Home Solar System: Do Your Homework

You may be thinking about installing a home solar system. There are a lot of things to consider, like the cost, the benefits, and if your house is a good candidate for solar energy.

Reasons to Install Solar Energy

A solar energy system can positively affect the value of your house. According to home appraisal statistics, a home’s value goes up about $20 for each dollar reduction in the yearly utility cost.

Lowering your energy bills and saving money are generally the biggest incentive to installing solar power. For someone that pays more than $75 a month for electricity, and also has a tax-deductible loan payment for the installation of their solar system, that loan payment may be less than their electric bill. A solar energy system can eventually save you about $80 a month.

Currently, the approximate cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour for a solar energy system is about the same as for the electricity provided by the local utility company. However, a home solar system has minimal maintenance costs, so installing a system now, in essence locks in today’s electricity prices for the life of your system.

“Green” is good in this day and age. Solar energy reduces your “environmental footprint”.

The Earth naturally receives adequate solar energy every day to provide each house and business on the planet with energy. Solar power is clean and reliable.

Is My Home a Good Candidate for Solar Energy?

If your are convinced that solar power is the way to go, the next step is to determine if your home and its location are appropriate for it. An installer of solar energy systems will consider these five things:

1. Does enough sun fall in the region in which you live?

2. Does your house have 500 square feet of roof that gets at least 5 hours of direct sun each day?

3. Are there too many trees or other structures that would cause too much shading on the energy panels during the peak hours?

4. Is the roof structure strong enough to support the panels?