Solar Panels
Reasons to Go Solar in Inland Empire Going solar brings a lot of benefits, like saving money. Keep reading if you want to know several great reasons to go solar in the Inland Empire. Have your electricity bills skyrocketed in recent months? You're not alone; people all over the United States are paying increased energy prices. In 2022, inflation for energy bills was 14.3 percent on average. That's more than double the inflation rate of other prices. With the cost of energy rising, going solar in Inland Empire is looking more and more appealing. Not only will going solar save you money, but it also benefits the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. If that's not enough to convince you, we've compiled a list of even more compelling reasons why going solar in the Inland Empire is the smart choice for homeowners and businesses. Keep reading, and let us show you all the amazing benefits of making the switch to solar power in Inland Empire! Solar Power is Clean and Renewable Solar power is an excellent source of renewable energy. Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity, and the more sunlight they are exposed to, the more electricity they produce. In addition, solar power is a clean source of energy that doesn’t produce harmful emissions. This is important because emissions from traditional sources of energy like coal and natural gas are a leading cause of air pollution and climate change. By switching to solar power, Inland Empire residents can help reduce air pollution and slow down climate change. Solar Power is Cost-Effective, and You Can Make Money Selling Energy Back Are you tired of your energy bills going up every year, even as you try to conserve energy? In 2022, SDG&E reported $915 billion in GAAP earnings. This increase came from natural gas prices rising and low pipeline capacity. However, on the consumer side of things, people were struggling to pay bills that had, in some cases, doubled. With solar power, you’ll no longer have to worry about rising energy costs. Solar panels will generate electricity for your home or business, and you’ll be able to sell any excess electricity back to the grid. In some cases, you may even be eligible for government rebates or tax credits. The initial cost of installing solar panels may seem high, but it’s important to remember that solar power is an investment that will pay for itself over time. Solar panels have a lifespan of 25 years or more, and they require very little maintenance. Once they’re installed, you can enjoy years of worry-free, low-cost electricity. Solar Power Increases Property Value It's no secret that solar power is good for the environment. But did you know that it can also increase the value of your property? That's right – installing a solar system on your home or business can actually make it more valuable in the eyes of potential buyers. There are a few reasons for this. First, solar power is becoming increasingly popular, and more and more people are looking for homes with solar systems already installed. Second, solar power can save you money on your energy bills, making your property more affordable to operate. And third, solar power increases the resale value of your home or business by adding to its energy efficiency. Solar Power is Reliable Solar power is a reliable source of energy because it is not affected by the weather. Solar panels can produce electricity even on cloudy days. In addition, solar panels have a long lifespan and require little maintenance. California 2023 Solar Tax Credit Solar panels are a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and save money on your energy bill, and the California Solar Tax Credit makes them even more affordable. The credit is available for both residential and commercial solar installations, and it covers up to 30% of the cost of the system. There is no maximum credit limit, so you can get a large tax deduction if you install a very large system. Keep Your Lights On When the Grid Is Down In an effort to become more self-sufficient, many people are looking for ways to keep their lights on when the grid is down. Solar power is a great option for those who want to be prepared for power outages. Solar panels can provide power even when the grid is down. As long as there is sunlight, your solar panels will continue to produce electricity. How to Go Solar in Inland Empire Going solar is a big decision. It’s an investment in your home and your future. But it’s also an investment in the environment. Solar energy is clean, renewable, and sustainable. And it’s becoming more affordable all the time. If you’re thinking about going solar, Inland Empire is a great place to do it. The area gets a lot of sun, which means your solar panels will be able to produce a lot of energy. And there are plenty of incentives and rebates available to help offset the cost of going solar. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about going solar in Inland Empire: Determine if your home is suitable for solar panels. Consider the cost of installation and maintenance. Evaluate available incentives and rebates. Get quotes from several different companies before making a decision. Go Solar in Inland Empire Ultimately, going solar in Inland Empire is an investment in your future. Not only do you reduce your energy costs and help preserve the environment, but you also can expect to increase the value of your home and make a positive impact on society. Are you ready to join the growing number of people who are switching to solar power? Book an appointment today and start down the path toward energy independence!
Reasons to Go Solar in the Bay Area Keep reading if you're in the Bay area and haven't gone solar. Here are several reasons you want to go solar in the Bay area. There were 6 gigawatts (GW) of residential solar installation last year in the United States. That is 40 growth over 2021. Total installed solar capacity now tops 140 GW and is showing no signs of slowing. The explosion of residential solar has much to do with the many advantages it affords. If you are considering solar in the Bay Area, there are many incentives to do so. These include the potential for massive long-term savings on your utility bills. Below are the main reasons you should go solar. Keep reading to find out why solar power may be the right choice for your home. Offset Electricity Costs The average American household spends more than $3,000 a year on energy costs. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, we can only expect those numbers to increase as energy prices continue to rise. Solar energy can substantially offset these costs in the short and long term. How much depends on several variables, including your local energy rates and the efficiency of your solar panel system. Historically, the amount of roof area exposed to the sun had a lot to do with how viable solar was for any given home. That is less so the case today. Of course, your home needs some access to sunlight. But, due to innovations in solar panel technology, almost every home today has the potential to leverage solar power, if it has the right equipment. A reputable solar installation company will be able to recommend solar panels that fit your energy needs and budget. Tax Incentives The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) allows you to deduct 30 percent of the total solar installation costs on residential properties from your federal taxes. So, if you install a $12,000 system, you are eligible for a $3,600 tax break. Besides increasing the tax credit percentage, the Inflation Reduction Act also made it so that the cost of solar battery storage qualifies for tax credits as well. California no longer has a state solar tax credit, but there are other financial incentives you should consider. Solar installation significantly increases your home’s value. That’s good news, but Californians understand full well that this translates to much higher property taxes. Fortunately, the state has an Active Solar Energy System Exclusion that applies to all rooftop systems installed before the end of 2024. This provision ensures that the installation does not impact property valuations, so adding solar to your roof will not increase your property taxes. Finally, California operates a Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. It allows homeowners to finance the entire cost of their solar installation and pay for it through increased assessments in their annual property tax bills. This can be advantageous for anyone reluctant to install solar panels due to upfront costs. More Reliable Energy Electrical outages are a big reason people are considering residential solar throughout California. Solar panel systems allow your home to remain operational even with the grid is down. This can be a huge convenience for anyone, but especially those who rely on electricity for medical equipment or in-home transportation devices. Note that you need battery storage capacity for this to be the case. Solar energy batteries have come a long way in terms of capacity and affordability. They also have other benefits besides energy reliability though. They make your system more versatile, even with grid power on, by allowing you to use more of the energy you produce year-round. Low Maintenance Costs Another reason to consider solar energy for your home is that quality systems require minimal upkeep. Quality solar panels are built to last and perform for 25 to 30 years or more. They are easy to keep clean and are much more durable than panels made just a decade ago. Net Metering Benefits Net metering is a billing mechanism that allows owners of solar panel systems to sell the electricity they are not using back onto the grid. Utilities can offer these incentives on their own, but they are most often the result of regulatory mandates. California’s net metering program applies to anyone who is a customer of the state's three main utilities. California’s current net metering policy, NEM 2.0, will expire this year and be replaced by NEM 3.0. Under this new tariff, customers will receive about 75 percent less per kilowatt of electricity that utilities buy back. The good news is that there is still some time to leverage the benefits of NEM 2.0 and lock in those buyback rates for the next 20 years. You must act fast though––you must apply to the Utilities Commission by April 14, 2023, to be grandfathered into NEM 2.0. Environmental Impact A final reason to consider installing solar in the Bay Area is the positive environmental impacts it will have. Solar energy has played an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and curbing our reliance on fossil fuels as a primary electricity source. Beyond combatting global warming, solar energy eliminates the need for mining and drilling for fossil fuels. This helps improve air quality and reduces water use from electricity production. The Next Steps to Getting Solar in the Bay Area Now that you know the reasons to go solar in the Bay Area, you can determine if it is the right choice for your home. It is important to weigh all the options, but there are significant advantages to not waiting too long to begin saving on your energy bills and leveraging the other benefits of solar. At Semper Solaris, we bring the discipline and dedication we gained in the military to our solar projects. We offer solar installation (including battery storage) in most areas of the state. Reach out to us today to learn more or to schedule installation.
It’s no secret that residents across the United States have been dealing with outrageous record rate increases for years now. 2023 has brought even more massive rate increases. SAN DIEGO: San Diego Gas & Electric said customers can expect their energy bill to more than double this month. (source: fox5sandiego.com) LOS ANGELES: One Santa Monica household’s notice, reviewed by The Los Angeles Times, showed the customer’s old rate was $1,030 per year. The new rate? Also $1,030 per year, the letter said. But then a second letter from Edison arrived in the mail at the end of July. The new rate, the customer was told, would actually be $1,723 per year — a 67% increase that works out to nearly $60 a month. The first mailing had showed “an inaccurate rate analysis,” the new letter explained. (source: latimes.com) SACRAMENTO: Pacific Gas and Electric is proposing a 22 percent rate hike from 2023 to 2026. (source: cbsnews.com) BAY AREA: Over the last three years, PG&E monthly bills for combined services have risen about 39%, or an average of 13% a year. (source: siliconvalley.com) ORANGE COUNTY: That’s why electricity costs in the Inland Empire are up 15.5% over 12 months — and sadly that’s the second-best report in a year with a 24% peak. And that followed last year’s 17.5% jump. L.A.-O.C. power is up by only 10.4% — off the year’s 19.7% high and last year’s 12.5% increase. This is no regional outlier. U.S. consumers’ electricity costs are up 15.8% — more than triple last year’s 4.3% rise. (source: ocregister.com) • The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is considering whether to allow Pacific Gas & Electric to increase utility rates by 18% in 2023, in addition to the 9% rate increase that was already implemented in 2022. (source: cpuc.ca.gov) APS gave regulators a few options. If they want to eliminate the balance due for fuel, they can raise bills an average of $19 a month for residential customers for a year. That hit would total about $29 a month for customers on a demand rate plan. (source: azcentral.com) • In Arizona, the Arizona Public Service (APS) has requested a rate hike of about 13.6% by December 2023. (source: azcentral.com) “I am worried people are going to be shocked,” said John Ballenger, vice president at Texas retail electric provider Champion Energy. “Realizing this is 50 or 60 or 70% higher than what they had paid before; I’m just not sure it’s real to people yet. If it’s not, it will be very, very soon when the bills hit this summer.” (source: texastribune.com) • In Texas, homeowners also saw a massive surge to their electricity, with an increase over 50% to their rates at home in mid 2022. (source: texastribune.org) Because of a merger with the former Gulf Power, FPL has two sets of rates. Its petition said customers who use 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month in areas traditionally served by FPL would pay $130.23 in 2023, up from $120.67 this year. In the Northwest Florida areas formerly served by Gulf Power, customers would pay $160.43 in 2023, up from $155.61 in 2022. (source: cbsnews.com) • In Florida, TECO (Tampa Electric Co) announced that the typical residential customer’s monthly energy bill will increase by about 11 percent in 2023. (source: tampaelectric.com) With record rate increases, there aren’t many options to avoid the strain on homeowners’ wallets this year. One solution that is becoming increasingly popular and more affordable is getting a solar installation. Purchasing solar panels is a huge investment, but it will help you save on energy bills with solar. In case you’re not familiar with how solar energy works, it’s a form of renewable energy that is generated by capturing the sun’s energy and turning it into electricity. Solar panels, are made up of photovoltaic cells, are installed on rooftops or other areas to capture the sun’s energy. This energy is then converted into electricity, which can be used to power your home or business. That means, by getting a solar panel installation, you can start to offset or even eliminate your high electricity bills. Residents can also choose to get battery storage backups to bank additional energy from their solar panels. By gathering electricity produced from solar panels and storing it with a battery storage system, people all over the country can power their homes without sunlight and stay prepared for power outages, grid failures, and future rate hikes. Once you decide to install a solar energy system, what does the process look like? Different States and Counties have different requirements, however, it typically looks a lot like this: SITE ASSESSMENT: A solar panel installation expert will visit your home to assess the suitability of your site for solar panels. They’ll take into account things like the size of your roof, the orientation of your roof, your electric energy needs, the amount of sunlight that your home receives, etc. DESIGN AND PLANNING: Once the site assessment is complete, Semper Solaris will work with you to design a solar panel system that meets your needs. This may involve customizing the size and layout of the panels to fit your specific needs. INSTALLATION: After obtaining the necessary approvals, Semper Solaris will promptly schedule and commence the installation process. This typically involves mounting the panels on your roof or another area of your home, and connecting them to your electrical system. ACTIVATION: After the installation, your solar panel system will be enabled, enabling you to save on energy bills with solar energy. More questions? Feel free to give us a call or click HERE to schedule your appointment.
Solar Panel Installation Companies Santa Ana Solar Costs Skyrocketing in Santa Ana Santa Ana is a lovely city that enjoys some of the most excellent weather in California. So, if you plan on going Solar, Semper Solaris is the company to turn to for help. They have over a decade of experience as the nation's largest household solar and energy storage business. And they strive to make you feel less stressed amid power outages and growing energy expenses. Identify the best Semper Solaris solar plan in Santa Ana, California, based on your budget and energy demands. Keep reading to know more! What Are the Advantages of Going With The Best Solar Companies In Santa Ana? It's no secret that California is a pioneer in environmental preservation. Because of the advantages of solar energy, every house in the area is investing in it. The sufficient sunlight that California has been blessed with offers a clean energy alternative for many of its citizens. Residents in Santa Ana and other Californian locales may wonder whether solar power is worthwhile because of the cloudy weather. But clouds aren't something to be concerned about! Further, even though it is gloomy, solar panels may still produce electricity from the sun's radiation. Think About It for A Second. Using solar energy makes it possible for homeowners to reduce their electricity bills. Then again, who doesn't dream of the day when they don’t have to worry about the local electric company? Hence, it's just easier to go solar right now. Investing in solar has never been more valuable, and living secluded has never been simpler. As a result, contact your local Santa Ana Semper Solaris office for more information. Why Go Solar in Santa Ana? Santa Ana residents are lucky that they enjoy pleasant weather throughout the year! With over 12 months of direct sunlight each year, Santa Ana's sunshine is a proven money-saving for those who want to go solar. The Santa Ana region may have chilly winter and boiling summer, which most homeowners choose to moderate by turning on their AC's or heater. You can save money by installing a solar energy system if you constantly utilize a heater or an air conditioner. Consequently, the quantity of solar power produced may exceed the amount of energy used by your house. In this case, you may store the extra energy for later use. With our professionals' knowledge of Santa Ana solar rules and permits, you won't have to worry about a thing when you leave your project in Semper Solaris' capable hands.
Solar panels have been the future of energy for a long time now. They aren't for everyone but they can do a lot of good in the long term. If you're someone who has disposable income and wants to save more on energy as time goes on. Going solar will do a lot of good for you. This also means as time goes on these solar panels are going to go cheaper. Here are 5 reasons why you should switch to solar energy. - Save money on your energy Using solar energy is going to free up the energy costs of making sure that other people have energy. Not only is this good for your community, but you will see yourself saving more and more on your bills because the energy you are using is natural. There is a lot of talk about the kind of energy that we should be using, but it feels like solar energy could be the best in California. Other kinds of energy are getting more expensive. If we get our energy from the sun, that means companies and countries don't have to fight and debate over the energy we should use, saving you money. - California has consistent, warm weather year around While solar energy is good, it's really only optimal in environments where there is a lot of sunshine. Even 93 million miles away, in a snowy town, there will still be solar energy, but it's not optimal at all. In California, there is no real worry about a power outage in the summer with solar panels. California has consistently been sunny and warm meaning that residents will get power as well as their electricity bills going down. For the people who want solar panels for financial reasons, the weather is going to make it a good choice. - Properties with solar panels are seen as more valuable Real Estate seems like it's at an all-time high in California. Living in the state can be expensive, but living in a property with solar panels is going to make paying the monthly bills a lot more attractive to tenants. It's also more valuable because not every person is going to have solar panels in their apartment complex. For people who want to stay indoors during the summer, they will receive massive benefits. If you're a real estate agent, this could potentially make the property more attractive to others. - Renewable energy in the long term As time goes on, there are going to be fewer and fewer fossil fuels for countries to take advantage of. This isn't a problem for our generation, but it could potentially be worrisome for the next generation. Even if they can have enough fossil fuels to last their lifetime, it's going to be a lot more expensive than the money that we paid for those energies. Using solar panels is going to make energy more affordable as time goes on. It's definitely an investment to use them now, but the benefit for the rest of society is definitely there - The government promotes it through policy If you're someone with capital or wealth in California, you definitely dread tax season. However, what you can to get some educations is use solar panels. The government wants to incentivize people to use these panels, so they can get tax breaks if they use them on their private property or business. You get this on top of the benefit for the money you save on your electricity bills. Perhaps, you won't notice these kinds of tax breaks immediately, but as you achieve more and more, you going to pay more attention to these benefits. Conclusion Solar panels aren't for everyone in America, but if you are going to get them, California is a great state for that. The sun is constantly out meaning, you will never have to go weeks without large sources of power. It can easily save you thousands of dollars on energy every year which is only getting more expensive. If you're a real estate agent, solar panels are a great way to attract new customers. And if you're a business, it can get you tax breaks in the state that has some of the highest taxes.
The expansion of clean energy grows as an innovative solution to energy needs in the United States. Solar panel systems are becoming an energy source that plays a revolutionary role in meeting energy needs, which has fueled their rapid growth in the United States. According to SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association), the solar market has not stopped growing since it doubled in 2016. Solar battery storage is playing a leading role in the advancement of solar energy. States that promote solar panels and solar battery storage will lead to an unmistakable solar industry trend. What is the last? SEIA has presented an ambitious vision for expanding clean energy in the US to the 117th US Congress. Aware that a new administration will take over in 2021, SEIA recently adjusted its vision for clean energy policies to help solar have at least 20% of generation by 2030 and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. SEIA, through one of its directors, announced on October 29, 2020, that Arkansas Group joins the National Solar Trade Association to strengthen solar defense in the southeast. Now the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association (AAEA) is an official state affiliate of SEIA. If you want to be part of this growth, you can participate in SEIA's Solar Goes Corporate. In this forum, buyers and suppliers of clean energy converge, designed to discuss how companies can effectively invest, acquire, and implement clean energy technologies such as solar energy and batteries' storage. The solar energy boom has brought with it the emergence of other renewable technology such as solar batteries capable of storing additional solar energy for later use. In this sense, companies like Tesla develop batteries combined with solar panels to create "solar + storage" systems for domestic and industrial use. Get an informative summary of the basics of solar + storage and SEIA's role by clicking on the following link: Solar + Storage. We invite you to read on to learn more about clean energy and determine if you should consider installing a solar plus storage system for your home. Keep in mind that the cost of solar energy has been falling across the country. Why Choose Solar + Storage? To consider why you may choose to install a Solar + Battery Storage system in your home, you must first understand how a solar PV system like the standard home works. The standard of a solar energy system includes: Solar panels, A kit to mount the panels on your ceiling, An inverter, A performance monitoring system that tracks electricity production. Solar panels concentrate energy from the sun and transform it into electricity, which passes through the inverter and is converted into energy used to power your home. By solar policy, residential solar energy systems must be connected to the electricity grid. This allows the exchange of energy. When your panels make more electricity than your home requires, the excess travels to the power grid. On the contrary, when your solar panels cannot supply your home's electricity demand, you can obtain energy from the electrical grid. Also, by solar polity, you will receive a credit on your electricity bill for helping the utility company by delivering excess power to the grid. Of needing more electricity than your solar panels can generate, you can use those credits instead of paying more for your utility. This process is known as net metering. In all this, the plus is given by the batteries. Solar politics energy storage can smooth electricity prices through arbitrage. It can also mitigate reduction risk, manage nighttime power ramps, provide black start capability, provide backup power, and more. Many solar energy companies like the California Solar Company see storage as a business growth opportunity. They see solar system owners as their allies. This is due to solar politics and to the fact that to achieve 20% of the total electricity generation that the solar industry is targeting, it relies heavily on cost-effective integration of storage. How Is The Storage Of Solar Batteries? The function of solar batteries is to store the energy produced by your solar panels for later use. According to technology, there are solar batteries that come with their inverter and offer integrated energy conversion. The storage is directly proportional; the greater your battery's capacity, the greater its electrical energy storage capacity. At Semper Solaris, a California Solar Panel installation company, they recommend always installing a solar battery as part of your solar panel system, as that allows you to store excess solar electricity in your home rather than send it back to the grid. If your solar panels make much more electricity than required, the excess energy is deposited in the battery. That will decrease the energy exchange with the grid. It will only send electricity to the grid when the battery is 100% charged, and it will only receive electricity from the grid when the battery is low. As you can see, houses with solar energy plus storage will be able to store excess energy for use when in contingency or when the sun doesn’t shine. They have the additional benefit of having short-term backup power in the event of failures in the public service network. Installing A Solar Battery In Your House Is An Opportunity? SEIA is firmly supporting the creation and improvements of an Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for energy storage; it is part of what it has submitted to Congress. Installing a solar battery is synonymous with saving money, which largely depends on solar politics and how the utility company compensates you for your solar energy. With full net metering, you typically receive credits on your electricity bill for every kilowatt-hour of electricity your solar panels produce, so you don't use them right away. However, it may not be so. The trend is for a solar battery to help improve the economy with solar panels for your home or business. Solar battery storage can help you save more, as long as your solar energy supplies your electricity demand. But if the utility company has times of use rates or demand charges or simply does not offer net metering. Not only that, Solar Panels and Battery Storage can help with Sleep Apnea and CPAP Machines even when the electricity goes out. How Does Solar Grid Storage Fit Into The Broader Electrical Ecosystem? Solar batteries and other energy storage technologies are set to become a market of around $ 2.5 billion in the United States by 2020-2021. Why is Energy Storage Expected to Grow so Fast? For the benefits that solar battery storage offer to their owners, such as those of homes, that is: Renewable electricity storage capacity for later use, Ease of application on a larger scale for the entire electrical network. Depending on the technology, they provide more flexibility in the generation and use of electricity, mainly from solar and wind energy. Utilities have a complex task. They need to provide their customers with a reliable and quality service. To do this, they must ensure that they have enough electricity on the grid to meet demand. Otherwise, there can be fluctuations in service and even have dissatisfied customers from experiencing blackouts. For increasing solar battery storage, incentives are needed in that direction. This will help network and utility operators manage their electricity flow operations from renewable resources with more flexibility. In the long term, it means there will be more renewable energy resources built into our nation's electricity mix, where home solar panel systems will be a major stronghold.
Fresno County is known as the king of agriculture. The city produces billions of dollars in a variety of crops including tomatoes, oranges, almonds, and grapes. The area ranks number one in the nation when it comes to agriculture. It gets 270+ sunny days each year, and that makes it one of the best places for installing a solar panel system. At present, Fresno has the third-highest number of homes with solar panels. It is the fifth-largest city in the state that has stated embracing solar installation to reduce the energy cost and minimize the carbon footprint on the environment. Also, solar panels can reduce the dependency factors and enable homes to deal with emergencies. Why Should You Go Solar in Fresno? Summer causes a lot of difficulties for people in Fresno. The triple-digit outdoor temperature and increasing monthly bills for indoors make life difficult for many. The residents use more electricity than the national average throughout the year. If you want to minimize you electricity bill, contacting a Fresno solar company to install a solar panel on your roof is a must. After doing so, you will have pay much less for the energy. You can also protect yourself from the increasing electric bills that California is known for. Even if a solar panel offers a lot of benefits, many homeowners still do not consider this option due to the upfront cost. However, you can afford a solar system in the current condition. There are many ways to minimize installation costs. Once you install a solar panel, you can use sunlight to power your home and its many appliances. The kilowatt that your solar system generates is one less kilowatt that you purchase from SCE. You are going to save money every month. At the same time, you are going to contribute to the environment. Let's cover some information in more details. Lower Electricity Bills Installing Tesla Powerwall and solar panel system can enable you to meet the energy needs of your home. It will cut the costs of your utility bills. In Fresno, most households end up paying more than thirty-two percent higher electricity bills than other states. With a solar panel system, you can reduce energy consumption. Currently, thousands of residents are converting to a renewable and affordable energy source, solar panels to find the best alternative for the energy. Incentives & Tax Credits As stated above, you can minimize the installation cost significantly with incentives and tax credits. Many states offer local rebates. In addition to local rebates, you will receive twenty-six percent in federal tax credits. The residents of Fresno might be eligible for SASH. The Single-family Affordable Solar Homes Program of state has been extended to 2021. It offers upfront rebates to all those who cannot afford to install a solar panel. It can be best for low-income homeowners. NEM Program You can also get rebates from the Net Energy Metering program of the state. It works as a driving force to help Fresno residents to install solar panels on their roofs. In 2019 only, 23,300 residents were part of this program. The program will allow homeowners to credit towards their energy bills. Federal Tax Credit The federal tax credit is twenty-six percent of the installation cost. The amount will be deducted from the federal taxes of homeowners. They can claim the credit over many years when the amount is less than their tax credit. However, all cannot be benefited by federal taxes. The federal tax credit can be helpful for all those who pay federal income taxes. If you are paying federal income tax and want to install a solar system, you will have to consider it now. The federal tax credit will be less from 2022 end. It will be twenty-two percent instead of twenty-six percent. So, go solar now in Fresno to get the maximum benefits. Battery Storage A solar panel system will not only reduce your energy cost, but it can also be effective to deal with emergencies. It can power up your home during unpredictable blackouts such as extreme weather conditions. Some natural adversities can cause blackouts for days to millions of people. With a solar system, you can live a normal life and use all your electric devices. Here battery storage comes in. A solar system will not only power up your home during the day hours when the sun is present, but it can also save energy for future use. Solar panels can store the energy in the battery, and you can use it during nights and blackouts. You can get clean energy for eight to twelve years with quality battery storage. The added benefit is that you are not going to pay the TOU rates if you use battery storage for your solar system. How Much Will You Save? The answer will depend on a few factors. The key consideration is the exposure of sunlight to your solar panel. Your solar panel needs to receive ample sunlight to meet the energy needs of your home. When the sunlight will not be adequate, you might not expect the desired benefits. Another factor is the usage of electricity for your home. When some homeowners use more electricity to power their devices, others can manage with less. In brief, the higher power usage will ensure more savings on the energy cost. The average electricity usage in California is around 547 kWh. But you might be spending more if you are using more electric devices. The usage is more in Fresno compared to other parts of California. If you want to know how much exactly you can save by installing a solar panel, you can consider talking to an experienced Fresno solar company. They use a solar panel saving calculator to help the residents of Fresno to know how much exactly they can save on energy bills with a solar system. The calculator can help you to know the number of solar panels you will need for your home.
Originally published May 24th 2018. Updated January 6th 2021 to reflect changes to the Federal Tax Credit. Is it feeling a little hot in here? Perhaps it’s because the summer months are quickly approaching, or maybe you just opened up your electricity bill. There are so many wonderful reasons that California is a great place to build a home, but cost of living isn’t one of them. In fact, we have the seventh-highest energy rates in the whole country! As temperatures creep up and air conditioners start humming across the Golden State, electric bills can start creeping up as well. Solar panel installation is a great way to lower your energy bill (and decrease your carbon footprint), but what are some other ways to cool your energy usage and save? Let’s take a look at some easy-to-implement options. Solar Panel Installation We are a solar panel company, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that we think solar panels offer you a great solution to lowering or eliminating your electric bill altogether. Buying Solar Panels for Your House If you choose to purchase solar panels out-of-pocket, you’ll be making a significant upfront investment, but it will pay off. According to Energy Sage, the average 6 KW (kilowatt) system will cost California residents $11,928 to $15,204 when they take advantage of the federal government’s generous 26% tax rebate (which, unfortunately, won’t last much longer). A 6 KW solar panel system is one of the most common sizes we install, and it covers the energy needs of a typical, mid-sized home. Buying solar panels for your house isn’t cheap, but the average system pays itself off in seven years. When you keep in mind that solar panels are estimated to last anywhere from 25 to 40 years, you can see the potential for big savings down the road, especially because the panels themselves add value to your home! It’s estimated that over 20 years of life, solar panels can save the average homeowner in Los Angeles $50,000! Solar Leases and Power Purchase Agreements Of course, not everyone has $12,000 sitting in their bank account. California residents can still save on electricity by choosing a solar panel lease or a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Both of these options offer no upfront payment. Instead, the solar panel installation company owns the solar panels and charges homeowners a set rate for the energy they use, which is less than what they would pay the electric company. The beauty of this system is that as energy rates increase (and they always do), homeowners with a solar lease or PPA will increase their savings. Whether you purchase solar panels or choose a solar lease or PPA, you’ll still want to keep your energy usage as low as possible during the long, hot California summer. If you use more energy than the solar power system for your home was designed to produce, you could still end up paying big bucks to the utility companies. Here are some other tips to lower your energy usage during summer. Save on Air Conditioning Nothing feels better on a scorching day than the sweet whisper of cool air pouring through the vents when your air conditioner kicks on. However, your air conditioner also happens to be an energy hog! The typical air conditioner guzzles 15,000 watts of electricity per hour. Compare that to the average desktop computer, which hums along just fine on 400 watts per hour. California charges on average $0.15 per kilowatt, meaning your air conditioning will set you back an average of $2.25 for every hour it’s on. If it’s running six hours a day, you’ll be paying $94.50 every week! That doesn’t mean you need to unplug your air conditioner for good and resign yourself to the fact that your home will morph into a sweat lodge for the next few months. Instead, there are a few simple things you can do to reign in the costs. Change Your Air Conditioning Filter You do know that you’re supposed to change out the filter on your air conditioner every three months, right? Filters are cheap (usually less than $10 each) and can improve the efficiency of your air conditioner. New filters can also make your home cleaner by filtering out dust and other outdoor irritants. Increase Your Air Conditioning Temperature In a perfect world, you’d put your air conditioning on the minute the temperature ticked up to 72 degrees, but let’s be honest. You can probably survive just fine without air conditioning for another two or three degrees, right? If you can cut the amount of time you use your air conditioning just one hour each day by setting your air conditioning on a higher temperature, the average Californian could save nearly $70 a month! Don’t Cool Empty Rooms If you’re the only one in the house, or you and your family are heading to bed, close the vents in the other rooms. There’s no need for your air conditioner to cool off your microwave in the kitchen or your couch in the living room! Use a Fan Another smart idea is to take advantage of a fan, which uses much less energy. If you have a ceiling fan, turn it on. You might be surprised how just getting a nice breeze can help you feel much cooler. If you don’t have a ceiling fan, invest in a floor fan or even a desktop fan. This option is especially good if you are home alone and don’t want to go through the hassle of closing all the vents. Now you can keep the temperature in your room comfortable without having to turn on the air conditioning to cool the entire house! A Few Other Cost-Saving Tips Making the changes above to how you use your air conditioner can help you save on electricity costs in the summer, but that’s not all you can do. Here are a few more quick tips that you can use to cut your energy usage all year round. Play the Variable Price Game Some utility companies throughout California have been rolling out “variable pricing,” which increases the cost of electricity during certain set times of the day when demand is the highest. Find out if you have a variable price plan and then determine which time periods will cost you the most. It shouldn’t be too hard to run the dishwasher or the washer and dryer outside of those hours. Limit Your Hungriest Power Users Your air conditioning unit isn’t the only device in your home that loves to gobble up electricity. Your washer and dryer use 4,000 watts per hour and your water pump uses 3,000 watts per hour. So make sure you fill up the washer with each load. If you have half a load ready to go, see if you can double up with one of your family members. (Just don’t let them talk you into folding all their socks and underwear too!) Also, if you have a heated pool or jacuzzi that you only use on the weekends, pull the plug during the week. If no one’s using it, don’t spend energy and money on it! Turn Off the Lights Let the long hours of daylight give you all the illumination you need for as long as the sun is up. Lightbulbs, especially the energy-efficient LED bulbs that most of us use, only sip small amounts of energy, but it can still add up. According to Spark Energy, 10 lightbulbs running for six hours a day will cost you $120 a year. That’s not exactly a king’s ransom, but we bet you can find a lot of better ways to use that money. Plus, lowering your energy bill is only part of the benefit of using less energy. By flipping off your light switch, you can also lower the amount of carbon you contribute to the environment. It’s Time to Save There are all sorts of ways that you can cut your energy usage this summer and save on your electric bill. Some tips are as easy as flicking off a light switch in an unoccupied room or running the dishwasher an hour later. Others will require a bigger investment, like solar panel installation, which will pay off big in the end. Every step you take to cut power is a step in the right direction to lower your energy bills and to be a little more energy wise. We hope that you and your family have an amazing summer! And if now is the time for you to invest in solar power for your home, please give us a call to schedule a free energy analysis.
BREAKING NEWS! The American government has come together to pass the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). This is fantastic news for those installing a new solar system because they will now be eligible for a 30% tax credit. What Is the Federal Solar Tax Credit? The Federal Solar Tax Credit that is also known as the Solar Investment Tax Credit or ITC is a 30% tax credit incentive for a newly installed solar system. By installing a solar photovoltaic system, you will be entitled to a federal solar tax credit that can be claimed on federal income taxes for a percentage of the cost that came with installing a new solar system. This will help Americans get solar on their roofs and will help millions more families unlock an additional savings on their electricity bills over the life of the system. The solar ITC was first introduced back in 2006, and has been a huge success since then: according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, it's spurred average annual growth of more than 50 % for the solar industry and boosted the area by more than 10,000 % since its inception. Indeed, the solar ITC is the primary motivator behind the development of solar - it goes without saying that, without this extension, we would see a decline in the growth of solar for the foreseeable future. The statistic mentioned above speak for themselves - the solar ITC has been responsible for huge growth in the solar sector.
The United States Energy Policy Act of 2005 established the Investment Tax Credit or ITC for short. In regards to solar power installation, this meant a homeowner that owned their solar system free and clear would receive a federal tax break for the total cost of their solar investment. As solar is rapidly becoming ever more popular, the incentive is set to decline over the upcoming years gradually, so if you have been considering solar, now is the time to act. The federal solar tax credit for 2022, also known as the investment tax credit (ITC), deducts 30% of your solar panel installation costs from your federal taxes. This tax credit is subject to change. NUMEROUS BENEFITS OF SOLAR The 2022 ITC is not the only reason to research and evaluate the many benefits of alternative energy sources for your home or office. Solar is an environmentally friendly, renewable, and sustainable energy source that has the capability of fully powering your residence or commercial space, precisely as a traditional “grid-based” power company would, For greater than half the cost of grid electricity. In an area prone to fire-prevention power outages or a grid circuit that has potential for brownouts? Solar power can provide other benefits such as reserve power systems, which are units that store the acquired solar energy - all while still powering your home - for use in an emergency. It sure would be nice to be able to turn the lights on or leave the air conditioner running during times of no power. SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL SAVINGS The aforementioned “grid” companies such as Southern California Edison charge upwards of ¢25 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), while solar power costs are as little as ¢.06 per kWh. If the average household uses in the neighborhood of 900 kWh per month, then solar energy provides an approximate yearly savings of $2,000 over grid-based electricity! That is a substantial difference, especially in the higher cost of living areas where saving money is essential. The average size residential solar power system is 6kW, which is an approximate $19,000 upfront cost. These credits greatly help absorb the initial cost, as well as get you closer to full fiscal recuperation of the system faster. After taking your ITC, and saving $2,000 in electricity usage costs in the first year, you’ve already made a $19,000 solar system and paid only $10,000. If you choose to remain in your solar-powered home, the system will entirely pay for itself only five to ten years later. Choosing to sell your home? The average home in California will sell for $20,000 more with solar installed!
