Are you a solar shopper planning to have a system installed? Have you taken the time to think about the ways solar will change your life?

Solar power is slowly starting to creep into the average American lifestyle. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) estimates that there will be 2 million solar installations in the U.S. late 2018. Your home may be depending upon solar energy right now even if you don’t have solar panels on your roof yet (due to a program called net metering). Once you go solar, you should expect the following changes:

1. CASH - Solar energy lets you enjoy financial rewards.

The most immediate change in your life when you go solar will be on your monthly electric bill. As soon as you completed the solar setup, you’ll start generating your own electricity using the sun’s energy. The more power your system produces, the less energy you have to buy from your utility company. The government also provides additional ways for ROI (return on investment).

Through the net metering program, homeowners can be credited by utility companies for each "excess" kilowatt they send back to the grid. Let’s say your solar panels made an excess of 120 kwh during the day and you used 150 kwh at night. With net metering, you will only be billed for 30 kwh. If you send back 120 kwh of power to the grid and used only 100kwh, you would be credited for 20 kwh.

There’s also the U.S. Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit, known as the ITC. With this tax program, a taxpayer can take a dollar-for-dollar reduction in income taxes. It usually amounts up to 30% of the amount invested in solar. By 2020, it is said that the ITC can drop to 26 percent so they are encouraging consumers to take advantage of solar while the returns are huge.

Installing solar panels can also increase property value. A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that every $1 saved in electricity from your solar system adds $20 to your home’s total value. Of course, it may vary depending on the location of the home and size of installation. To know what incentives are available in your state, find out through the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE).

2. CLEAN - Solar lets you help the environment.

When you go solar, your home becomes a mini renewable power plant. This is because you are tapping into a clean and renewable power source - the sun. While many people make the switch to save money, it cannot be denied that solar helps to sustain the environment.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average household emits around 20 metric tons of carbon pollution per year. Solar cuts carbon emission by three to four tons annually. This is because it is not dependent on burning fossil fuel. Solar also promotes water conservation because it uses no water throughout its operation. Whereas, coal and nuclear plants can draw up to 60 gallons of water for every kilowatt-hour of electricity produced.

At Sun Path Electric, we offer high-efficiency solar panels that allow you to produce more power than conventional panels during the first 25 years. We want to ensure that the impact of solar users on helping the environment will be much greater.  

3. COMMUNITY - You become a role model to friends, family, and neighbors.

Switching to solar is a reflection of what you believe. You become a green advocate, setting a positive example to the people around you. Friends and neighbors will see solar panels on your roof and ask about it. You, being educated by your solar company, will be able to answer their questions as you retell your journey to them. This cycle will likely happen every time you bring a new guest to your home. Who knows, you might convince some of them to do the same.

Given the rising costs of conventional energy sources, renewable energy sources like solar are becoming even more attractive. Hundreds of our customers have told us how their lives have changed for the better after having a solar system installed. At Sun Path Electric, we want to help you on that journey. Together, we’re making a difference with every sunrise.