Solar Panels
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 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!
Do you have questions about solar panels? You’re not alone! Even though solar has been around for a long time, many people want to know more before they choose if going solar is the right for their property. Getting to know PV panels is smart, so we have put together some of the most commonly asked questions about home solar panels and answered them in one place. From knowing how solar power works to knowing what happens to solar panels in weather, you’ll be smarter than ever about turning the sun into green energy once you’re done with these FAQs. Let’s get started. How Do Solar Panels Work? The short answer is that solar panels (comprised of photovoltaic - PV - cells) absorb and turn sunlight into electricity. The longer answer is that the silicon in PV panels, which is doped with boron to increase its conductivity, knocks electrons free from the sunlight that hits the panels. This creates an electrical current. Your panels convert the sunlight into direct current (DC) energy. How do solar panels work? Read the full article. Since most appliances in your home use alternating current (AC) power, your solar panels are connected to an inverter. The inverter changes the solar energy from DC to AC. From there, the energy is ready to be sent to your outlets and used in your home. How are Solar Panels Affected by Clouds and Rain? One of the biggest myths about solar power is that it won’t be effective when it’s cloudy. Homeowners who live in areas with a lot of sea fog, for instance, may be worried that getting solar power isn’t worth it. The reality is that solar panels can still capture sunlight even when it’s cloudy outside. In fact, panels can often produce up to 25% of their typical output even when clouds are present. When it’s raining, your solar panels may produce about 10% of their regular output. During weather events, your solar panels can draw upon their storage of saved energy so your home can stay off the grid until the sun comes out again. Read our article Does solar power work at night? Do Solar Panels Overheat? You want your solar panels in direct sunlight. But how much sun is too much sun? Some panels do operate with less efficiency in super hot temperatures. Solar panels are tested for efficiency at 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and they’re most efficient around that temperature. Panels will lose a certain amount of efficiency for every degree above 77 (this is called the temperature coefficient figure). If you’re living in the desert, you may want to select panels with a better temperature coefficient. Thin-film panels, which are started to gain steam, are also known to work quite efficiently in hot temperatures. It’s important to note that your panels will still work when they get hot, they may just take longer to generate the same amount of electricity as they do on cooler days. They will draw on stored energy to make up the difference. Learn how often you should care for your solar panels. How Many Solar Panels Does a Home Need? How many solar panels will you need to make the switch from grid power to self-sustaining solar power? There are a lot of factors that contribute to the answer, including the efficiency of the panels you choose and how much power you use every month. For a home that uses 5kW of power each month, you will require on average about 20 panels. You’ll need 300 square feet of roof space, ideally facing south. How many panels are needed to run a house? Read the full article. Can Solar Panels Be Recycled? If you’re entertaining the thought of going solar you probably care about the environment, and you’re asking yourself how you can recycle the panels when you’re done with them. The good news is that solar panels often last up to 30 years, so you won’t have to change them out often. If you inherit a home with outdated panels and want to upgrade them, however, the rules of recycling may be pertinent to you. The EU has a more organized system for recycling solar panels than the United States, but the US is started to get on board. Many of the components of solar panels, including glass and wiring, can easily be recycled. Groups like SEIA and some individual manufacturers are allowing customers to turn in old panels for repurposing or recycling. Learn how to decrease your carbon footprint. Are Solar Panels Expensive to Maintain? No, solar panels are not expensive to maintain. Regular cleanings represent the majority of your responsibility; depending on where you live and the type of panels you have, you may only need to clean the panels annually. It’s best to consult a professional when you need your panels cleaned and schedule the cleaning for a day that is partly cloudy whenever possible. Aside from cleaning, you won’t need to attend to your panels unless you notice something wrong. Many solar panels have a warranty of 25 years for parts and materials, so you can also count on free replacement components in many cases. Can Hail or Snow Damage My Solar Panels? Solar panels are specifically designed to withstand harsh weather conditions. In fact, they are tested to make sure they can survive through one-inch hail falling at a rate of 50 miles per hour. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was itself faced with a hail storm, and of the thousands of solar panels on the organization’s campus, only one was broken in the end. When it comes to snow, the main problem is that snow coverage impedes panel efficiency. Many homeowners can simply wait for the snow to melt because the angle at which the panels are installed encourages the melted snow to naturally run downward. You can also hire a professional to come and clear the snow. Read more about the durability of solar panels. How Much Money Will I Save with Solar? The amount of money you save with solar may vary, but if you buy efficient panels and live in Southern California you are apt to save up to $40,000 over the course of your time in your home. You can use Google’s helpful Project Sunroof to estimate how much money solar panels can save you. The tool uses your address and current electric bill to provide you with an estimate. We answer the question we know that you have: Do solar panels really save you money? Can I Take My Solar Panels When I Move? Technically your solar panels are your property and you could take them with you to a new property. But you may not want to consider it when you factor in the increase in your home’s value. In California, a solar panel system that generates about 5kW could improve the worth of a home by tens of thousands. You’re typically better off to leave your solar panels in place, sell your home, and install a different system at your new address. Read more: Does solar really increase the value of your home? What is Net Metering? Many city grids, including SDGE have a program in place to buy your excess energy. Most homes with solar will create more energy than they need, so you may as well be paid for it! Net metering is a system by which homeowners who generate solar energy and remain connected to the grid will send their extra energy to the grid. Your utility company will pay you for this electricity and use it to offset the load for your neighbors. Anything beyond your personal “net” use is used to power your community. Read our full article on net metering. Solar power has the potential to make your household energy independent, reduce your carbon footprint, and help your community. When we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, we create new jobs and help protect the California landscape we all love so much. Solar energy is also helping local veterans get back to work after they complete their service. More of your questions are answered on our Frequently Asked Questions page.
For any homeowner or business owner interested in saving money and helping to protect the environment, having solar panels installed is a great way to do that. Solar energy is the definition of green energy, which means that it is clean energy that produces next to no pollutants. On top of being the cleanest form of energy in the world, it is also endlessly renewable. The sun is going to keep rising each day, which means that the fuel source for solar panels is never going away. Since solar energy doesn't have to be produced, it also doesn't generate any waste. To summarize, solar energy produces virtually no pollutants and it is endlessly renewable, making it the perfect green energy for anyone interested in protecting the environment. The only time that solar panels produce any waste is during their manufacture and transport to the installation site. After that, it's perfectly clean energy for the life of your solar panels. Solar Panels Help To Reduce Carbon Emissions If you're interested in protecting the environment, you're probably already well aware of the threat that global warmer presents. Global warming is causing the sea levels to rise due to glaciers melting. It's altering the climate, and there's strong evidence that it is making hurricanes more powerful, droughts more severe, and wildfires more damaging. Climate change is a problem that everyone needs to work together to combat, and you can do your part by having solar panels installed on your home or business. How do solar panels help with climate change? To understand how solar panels help with climate change you first have to understand what's causing it. Climate change is being driven by carbon emissions. Everything from coal power plants, to the cars that most people drive. When you have solar panels on your home or business you are reducing your dependence upon external electricity sources. So, if your home would have normally been given power by a coal power plant, using solar panels reduces your carbon footprint by reducing your dependency on that power plant. The Cumulative Effect of More and More Homes and Businesses Going Solar Will Add Up Will you get solar panels on your home or business to make a huge impact when it comes to protecting the environment? No. But it's important that you don't think that way. If everyone decided that their getting solar panels wasn't going to make that big of a difference, then progress would come to a grinding halt. What you should realize is that it's the cumulative effect of many other home or business owners just like you making the decision to go solar that will make a difference. Solar Panels Offers Many Financial Benefits While your primary motivation for embracing solar energy may be about the positive effect it will have on the environment, you should also enjoy some nice financial incentives as well. When you finance solar panels you aren't actually adding anything to your monthly budget, in fact, you may be reducing your monthly budget! While financing solar panels will add a bill to your budget, it will also reduce your electric bill. In most cases, people find that the amount of their bill for their solar panels, combined with their new electric bill is less than what they paid for electricity before. On top of that, once your solar panels are paid for, you'll continue to get solar energy from them. While the amount of power that solar panels generate will decrease eventually, the fact that they will continue to provide you with power long after they have been paid off can be viewed as a major benefit. Do Solar Panels Have Any Negative Effects On The Environment? While solar panels are overwhelmingly good for the environment when compared with other power sources, they do have their downsides. When solar panels are manufactured they are done so in a facility. That facility is taking up space that was probably an empty field with grass and trees at one point. The facility that manufactures solar panels also uses power and water, and during the manufacturing process pollutants may be produced. Currently, solar panels are also transported on vehicles that use fossil fuels as well, so that's another check in the negative box for them. But, once they are installed, they are the greenest energy source on the planet, making their negatives pale in comparison to the positive benefits that they provide.
If you are a sleep apnea patient and use CPAP therapy, you should be ready for emergencies where there would have no regular power available. To meet such eventualities, you should invest in solar panels and battery storage. For the past few weeks, California is witnessing regular rotational blackouts. Even in the past, California has witnessed a serious power crisis between 2000-01. Sleep apnea patients who are taking CPAP therapy may find themselves completely helpless if caught in a blackout in the night time. This is very much a real possibility now as peak power demand in the city is outstripping supply. How Do Solar Panels Help People with Sleep Apnea Using CPAP Therapy? You can buy a high watt solar panel system for charging your CPAP battery. You just need to spread the solar panels facing directly the sun and connect it to the CPAP battery. In about 8 to 10 hours, the solar panel would fully charge the battery. The solar panel is very easy to operate. All you need to do is spread it facing the sun. It will draw energy from the sun and charge your CPAP battery. Solar panels are able to draw energy from the sun even on cloudy days when the sun may not be seen prominently. Benefits If there is a power outage and you are not able to charge your battery, solar panels will charge your CPAP device and you can have a good night's sleep. You may also need the solar panel to charge your CPAP device during your outdoor adventure. Easy To Use Solar Panels? The solar panels capable of recharging your CPAP device are lightweight and powerful. They can charge your CPAP battery in 8 to 10 hours. The process to recharge the CPAP battery is very easy. You just need to connect the solar panels to your battery and let the panel sit facing the sun. Most solar panels are made using green technology and are carbon-footprint friendly so you will be helping the environment in the process. Solar Panels and Sleep Apnea Is there a link between solar power and sleep apnea? Yes, if you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and use CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure therapy), solar power can be a topic of interest for you. CPAP is a device that comes in the form of a mask that sleep apnea has to wear during his sleep. The mask has a CPAP component that supplies air at high pressure near the patient's nose during his sleep. This ensures there is enough air at high pressure in the face region including the nose and the throat that the patient does not have to struggle to breathe the air in. There is a continuous supply of air at high pressure for the patient to be able to breathe comfortably. How Is CPAP Related to Solar Power? CPAP is powered by a rechargeable battery. For this device to continuously work for the entire duration when the patient is sleeping, it needs its battery with adequate charging. In normal circumstances, the battery can be charged through power outlets in the day for use at night. You may need solar power to charge the CPAP battery. This is a possibility when there is a power outage or when you are on a hike and sleeping outdoors. What is Sleep Apnea? Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious problem that prevents a person from having a sound sleep. The problem is caused due to the weakening of the breathing muscles that mostly lie in the throat region. If the person is suffering from this problem for a long time, the lack of a good night's sleep can lead to many problems, especially related to the health of the heart. While a milder version of OSA can be treated and managed by adopting a healthy lifestyle, the more serious form of the condition needs medical interventions. Of all the treatments available, CPAP is considered to be most effective as it improves air circulation right in the face, near the nose, and the throat. It helps the patient's breathing system as air at a higher pressure makes its way through the nose and the mouth down to the throat and lungs without breathing muscles having to make any serious effort. CPAP manages to keep the patient breathing. It's a delicate balance between the patient's need for air and the CPAP working on its battery. If the battery gets discharged with no option to recharge it, the patient may suffer a difficult time trying to sleep. But if the patient has battery storage, he can recharge his CPAP device easily and manage to tide over the crisis. Solar Panels and Battery Storage Solar power is a source of clean energy as it provides non-grid energy. From average homes to municipal bodies, everyone is aware of the advantages of solar panel installations. They are also using it wherever it is possible. Except for the installation cost, it provides you electricity at much lower costs compared to no solar panels. Over time, it pays for itself and recoups the installation cost in about 5 to 7 years. There are good reasons for the greater adoption of solar power technology by more people and households. An important upgrade in the overall solar power technology is battery storage. This device allows you to store power generated by your solar energy system and use it when you need it. In normal circumstances, your solar panels generate electricity and store in the batteries attached to the system. Once the batteries are fully charged and your solar panel is still producing electricity, you can store the additional electricity in battery storage. You can use the battery storage when the normal batteries attached to your solar panels are completely discharged. You can also sell additional electricity to the grid and earn some money or credit. Using battery storage is an excellent way to tap the maximum amount of energy from your solar installation. Final thoughts Sleep apnea is a respiratory disease in which the person stops breathing for a brief period during his sleep. One of the treatments for this condition is the use of CPAP masks. To keep the CPAP working even during California blackouts or during outdoor hiking, you should use solar panels + battery storage in case of emergencies.
