Many people ask, “Why do I win with solar energy?”
The answer is simple: the manufacturer and distributor of solar energy are one in the same, which keeps you out of the energy net and saving money.
Solar is also where the world is heading.
According to BP, renewable energies – wind and solar, for example – will be the world’s main source of power within two decades and are likely to account for as much as 30% of the world’s electricity supplies.
Studies focused on the United States imagined wind and solar installations that could be enough to supply 100% of US electrical needs, if we want them to.
California became the first state to take a bold step toward making this pipe dream a reality.
Beginning in 2020, every new home built in California must have solar panels. While that could add slightly to the upfront cost of a new home, California’s Energy Commission (CEC) said that with solar, new homeowners will save an average of $80 a month on their heating, cooling and lighting bills.
Moreover, solar is the simplest and most effective way to gain energy independence. You will generate your own power and export the excess to the grid, for which you will receive a credit. By some estimates, within eight years for residents and as little as four-and-a-half years for commercial establishments, you can reach energy independence.
Now is the time to buy.
In 2019, homeowners can still receive a 30% Renewable Tax Credit. Next year, the solar tax credit will go down to 26%. By 2021, the credit will be 22% and in 2022 only 10%.
In other words, for every year you wait, you stand to lose thousands of dollars paying high rates and getting poor value from your local gas and electric company.
In California, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) was the likely culprit behind the deadliest wildfires in the state’s history – fires that burned more than 153,000 acres of land, nearly 14,000 homes and that left close to 90 people dead. The fires reportedly started due to an outage of one of PG&E’s transmission lines.
For Californians, the choice is PG&E or clean, reliable power based on solar technology.
So, what is the answer to “why solar?” That can best be answered with another question: “why not?”