Why Solar Is Not Worth It

Solar Power Before A Roof Restoration

We get a number of enquiries from households planning a roof restoration in the near future. Our install department has extensive experience managing this process, and we can ensure that the solar system is installed shortly after the roof restoration is completed. If your roof is due for an upgrade or restoration, it is important not to install the solar panels first, as it can cost up to around $1,000 for a team of qualified solar installers to take off the panels and reinstall them.

How Much Energy You Use

If you do live in the right area to produce enough solar energy, youre looking at the possibility of being able to power your entire house with several solar panels. The square footage of your house, of course, effects the number of panels you need, as does the amount of electricity you usually use.

You can determine how much power you need through a variety of ways, including checking your previous power bills and looking through the list below to determine your normal usage.

• Ceiling fan: 10-50W
• Fridge 1200W

You Gain Some Energy Independence

Solar panels use photovoltaic cells to harness radiation from the sun. Once converted from a direct to an alternating current, the panels allow your home to use the energy. In turn, you gain an energy source independent from the utility company, saving you money relative to using traditional energy sources for all of your power needs.

You can earn more on your investment through the sale of offsets. Some states allow you to sell your excess energy back to utility companies, which must purchase some of their power from renewable energy sources.

Moreover, if your utility experiences a power outage, you can use the energy stored in solar panels to keep your home powered through the storm. Overall, solar panels give you a level of power stability and financial flexibility not found in traditional sources.

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Find Out If Home Solar Panels Make Sense For You

The time to go solar is now, and we are open for business. Freedom Solar is compliant with all health-related requirements and best practices from consultation to installation.

We offer virtual consultations and maintain social distancing and health protocols during the installation process at your home or business. Our personnel also perform daily health screenings.

For more information on who we are and what we offer, contact us today by calling +1 397-9344 or completing our online inquiry form.

My system has been up and running for 1 year and has produced 5% more power than expected. Our highest electricity bill has been $9.21 and we havent had any issues, from the installation through our first year of energy independence.

Jay M., Texas homeowner

The Dark Side Of Solar Power

Solar energy is a rapidly growing market, which should be good news for the environment. Unfortunately theres a catch. The replacement rate of solar panels is faster than expected and given the current very high recycling costs, theres a real danger that all used panels will go straight to landfill . Regulators and industry players need to start improving the economics and scale of recycling capabilities before the avalanche of solar panels hits.

Its sunny times for solar power. In the U.S., home installations of solar panels have fully rebounded from the Covid slump, with analysts predicting more than 19 gigawatts of total capacity installed, compared to 13 gigawatts at the close of 2019. Over the next 10 years, that number may quadruple, according to industry research data. And thats not even taking into consideration the further impact of possible new regulations and incentives launched by the green-friendly Biden administration.

Solars pandemic-proof performance is due in large part to the Solar Investment Tax Credit, which defrays 26% of solar-related expenses for all residential and commercial customers . After 2023, the tax credit will step down to a permanent 10% for commercial installers and will disappear entirely for home buyers. Therefore, sales of solar will probably burn even hotter in the coming months, as buyers race to cash in while they still can.

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How Cloudy Is Britain

Now that we know solar panels need solar energy and the sun in general, are they worth it UK? The answer to this question can vary depending on where you live. Dont worry though as a simple formula exists, which we can use to work out if solar panels are viable for you!

Lets start with ignoring the cloudy days, and focus on just the sunlight hours instead. Taking this into consideration, lets use the city of Glasgow for our example. Statistically, the city has the least sunlight hours in Great Britain. Lets say we have an average 2 square meter solar panel installed on our roof in Glasgow. The best solar panels have an efficiency of about 22% at converting solar energy into electricity.

The city of Glasgow gets about 1,203 sunlight hours annually, which works out to about 3.5 hours daily. With this figure in mind, we can take our panels square meter and multiply by a thousand. This gives us 2000, which we can then multiply again by our efficiency, to get the actual number . After we get the actual sunlight figure, all we do is multiply it with our daily sunlight hours! This gives us a final figure of around 1,540 kW of electricity annually.

Estimate Residential Solar Panel Cost

The brunt of the expense with solar panels is in installation and the purchase of the actual panels.

» MORE: Compare solar loans and apply

Minimal long-term expenses can make up for the upfront costs. Most systems dont require much maintenance and are designed to last for 20 years or more with little change to the amount of electricity produced, Nilsen says.

When calculating the total price, consider how much energy you regularly consume your usage is listed on your monthly utility bill and what size system will generate the amount needed. Some tools, like the SolarReviews calculator, estimate the system size for you.

With installation, an average residential 5kW size system costs between $3 and $5 per watt, according to the CSE, which results in the $15,000 to $25,000 range. That cost is before any tax credits and incentives.

If you know your current energy usage, you can calculate how much youll need to pay for solar panels.

» MORE: Calculate your monthly payments on a solar loan

Then comparison shop for solar panels as you would other big-ticket items, such as a car or TV, says Vikram Aggarwal, CEO of the solar marketplace EnergySage. Some companies lower installation costs through rebates and other programs.

Aggarwal recommends getting quotes from three to five contractors. EnergySage compiles solar companies customer reviews, certifications, Better Business Bureau profiles and other information to help you find reputable providers.

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Solar Power On A Common Roof

Households that have an owners corporation such as unit blocks and even townhouses are often not permitted to use a common roof area for a solar power system. Before getting a quote for solar power, it is important to contact your strata management to see if you are allowed to install solar power even if it is not a shared roof that you are planning to use for the installation.

We also find some new developments have rules restricting the installation of panels on the street-facing roof. This might be a complete show stopper, or it may mean our install planners will need to design an array that uses a roof section along the side of your house, typically facing west. More information about this is available here: Do I need permission to install solar power?

How To Determine If Solar Panels Are Worth It

From an environmental perspective, solar panels are absolutely worth it. Solar energy is great for the environment and will play a key role in combating climate change and creating more sustainable cities.

Of course, if youre asking yourself, are solar panels worth it? then youre probably wondering about the numbers, not the green factor.

When you install solar panels on your rooftop, youre basically putting a mini power plant on your home that generates electricity for you. Solar panels can significantly offset or eliminate your electricity bill, which can save you a ton of money over a long period of time.

But the equipment and installation are expensive, running anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000. Many homeowners are concerned that the upfront costs will negate any savings on electricity.

There are five steps you can take that will help you determine whether or not solar panels are right for you:

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Woohoo I’m Generating Extra Power Tell Me What To Do Next

Well, solar power is only generated during the day.

You need to ask yourself: are you better off using that during the day? Or keeping old habits and using the bulk of your electricity at night, essentially buying it from the grid?

“As a general rule for most people, you’re far better off using your own solar power and using as little as you can from the grid,” Mr Barnes said.

How Much Can You Save With Solar Panels

Taking a look at the initial costs of installation and the amount I make each year from the solar panels it will take 13 years before Im into profit. Actually, its not quite so bad. Each year, my FIT payment will increase which means I make more from selling my electricity to the grid. Plus, the cost of electricity will rise over this period too, which means I will save extra. But even with that taken into consideration, I would be surprised to see a profit within 12 years.

To be honest, the figures arent as great as I hoped. Yes, I plan to be here for the long-term and I am helping the environment, but Im not convinced that I would install them in another property.

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If You Have Solar Panels And The Power Goes Out Do You Still Have Power

A standard grid-tie system disconnects from the grid when the power goes off for safety reasons, to protect repair teams possible working of the grid. If any domestic solar systems remain connected, then repair teams could be in danger. Its called islanding and inverters include anti-islanding circuitry to cut solar output from the grid.

Does Climate Impact Solar Panel Viability

Going solar anywhere in the United States has benefits but some places get more sunlight than others, which will increase the efficiency and energy production of your solar panels. For example, Texas, Florida, and Colorado are particularly well suited to solar.

Consider how much sun your home gets. If you have heavy tree cover or other shade obstructions over your roof or property, solar panels might not make the most sense for your home.

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Solar Panels Require The Right Environment

Your roof is a vital consideration when considering solar panels. If there is too much shade from trees or nearby buildings, it will not receive the adequate sunlight needed to harness power.

You also want to consider potential regulations in your neighborhood. If you live in an area with a homeowner’s association, you need to seek approval before installing a system. And it is not a guarantee they will allow you to have one. If you don’t have an HOA, you still should check with your city, as many require permits before work begins.

Dont Buy Solar Power If Your Roof Is Completed Shaded

Having partial shade on your roof is no longer the major issue it was a few years ago. By using Enphase Micro-Inverters, solar output in shady locations can still deliver great value for money.

However, on roofs that have serious shade issues, it is important to understand that micro-inverters dont increase output from a panel in shaded environments, rather they make each panel independent from the rest of the array so that if one panel is shaded it is only that one panel that is affected.

This means that if your roof is completely shaded for most of the day, for example from a neighbouring building, then solar power may not be suitable for your house or business. Yes, premium panels such as the LG Solar NeON 2 module will work better than others in low light conditions, however, there are no panels on the market that work well in heavily shaded conditions, because panels work off light rather than heat, and it is only when they have direct sunlight that they start performing well.

It is worth remembering that for many houses, shade is only an issue in the winter months, and as a solar system produces much of its annual output in the summer half of the year, it is normally worth checking with us to see to what extent shade will impact your systems performance, a lot of the time it is not as bad as you may think.

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But Realize Financial Incentives Will Disappear

As you contemplate your exact timeline, be aware that as the popularity and accessibility for solar power increases, the government incentives will decrease. Since more and more people are able to afford solar power, the government is less pressed to encourage people to do it.

With that in mind, the current federal renewable energy tax credit is 30 percent through 2019. After that point, it will be phased out for residential use. That means that if youre considering going solar, this is the year.

If youre not sure how accurate this assumption is, look at it this way.

• Formerly, the Golden State offered rebates up to $15,000 for installing solar power systems. However, since California has dived into the use of solar, the rebate programs have been eliminated because it was no longer as critical for the state to support this.
• Massachusetts used to offer a $9,000 range rebate program. However, the program has since ended and homeowners are now only eligible for the tax credit which is capped at just $1000. Someone who installs a $10,000 system doesnt get much of an incentive for this anymore.
• New York offers rebates for homeowners who install solar power. The rebate gives $1 per watt installed. But as the popularity of the program and number of installs goes up, the rebate will drop 85% to only $0.15 per watt.

Be sure to explore your statewide incentives right now to understand what you could save if you install this year before the federal programs drop.

Myth #: Solar Panels Dont Pay For Themselves

Many people pushing this myth are basing their knowledgefrom where the PV industry was 5 or even 10 years ago. A lot has changed since then. Efficiency ofsolar panels continues to increase, and material cost as well as installationcosts steadily decrease every year.

Solar panels will pay for themselves in ~8 to 16 yearsdepending on what province youre in. Your location will determine the key metrics when trying to assess the cost of solar panels. These factors are what solar power incentivesare available to you, how much you pay for energy/transmission & distribution, and how developed the solar market is .

Solar panels have now reached the point where they will payfor themselves. It is still a medium tolong-term investment, but it makes sense especially if you plan on being in thesame house for the next 15 years.

Key Takeaway: If youre looking to get your money back in 5years, try private equity investment. If you arelooking for a very safe long-term investment which will pay for itself overtime while providing you insurance against a volatile electricity market, thenlook no further.

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Who’s Not A Good Candidate For Solar Power

• Your house doesn’t get much sun exposure: If you know anything about how solar panels work, it won’t be a surprise that darker areas benefit less from this renewable energy source. In a place where there tends to be a lot of cloud coverage or more limited solar exposure for good chunks of the year, the jump to solar may not be as advantageous.
• Your home is in a shady spot: Similarly, if your roof tends to be shaded for long stretches of the day , then your solar panels may not get the sun exposure they need to generate a solid ROI.
• You’re ineligible for incentives and rebates: The biggest financial solar incentive is the federal solar tax credit. If you aren’t eligible to receive federal tax credits, you may not get as big a benefit out of installing solar panels. Additionally, certain municipalities and utility companies offer incentives on top of the federal credit. If your local government or power company doesn’t have its own incentives, a solar investment may not be as worth it for your home.
• You have low costs for electricity: If your electrical bills are already fairly minimal, then installing a residential solar system will yield more modest and measured savings.
• You don’t have the right kind of roof: Certain types of roofs just aren’t as well-suited for solar power installation. For example, older or historic homes that have particular kinds of tiled roofs and homes that have larger skylights may not be good matches for solar energy.