the chance for an
interruption in service.
All solar panels are exhaustively tested to ensure
that they can withstand high winds and extreme
weather conditions, such as hail and heavy snowfall.
Every solar panel used by skilled installers such as 1st
Light is guaranteed to be as strong or stronger than
your roof itself.

Even if something should occur that damages your


solar panels, most systems come with a 30 year
warranty, guaranteed by the original installer, that
covers serious damage to the panels.

4.) Solar can actually make you money!

Some states, the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)


requires electricity suppliers to secure a portion of
their electricity from solar generators. Rather than
investing in systems of their own, in applicable states
this has resulted in what is called an SREC market.
Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SREC) are
created for every megawatt-hour of solar electricity
created. So if your system is consistently generating
more energy than you are consuming, you have the
opportunity to sell that energy back at a premium.
Every states program is different, with the value of
an SREC determined by the market and subject to
supply and demand constraints.

New Jerseys SREC market is the largest in the


nation, with recent market prices among the highest
on record.
Massachusetts has two separate SREC markets to
help bridge the states goal of installing 1,600 MW of
solar capacity by 2020.

In most other states, even those that are not yet


participating in an SREC market, any excess solar
energy that was generated but not consumed can be
pushed back onto the grid, to be sold back to the
electricity provider. Many utility companies are
required to purchase this excess generation, even if
it is usually bought at a reduced rate.
SREC Facts

This form of extra income brings us to the next big


reason to go solar

5.) Solar could help you afford that home


improvement youve been wanting.

Installing a home solar system offers an opportunity


to design other home improvements with that
addition in mind. For instance, some people consider
a swimming pool or hot tub with renewable energy
in mind. According to a report from the National
Resource Defense Council, pool owners typically pay
$500 more per year in energy bills. By combining the
two home improvements, your solar system can be
designed to cover the extra energy usage, using one
investment to pay for the other.

Plus, remember the money youll be saving on


electric bills and it all adds up to enough to make
whatever home improvements you desire. There
arent many home improvements that cost less than
a solar panel system or are subject to tax credits from
the government, and none of them save on monthly
costs, instead often costing more. No home
improvement can be more worth your money than a
renewable energy system.

6.) Solar has a fixed energy cost.

Electricity from utility providers is never guaranteed


a set price, rising and falling seemingly without
cause or effect. And without any other option,
consumers have no choice but to pay whatever the
current price is.

Electricity Price

The cost for a solar system, on the other hand,


remains the same. If you choose to lease or finance
your system, then you have a set, minimal monthly
payment that replaces your electricity bill. If you
purchase your panels in full, from then on your
energy cost becomes $0.

Thats right, $0.


7.) Being ahead of the curve.

The signs are everywhere. Even pushing against the


agendas of fossil fuel companies and dirty energy
generators, the future of energy is renewable and
clean energy.

For the first time in 2016, renewable energies will


make up most of this years additions to the power
grid. Solar, natural gas, and wind together make up
93% of the total 26 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale
generating capacity that will be added this year.

The U.S. has risen to the 4th highest usage of solar


PV power, still lagging far behind China, Germany
and Japan in cumulative solar capacity. And just as
with any major change, every person, every step
helps!

Global Solar
San Francisco is one such step toward sustainability,
as it recently voted unanimously on a city ordinance
that would require all new buildings to have solar
panels. It is the first requirement of its kind in the
United States, following the lead of France from the
previous year.

By converting to solar energy now, you have the


chance to be one step ahead, to join the innovators
and trailblazers around the world.
8.) You can use your Solar Energy all day.

One of the many myths about solar power involves


perceived limitations on the energy-generating
potential of solar panels. Solar energy is generated
from daylight, not sunlight. So even on cloudy, rainy
days, your panels will be working to produce energy.
All that energy accumulates in the morning and
afternoon hours, the whole time that the sun is up,
producing more electricity than you can use.

Currently, all solar energy providers keep you


connected to the grid. So any excess energy is
pushed back onto the grid, actually causing your
utility meter to spin backward, crediting your
account. Then, in the evening hours, you will be
using the credited energy from the meter. This
excess energy does not expire and is similar to
rollover minutes with your telephone company.
9.) Solar Energy is cool!

Lets face it, whats cooler than the sun powering


your home?

And that is quite literally true. One study by UC San


Diego Jacobs School of Engineering found that PV
panels act as roof shades to keep buildings cool, in
addition to supplying them with clean power. This
makes sense. Solar panels soak up the suns rays,
directing them away from the roof, whereas a roof
without panels would allow heat to penetrate
through it into the inside of the building.

When calculating the amount saved on cooling the


building, the research team found that it was equal
to getting a five percent discount on the solar
panels price of the lifetime of the system.

But the cool factor is ever-present with solar


energy too.

Just look at the worlds first solar road, opened in the


Netherlands in November 2014 and performing
even better than expected. In its first six months it
produced 3,000 kilowatt-hours of energy, enough to
power a single small household for a year. Plus, it
was built specifically for bike traffic, and has
welcomed hundreds of thousands of cyclists along
its energy efficient path.

The application of solar power is limitless! Ever need


energy in hard to manage places? Solar to the
rescue!

Solar powered generators

And since your house is the single biggest consumer


of energy you will ever have, why not start there,
standing out in the coolest way under the sun?

10.) Either way, you cant keep the money.


Whether youre spending money to make an
investment in solar energy, or giving that money to
your utility provider, it is still money that is being
spent. Deciding to go solar is very much similar to
deciding to purchase a home. You can invest in
yourself and take control of your energy costs, or
continue to pay your utility provider for rented
energy monthly, owing them frequent payments
and remaining subject to their fees and
requirements.

Every step towards independence, from owning a


home to controlling your energy, gives you the
freedom to make additional choices about how you
live and own your own life. Going solar, purchasing
a solar energy system for your house, is a way to
invest in yourself and your family, and makes a big
statement about how you choose to spendand
consumeyour resources.
Just thinkthis could be you!

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