Transitioning to Solar Power

As spring rolls around, rising electricity costs quickly come to mind as we crank up our air conditioning units in our homes. One way to reduce these painful electric bills is to think green and invest in solar power. Once installed, these solar panels can cut your energy costs significantly and will eventually pay for themselves over time.

A solar panel is a panel designed to absorb the sun’s rays for generating electricity or heating. There are four types of solar power systems to be aware of depending on your needs.

Different Types of Solar Energy

The first system is a PV direct system which is a relatively simple solar power system that requires the least amount of components. They are not directly connected to the utility grid so when they are able to store power from the sun, that is all the power that can be consumed. So this would basically be useful for small applications in your home that use a limited amount of power.

Another type of system is a grid-tied residential system with a battery backup. This system is connected to the traditional utility power grid and adds a battery backup to the system. The addition of a battery is useful when sunlight is not readily available to store power. The stored power from the battery is easily utilized as a backup to the regular system. This system can also sell power back to the grid when there is excess production. This is ultimately a more expensive option, however this system provides you with more flexibility.

One more type of system is a grid-tied residential solar power system without a battery backup. This system is directly connected to the traditional electricity utility grid. This is similar to the previous system but without a battery backup. If the system is producing more power than the home needs, the excess power can be sold back to the utility company, which is a plus in my book. However, if the system is not drawing enough power, the home can draw power back from the utility grid offering a fail-safe option. This is usually the most common system consumers tend to pick.

Lastly, if you are a true hardcore fan of solar power, an off the grid system is available that is completely disconnected from the electric power grid. This system can work pretty much in any rural area but means power is solely dependent upon this system, a battery backup and sometimes an electric generator. With this system you will truly be ready for the zombie apocalypse.

Each system is designed to fit your specific needs and can be determined upon an estimate with your local solar panel dealer/installer.

Green Energy Without Solar Panel Equipment

Another option that doesn’t require additional equipment is switching to a green energy provider. These providers, depending on where you live, provide a service that allows you, the customer, to pay a small premium in exchange for purchasing electricity that was drawn from renewable energy sources. The premium fee covers the extra costs incurred by the power company for offering green energy. When you buy green energy, you are helping to do your part to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and some types of air pollution in the environment, as well as helping develop renewable energy sources for the future.

If you are interested in switching to a green energy company, enter your address on the right side of this page to see what's available in your area.

Solar power can be used for anything grid power is used for, including:

-Cooking
-Distilling water
-Heating water
-Charging electric cars
-Heat/cool air for your home
-Power light
-Power household electronics
-Power household appliances

Tax Credits and Rebates

Switching to solar power energy is an easy way to go green and save you money long term. It can be costly up front, however the first few years of rebates and tax credits will cover a portion of that cost. For example if the total cost of your installation and hardware totaled $20,000, you would be able to claim 30 percent of that cost as a tax credit for that year. So in actuality you would be paying $14,000 for the full installation. Other state rebates are available and would be distributed accordingly over the 1st few years, deducting from the overall total as well. You can confirm this information with your tax accountant/company so they can provide you with a full detailed overview of the tax credits and rebates that you are eligible to receive.

So are you ready to make the switch? Transitioning to solar power energy will eventually pay for itself over time and your dependency upon your electric company will slowly dissipate. This is certainly a win in my book!