Reducing your carbon footprint seems to be the new movement among the younger generations. Whether that’s cutting down on everyday waste or making more eco-conscious decisions, people are doing their best to be smart in a world where climate change is affecting us all. Your home itself can be a friend to the environment. The solution: a solar powered home system.
Choosing this route for your home can come with tremendous benefits in the long run, but there will be a cost in getting there. Yes, there will be a monetary cost but the cons won’t stop there.
Below are benefits and disadvantages that will help you make the smartest decision for you and your home.
Renewable Resource:
In order to even have a functional solar power source you need one thing, the sun. As long as it exists, your power will exist.
However, if you live in an area with lots of cloud coverage or tall trees, solar panels may not be a smart choice for your home. If the sun isn’t shining on your home, there won’t be enough solar power to generate energy.
Cost & Maintenance:
Solar power stations can be a huge investment, you’re looking at tens of thousands of dollars being installed onto your roof. But with that initial investment, you’ll gain it back with the lower electric bill costs per month. There are even specific incentives offered by federal, state, and local jurisdictions that will offer grants, tax breaks, and discounted rebates for installation.
Periodic cleaning will be essential to the efficiency of your panels. Dirt and debris will get in the way of getting the bang for your buck. In certain cases, qualified professionals will need to be called out to repair any severe damage caused by natural events such as storms.
Home Value:
Investing in a solar power system for your home can be an investment in many different areas. However, deciding to move house, transporting, and reinstalling your system in a new home can be expensive. Reality is, the average break even point in the U.S. for solar panel payback will be close to seven years. Homeowners should know that property value will significantly increase if you decide to sell your home with a system currently installed and you will actually earn back your initial investment as well as possibly increase your return.
Sources:
https://news.energysage.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-solar-energy/
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/pros-cons-solarpowered-home-systems-79724.html
https://www.thespruce.com/pros-and-cons-of-solar-power-for-home-use-1182575
