When you live in Southern California, there is certainly a lot of hype and buzz surrounding solar energy. But is there really that much benefit for homeowners who install solar panels in Laguna Beach? Are they really going to save on electricity and put money back in their pockets every month?
The fact is that solar panels have proven to be much more than just a way to reduce electricity bills. They offer homeowners numerous benefits, especially those living in sunny Laguna Beach. Aside from the way more affordable electric bills, solar panels can provide added home value, reduced carbon footprint, more freedom from the grid (and rising electricity expenses), less impact on pollution and public health, and more.
Why Rising Electricity Costs in California Make Solar More Attractive
You may be asking, “Do I really need to save on my electricity bills?” Even if you don’t think your bill is that high or you feel like the cost of installing solar panels isn’t worth the tradeoff, the price of electricity isn’t set in stone — in fact, it’s far from that. With the cost of electricity in Laguna Beach reaching nearly 16 cents per kWh in recent years, local residents already pay over 4% greater than average in California. While those numbers may seem high, they are anticipated to only continue to creep higher over the next few years. That means there will be no relief from the fluctuating and likely extremely expensive electricity costs for Southern California homeowners tied to the grid. That’s why solar has become more attractive in recent years. Laguna Beach residents can gain more grid independence in the face of uncertain electricity costs with affordable solar installation.
Breaking Down the Savings from Solar
You can better determine some of the savings you’ll get from installing solar panels by looking at the following questions below. While every situation and specific home may vary, answering these questions will give you a better idea of what to expect in solar savings!
Do You Live in an Area With Lots of Sunshine?
This one should be pretty easy to answer. With the average temperatures in Laguna Beach ranging from mid-60’s in the “winter” months and perfect 80’s in the summer, there is plenty of sunshine and clear skies to enjoy throughout the year. Even with some cooler, cloudy or rainy days during the winter, the area still gets an extensive amount of sunny weather, making it an ideal place for homeowners to utilize solar panels.
It can also be important to think through how much general sun exposure your roof gets. Are there a lot of trees around your roof? Does your home face the sun or do you get a lot of shade throughout the day? What type of roof do you have and how does it get exposed to the sun? All of these details can impact whether or not you’ll get the right amount of sun to make solar panels profitable.
How Much Electricity Does Your Household Use?
When it comes to determining if solar panels will be worth the investment, you need to think through the size of your house, how many people live with you, how often people are home using electricity during the day and during peak hours, and so on. While it may be tough to calculate all of those things, you can obviously get a clear idea of how much electricity you are using by simply looking at your utility bills. For example, the average household in San Diego used around 5,599 kWh of energy over the course of the year in 2017. Residents in Fresno reached up to 8,073 kWh while San Francisco was the lowest at 3,790 kWh. Even with conscientious homeowners in Southern California striving to reduce energy usage (below the national average per capita), the cost can be the same — if not more — due to higher electricity costs. This is why sustainable energy resources like solar panels continue to gain popularity in California and beyond.
What Solar Financing Options Are Available?
As the market continues to develop and grow, more and more solar financing options have become available to homeowners. If you are considering solar, you need to think through whether you want to purchase your solar energy system with cash outright, opt for a 0-down payment plan, or even opt for a solar lease or loan through a solar power purchase agreement. Depending on which financing option you go with, your savings with solar will vary. At the end of the day, buying the system outright means you’ll enjoy the most savings as you’ll get more affordable energy bills right away that start paying back the cost of the system itself. No matter which option you choose though, you’ll still be saving potentially thousands of dollars over the years.
With so many options out there, it can seem overwhelming to determine what makes the most sense for your budget. That’s where our solar contractors step in. We discuss your budget, household electricity needs, and desired system size to better understand what you are looking for and what the right financing option is for your situation. Our solar experts take the time to walk through each option with you to ensure you feel confident about your decision.
How You Can Enjoy Affordable, Sustainable Electricity
From household electricity usage to roof sun exposure to financing decisions, there are numerous factors that can impact whether or not solar panel savings will be worthwhile for you. Another way to enjoy a more affordable solar panel system is capitalizing on the federal, state, and local rebates, incentives, and tax credits that may be available. While companies Laguna Beach or California, in general, may offer some great incentives, by far the most helpful is the federal solar investment tax credit, which allows homeowners to deduct 30% of the total system cost from their taxes. There is a limited window on this credit, however, so make sure to keep this in consideration if you want to optimize your savings on solar panel installation.
Interested in talking to Semper Solaris about saving on your electricity bills? Learn more about Solar in Laguna Beach!
