6 Benefits of Installing Solar Panels On Your Home
Looking for a safe, easy, cheap, and eco-friendly way to generate electricity for your home? Here are 6 excellent benefits of installing solar panels.
The writing is on the wall: The era of fossil fuel energy is coming to an end. Not as a result of political influence or lobbying, but because fossil fuels are non-renewable while other forms of energy such as solar are sustainable and accessible everywhere on the planet.
Generating solar energy has so many added benefits for a home that you might not have thought about before. Whether it’s saving money, helping the environment, reducing dependency on your local utility, or generating power in remote areas the benefits of solar energy are many.
Here are 6 great advantages that installing solar panels can provide:
Benefit #1 – Save Money
Obviously this is one of the main reasons why homeowners choose to install solar panels. However, professionally installed solar panels can be very expensive and cost prohibitive for many people who want to use solar energy. The good news is that with a good DIY guide you can easily build your own solar panels and begin producing electricity to supply your home or whatever you want. The cost of commercial systems and installation doesn’t have to be a barrier to generating solar energy anymore.
In some areas you may even be able to sell any surplus solar power you generate back to your utility. This option isn’t available everywhere but if it is possible in your area, any excess power you generate could also be a source of income – or further reduce your living expenses.
Benefit #2 – Provides Clean & Renewable Energy
Clean: Solar power has no harmful greenhouse gas emissions that would further contribute to climate change issues. There are also no pollutants from solar power that would affect air quality. We know that poor air quality leads to all sorts of respiratory issues and illnesses. If all our power today was generated from solar energy it’s likely we would be in a very different situation today when it comes to pollution and climate change!
Renewable: Most of the energy sources used today to generate electricity (goal, natural gas, propane, oil etc.) are not renewable sources which means that one day we will run out of them. We are already seeing the massive impact of reduction in resource supplies and the impact that has on prices today. Solar energy isn’t going to run out. The amount of energy produced by the sun in one hour is enough energy to meet the total global electricity requirements for one year – doesn’t that sound like a better source?
Benefit #3 – Accessible in Remote Locations
This is one of the most common areas of frustration for many people. The inability to get power to a remote off-the-grid house can be a real pain. Your solar power system can eliminate this issue and allow you to operate independently of the utility companies. It doesn’t matter where your house is, as long as there is sunshine you can generate power! This is also a major benefit for poorer countries that do not have the infrastructure of a traditional electrical grid. Some charitable organizations are bringing solar power to areas that previously did not even have electricity.
Benefit #4 – Low Maintenance
Of all the alternative energy sources solar is simply the lowest maintenance system. There are no moving parts to fail or break, no bearings, turbines, etc. and due to their simplicity solar panels are very durable. This is one of the biggest advantages of a solar power system; once it is installed there isn’t anything you need to do except watch it generate electricity day after day. Of course, you still need to check your panels from time to time and make sure they are clear of debris. But some modern solar panels may last up to 30 years with little-to-no other maintenance!
Benefit #5 – Back-up Power
With a solar power system that includes batteries you won’t have to worry about power outages. Sure, you will need to be more conscious of your energy consumption when running on back-up power, as we do with a generator, but you won’t be left in the dark if the utility company has a power issue.
Benefit #6 – Property Value Increase
Many studies show that homes with solar panel systems are valued and sold at higher prices as compared with similar homes in their area. That’s because many people today view a renewable energy system as a significant asset, and the low maintenance aspect of solar panels makes them especially attractive.
