Saving Big with Solar
There are so many reasons to go solar. Of course it's a huge benefit to our planet and the lungs of all the people on it. Being free of utility company tyranny and their endless rate hikes is pretty darn awesome too. And! It secures your spot as coolest person on the block.
Here's the one people don't realize. Going solar saves money. Let me break it down for you. For starters the raw cost has dropped more than 60% in the last 7 years. That makes a huge difference. In addition, you have the federal tax credit, which is 30% of the cost. Several states also have really generous tax credits that can increase your total rebate to 50-60% in some cases.
Most solar companies offer zero down financing for solar systems. With the lowered cost, you have a monthly loan payment that will be similar to your current electric bill that you won't be paying anymore. If you live in a state with high utility costs, your monthly payment will be less than your current electric bill, sometimes way less. Now, if you take that big fat tax rebate and apply it to your loan principal, you'll be paid off in just a few years. At that point your electricity is free. Most panels are warrantied for 20-25 years. So, even if you're not saving a lot initially, in the end you will save tens of thousands of dollars. And think about how much rates will rise as fossil fuels become more scarce. What if we actually begin to tax them for their pollution? How much will rates go up then?
It's the difference between renting and owning your electricity. What a relief to know that you will have fewer expenses when you retire! And we haven't even talked about the increase in the value of your home.
So, you can make the planet healthier and leave a safer, healthier world for your kids. You can save money. You can save for your retirement without having to spend a dime. You can divorce the electric company. All while looking super cool with your super fly solar panels.
You can also heat your pool with solar thermal energy, great article !
That's an awesome idea, and thank you! I do referrals to solar companies as part of my income, and I'm super passionate!
I like solar! I would like to make our camper self-sufficient for electricity. Right now we only have one panel (100w) that we can deploy when we are not able to plug in to the grid. That's not enough, it just extends the time we can make it before needing to plug in again.
But it's not cost effective for me at this time to install more solar. We do not pay for electricity when we stay in campgrounds in our network and we can boondock for almost a week if we are carefull with our usage.
We're also on a very tight budget. But when we get an extra $1000 or so I will install maybe 400w on the roof and also get a proper meter to know our true usage and always know how much is left in the batteries. I'll do the install myself so that saves a lot of money.
Awesome! We're gonna self install too. Electric is super pricey here, so it easily makes sense. Having a self sufficient camper is awesome in that the number of places you can stay drastically increases.