What Are Solar Batteries How Much Do They Cost
Solar batteries store your excess solar energy so you can use it when you need it most, like during a power outage.
Most home solar batteries cost between $10,000 and $15,000 to install, so they add a substantial amount to the total cost of a solar installation. However, in a number of states, there are specific rebates to cut the cost of adding batteries to your solar system. It is also worth noting that the 26% federal solar investment tax credit applies to batteries when they are installed to store solar energy generated by a home solar system. This further reduces the cost significantly.
Despite the high price tag, solar batteries are cheaper and more popular than ever before as more homeowners want to protect themselves from widespread power outages. In fact, around 70% of people that use our website to request quotes from local solar companies ask for battery storage. This number is up from less than 50% only two years ago. Blackouts are becoming more common throughout the U.S., and what better way to keep your lights on than a solar battery?
You can read more about net metering and battery savings here.
Find out if solar-plus-battery storage is worth it where you live
Calculate The Size Of Your Solar System
To figure out how to size your solar system, take your daily kWh energy requirement and divide it by your peak sun hours to get the kW output. Then divide the kW output by your panels efficiency to get the estimated number of solar panels youll need for your system.
x 1.15 efficiency factor = DC solar system size
For example, if you live in New Mexico, you average six peak sunlight hours per day. Youll need 6.2 kW DC according to the formula:
x 1.15 efficiency factor = 6.2 kW DC solar system size required
Using the example above with a 6.2 kW DC system, you can multiply this number by 1,000 to confirm that you need 6,200 watts of solar panels.
6.2 kW x 1000 = 6200 watts solar panel required
How Many Kwh Can Your Solar Panels Produce The Complexities Of Production Ratios
The amount of power your solar energy system can produce depends on how much sunlight exposure your roof receives, which in turn creates your production ratio. The amount of sunlight you get in a year depends on both where you are in the country, and what time of year it is. For instance, California has more sunny days annually than New England. But in either location, youll be able to produce enough power to cover your energy needs and say goodbye to your utility billsif you live in an area that gets less peak sunlight hours, youll just need to have a larger solar array system installed at your home. Thus, production ratios differ according to geographic location and a lower production ratio means youll need more solar panels to get the amount of energy production you need.
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Buying A House With Pace
PACE financing is attached to the property, and not the person who took out the loan since payments are made through property taxes. Therefore, the solar equipment payments become your responsibility when you purchase a home that has PACE financing. If youre thinking about taking on PACE financing payments with the purchase of a new home, you should review the financing terms before you make a purchase.
What Is The Average Payback Period For Residential Solar Panels In 2021
The solar payback period refers to the amount of time it takes for the electric bill savings from your solar panels to equal the amount you paid for the system. The average payback period for a residential solar system in 2021 is about seven years.
A payback period of seven years equates to a return on investment of approximately 14%. However, this varies greatly by state and even by regions within states.
Calculate the solar panel payback period for your home based on your location, electric use and current local solar system prices
Once you have generated an accurate payback period, you can compare this to the returns you see on other types of investments:
- Long-term government bonds currently have returns between 0.1% and 2%
- Zillow estimates that home prices increase between 3% and 5% annually
- The stock market has risen around 9.5% historically
As you can see, residential solar panels stack up favorably against all of these other investment options – and this is even before we consider the increase in a homes value caused by the solar panel installation.
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How A 100% Green Electricity Plan Is A Great Alternative To Solar Panels
With its perpetually sunny climate, Texas ranks in the top 10 U.S. states in its cumulative solar capacity. As a result, the Texas solar industry has grown rapidly in terms of electricity generation and the number of people it employs. With it, household enthusiasm for solar panels has also increased. However, the two main concerns people have when it comes to solar panel installation are production capacity and costs.
Solar panels in residential settings currently face limitations since most homes have no way of storing extra solar power on sunny days when solar panels create more electricity than the home can use. Thankfully, further technological progress will likely address this storage problem, as it plagues the entire industry.
In regard to costs, regular electricity companies can offer lower rates on traditional electricity plans than those powered by solar energy because of an economic concept called economies to scale. In essence, the costs for each additional unit of output decrease as more output is created. In other words, because more households are connected to the Texas electricity grid than use solar panels, the average cost of electricity is lower for each household than it would be with individual solar panels.
Click here to learn how Chariot Energy is cutting out the middlemen and providing customers 100% clean, renewable solar energy.
Is A Diy Solar Installation A Good Idea
While you can install solar panels yourself, it may not be the best idea simply because of the potential danger involved. DIY solar installations let you save money on labor costs and you can even find DIY solar kits online, which range from $8,000 to $10,000.
However, the potential savings may not be worth the risk: youre working on a roof, plus youre completing electrical work. Not to mention, youll need to work out all of the permitting and planning yourself, which can be hard to navigate. You also run the risk of voiding out warranties and not qualifying for certain incentives.
So, while you can install solar yourself, we dont advise it. DIY may save you a buck, but going with a professional installer will save you a headache.
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Solar Panels Are More Efficient Than Ever Before
Solar panels function best when theyre exposed to unobstructed sunlight all day long, from sunrise to sunset. In reality, however, few places offer ideal solar panel conditions.
Thanks to modern solar panel technology, solar panels can still be efficient when theyre in sub-optimal conditions. A modern solar panel may produce more energy from 4 hours of direct sunlight than an old solar panel would produce from 12 hours of direct sunlight.
Solar Power Without Solar Panels
Matt and Amber Christian cant install solar panels on their townhouse roof. Their homeowners association forbids it. Yet today, the Christians are saving money by powering their townhouse with solar power. How did they do it? Matt and Amber learned about community solar.
Drive 20 minutes east on Minnesota Highway 55 from the Christians townhouse, and youll reach a field full of solar panels. Its a solar garden: a field with community solar. The Christians bought 22 of the panels, collecting enough sunlight to power most of their house, and shrink their power bill. They already have plans for the $1,000 theyll save each year: Invest, give, and save.
Your roof probably cant have solar panels
If youre like most Americans, you cant actually install solar on your home. Your roof might be too shady, too old, or made of the wrong material. You might not control your roof, because you rent an apartment. Perhaps you dislike the appearance of the panels or would prefer not to have strangers walking atop your house.
With community solar these issues are no longer problems, because your roof is left untouched. Your house can be free of solar panels, and still get solar power.
Community solar explained
Imagine 3,000 solar panels on a farm. They cover as much land as three football fields, and produce enough power for about 150 houses. Thats a solar garden. One hundred and fifty families, like Matt and Amber, buy 20 panels each to power their homes.
The next big thing
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Check To See If You Need A Permit
Every city, county, and state has different rules when it comes to installing solar panels on residential properties. Before going forward with any installation, it’s important to look into city codes and making sure that you comply with all local zoning laws and ordinances. The Solar Energy Industries Association has put together great resources for navigating any red tape that may stand in your way.
Keep in mind that applying for your necessary permits may take some time, both to submit and to receive approval. Installing solar panels isn’t necessarily an impulse purchase to begin with, but patience is necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions About Solar Panel Systems
Residential solar panels are one of the best ways to save money in the long term and create a positive environmental impact. Before you go solar, here are 12 key things to keep in mind:
1. How much has the price of residential solar dropped in recent years?
If youre an optimist looking for feel-good statistics, the cost of solar electricity in the past decade is a great place to start. U.S. solar installation cost has dropped by around 70 percent over the past 10 years. In the last year alone, the residential market saw a five percent decrease in cost. Theres no question that solar energy has evolved from a cleantech commodity to a sensible home upgrade that millions of Americans are considering. Getting solar panels on your roof is one of the smartest decisions you can make in todays age.
However, if youre still hesitant about making an upfront investment in solar panels, rest assured that there are warranties that can give you peace of mind and confidence that youll see significant savings come your way. Solar panels typically have two major types of warranties: a product warranty and a power warranty. Also known as a materials warranty, a product warranty covers the integrity of the equipment itself and typically lasts at least 10 years, with top product warranties generally lasting 25 years. A power warranty will usually guarantee 97% production at 1 year and 80% at 25 years, with top power warranties guaranteeing at least 90% production at year 25.
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Advantages Of Solar Panels
- Independent from the grid
Cheaper Electricity Bills
With an increase in electric gadgets comes an increase in utility bills. You can reduce your electricity bills by incorporating solar panels into your household.
The energy produced by solar panels is completely free, and surplus energy can always be stored for future use, or exported back to the grid.
Earn Money Back
With the Smart Export Guarantee you can make money by selling surplus electricity back to the grid. The SEG requires that all energy suppliers with 150,000 or more customers must offer an export tariff to homeowners, and the tariff must be above zero.
This means that small-scale solar PV generators will be able to see a return on their investment. However, only new installations can register for the SEG, while those already signed up under the Feed-in Tariff will be bound to those conditions.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Switching to solar energy significantly reduces your carbon footprint as it is a green, renewable source of energy. Unlike traditional electricity generators, like fossil fuels, coal, and oil, solar power does not release harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants.
Estimates also show that domestic solar panels could save around one tonne of CO2 per year, which means just one installation can offset approximately 25 tonnes of CO2 over its lifetime.
Year-Round Efficiency
Low Maintenance Required
Independent from the Grid
What Size Solar Panel System Do You Need
To size your solar panel system you need to work out how much electricity you use and when you use it.
As a guide, a typical home uses 20kWh of energy a day. A 5kW solar system would meet most of the daytime power needs of such a home. However, these days solar panels are relatively cheap, so it usually makes sense to put on the biggest system that your roof can take and that you can afford. The excess electricity can go back into the grid and earn you some money via feed-in tariffs, or charge a home storage battery. 6.6kW is a common size for new systems, but bigger systems are also being purchased. The bigger systems often include a battery.
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You Can Qualify For Free Home Solar Panels
You have probably seen the ads on TV and the internet for free home solar systems and thought to yourself ah come on, nothing is ever free, whats the catch? Well In the case of home solar panels in many cases there is no catch! You can actually get solar panels installed on your home at absolutely no charge to you.
But wait, thats not all, not only can you get solar panels installed for free you also get dramatically reduced monthly electricity bills with fixed rates for as long as 25 years.
But wait, thats not all, the free solar panels installed on your home are warrantied, monitored and maintained by your solar service provider, again at no charge to you, for as long as 25 years.
But wait thats not all, home solar has been shown to add as much as $25,000 to the value of your home, thats like money in the bank.
In many areas of the United States there are clean energy mandates that the power companies must meet to be in compliance with state and federal clean air policies. Most states have what is referred to as a Renewable Portfolio Standard that states a certain percentage of electricity produced by a power must come from renewable resources. If the power companies fail to meet the minimum standards they can face very steep fines. It is in the best interest of power companies in states with a stringent RPS to encourage the use of home solar power.
Need Help With Solar System Sizing
Of course, sometimes its easier to talk to an expert who knows how to size a solar system and can walk you through the design process. Once youre ready, we do encourage you to schedule a free design consultation with us so that we can double-check your sizing, find compatible products, and ensure the system works within your constraints .
The fastest way to get a thorough evaluation of your solar needs is to call us at 1-800-472-1142 and connect with one of our designers. Wed love to help you design the perfect grid-tied system to meet your solar requirements.
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Planning A Home Solar Electric System
There are a number of steps to follow when planning to power your home with solar energy. After choosing which option is best for you to use solar , follow the steps afterward that apply to you. Your solar energy installer and local utility company can provide more information on the exact steps you will need to take to power your home with solar energy.
Do Solar Panels Increase The Value Of Your Home
A 2015 study showed that a typical solar panel system added a $15,000 premium to the selling price of a home. They did this by studying comparative sales of similar houses with and without solar panels.
Separately, Zillow released a study in 2019 which concluded that solar panels, on average, added 4.1% to the value of a home, effectively making installing solar panels a worthwhile investment, even if you plan on selling your home in the future.
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What Is Your Local Climate Like
Solar energy can be generated in all sorts of extreme climates, from rainy areas such as Seattle, to extremely hot locations such as Los Angeles, California. Solar suitability checker tools can help you understand how this could affect solar on your house. High-efficiency solar panels convert direct and indirect sunlight into electricity, so they work even on cloudy days. A solar consultant will estimate the amount of energy your system will produce so that you can see the potential savings before you decide to go solar.
If your area is prone to severe weather, check the durability rating of the panels you’re considering for your home. SunPower panels are rated No. 1 in third-party durability testing, which means they can withstand some of the harshest weather conditions, including hail up to 1 inch in diameter.1 In fact, SunPower technology is so reliable that NASA chose our solar cells to power its GROVER project, which explored Greenland’s vast and inhospitable ice sheets. Solar that’s tough enough for NASA is tough enough for your roof, too.
Think your house is a good candidate for solar? Find out how much you might save by entering your address into our solar savings calculator. Sign up for a free home solar estimate and evaluation or call us at 1-800-786-7693.
