Going Solar

As the solar panel cost continues to decline; many homeowners around the world have already made the switch to solar and are already enjoying the benefits such as reducing their energy costs while becoming more energy independent.

However, some homeowners want to be informed well before deciding about going solar. Such homeowners may be wondering where to start when going solar. Also, they may be undecided about whether to adopt other forms of renewable energy such as geothermal, wind, or even biomass. In this blog, you will find some useful information to help you decide about switching to solar energy.

So where do you start? Most people usually start by searching for information that would help them make a more informed decision. In that regard, everyone that is interested in going solar wants to know: Are solar panels worth it? or is going solar beneficial for their specific case? To answer these questions, this will involve making a determination of whether you are receiving enough sunlight to power your solar panels while finding out the economics of going solar as captured below.

To do items of the homeowners before deciding to go solar:

1. Determine whether you have a roof space or available space in your home where solar panels can be installed to receive enough sunlight. This space should be open and free from shading from nearby structures including trees or buildings.
2. Determine whether your current geographical location receives enough sunlight that is able to power your home with solar energy and help you to offset some of your energy costs with solar.
3. Determine the costs and savings that will result from your decision of going solar.
4. Determine your average monthly energy bill to help you calculate the potential solar costs and savings. 
5. Get at least three solar quotes from licensed and qualified solar installers and compare their solar panel cost presented in their proposal.

   The above information may require a lot of your time in order for you to draw conclusions and that’s why new online solar tools, like the EnergySage, come handy these days.

   With these new online solar tools, you are able to reduce the amount of time you spend to go solar while saving money through cost comparison. You don’t need to collect the above data before deciding to go solar. Also, these online solar tools have a pool of solar installers and making cost comparisons is made easier.

   All that you need to do is to type your home address into the tool and generate the above information for your specific case. Also once you are happy with the figures generated by the solar tool, you can create a profile with the company to get help from their support team.

   Once you have decided to go solar, you can use the EnergySage to save money off going solar. Also, to get more accurate results from this online solar tool, you will need to create a profile and submit your home energy bill so that you can get a free solar proposal.

   Get started to go solar with less time while saving more money when you do your cost comparison and use of the EnergySage.

Shopping for solar can be a cumbersome process when you are bombarded with a lot of information from the internet resulting in difficultly in drawing  conclusions regarding what solar brands, what solar installer, competitive solar panel prices and so on. That’s why online solar tools are useful to help solar consumers make their shopping research process a lot quicker and simpler.

With so many solar brands and companies to select from, online solar tools provide a simplified way to help you make the decision to select your best solar company as well as your best solar panels from good reliable sources of information. 

The kind of solar information you might be searching for

Most solar consumers are usually concerned about the cost of going solar and the savings that can  be realized in the lifespan of  solar panels. However, online solar marketplaces are able to go deeper to  provide you with the  solar energy data that is site specific through application of  high-resolution topographical data called LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging).

Through the use of LIDAR, a homeowner or a business owner is provided with site specific weather data as well as shading from nearby structure and trees to precisely give how much solar energy can be produced from their roof.

Also, since the selection of a good solar contractor is vital, online solar tools have a pool of pre-screened solar installers for solar consumers to select their best installer. In this regard, solar installers presented to a consumer will include qualified and licensed who are already prescreened by online solar marketplaces. 

Furthermore, consumers are provided with various financing options including cash, loan, solar power purchase agreement (SPPA) and solar leasing. Financing will also come from different providers for consumers to select different rates when one decides to apply for a loan or enter into a power purchase agreement with the solar provider.

To get started EnergySage and Pick My Solar will guide you through this process at your own pace. EnergySage and Pick My Solar online marketplaces apply LIDAR technology to provide users with better solar energy data estimates. To learn more about online solar tools and find out: Are solar panels worth it? click HERE.

For the last 9 months I have been posting on a weekly basis on this blog, Switchingtosolarpv.com. To share some of the most interesting blogs; I have put together  the below blogs for going solar your family and friends.

This free e-Book is a snapshot of some of the blogs that were published concerning a new way of shopping for solar, that is, how you can switch to solar using an online solar marketplace.

Online solar marketplaces are a good source of information, especially for people that are looking for specific information concerning their solar energy profile as well as costs and savings associated with going solar.

Online solar marketplaces are also a one-stop place of information where users can compare costs and prices of going solar. Users can also presented with pre-screened solar installers and thus can compare which installer has good ratings or reviews as provided by other solar consumers.

Also solar consumers are able to answer the question: Are solar panels worth it? from just typing in their home or business address in these online solar marketplaces to pull out their current energy usage information and what it would take them to switch to solar in terms of costs, carbon savings and energy savings.

Below is a brief of the stories of this downloadable Free e-Book . Enjoy and please leave any comments you may have below. Sign up below to download your free eBook

Stories:

• Why is going solar beneficial? Sun, 05/22/2016 – 02:28 from Finding out whether solar panels are worth it.
Going solar is becoming a trend in the USA today and the adoption of solar energy has reached a new height of 1 million installations nationwide. However, there are still many households and businesses that are still in the decision making process of switching to solar. If you are interested in going …
• Are solar panels right for your business? Determine whether small commercial solar panels are good for your small business! Tue, 05/17/2016 – 04:29 from Finding out whether solar panels are worth it.
When a company opens its doors for business, they must be prepared to meet many different challenges including finding innovative ways to keep down the cost of it’s operating expenses. While some of the expenses can be classed as fixed, others are group as variable. Therefore, it is essential …
• A new way of shopping solar- Shopping with online solar market places Tue, 05/03/2016 – 05:44 from Finding out whether solar panels are worth it.
Online solar shoppers can compare solar quotes or get personalized solar reports from multiple solar energy providers using online solar market places.  By using an online solar market place, solar shoppers can get unbiased solar information in one place – all the information about solar energy …
• What are Photovoltaic (PV) Devices ? Tue, 05/03/2016 – 03:51 from Finding out whether solar panels are worth it.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) devices are usually solid in state and are made of a semiconductor material, usually comprised of silicon which conducts electricity more than an insulator, but less than a pure conductors like copper or aluminum. Also, photovoltaic devices can be constructed as stand alone systems …
• Tips for going “green” for your business Fri, 04/29/2016 – 22:56 from Finding out whether solar panels are worth it.
What is going “green” for your business?  With the changing business landscape due to increased competition, increased consumer environmental awareness and the need to move towards sustainability; most businesses have started to look for different ways of doing business that are innovative …
• Are commercial solar panels worth it? Commercial solar or not? Sat, 04/16/2016 – 04:11 from Finding out whether solar panels are worth it.
 Switching to solar has become the trend for both homeowners and businesses around the world. However, most businesses that have not switched to solar may be looking for answers to determine whether switching to solar is right for them or to find out whether solar panels are worth it. Doing some initial …

What solar panel financing options are available to you today? Sun, 04/10/2016 – 02:43 from Finding out whether solar panels are worth it.
Despite switching to solar energy having tremendous benefits, it has not come so easily because of the high initial cost of solar panels. However, the economic and environmental benefits you could accrue for switching to solar are much more compared to not going solar. 

Going solar is trending in the USA today and as of 2016, the adoption of solar energy has reached a new height of 1 million installations nationwide.

However, there are still many households and businesses that are still in the decision-making process of switching to solar.

If you are interested in going solar and want to conduct your research before switching to solar; you are in the right place, because here you can find interesting information to help you answer the most common question many homeowners or business owners ask before they make the decision to switch to solar i.e. Are solar panels worth it?

All it takes is to type your home or business address in an online solar marketplace where you can compare quotes apples-to-apples—making it easy for you to pick the best quote. Using an online solar marketplace is the easiest way to go solar as it offers you with true comparison, a shopping style that is emerging today because of the internet. 

With that brief background about how going solar has been simplified; let’s see why going solar is beneficial for you? There are two main reasons why going solar may be beneficial for your home or business.

1. Solar is beneficial for saving money! 

With the increasing electricity costs and decreasing the price of solar panels, it is clear today that going solar is a viable option for now and more importantly for the long-term. Also today because of the introduction of innovative solar financing options like solar lease and solar power purchase agreements (PPAs), you don’t have to worry about the initial costs of going solar, because today you don’t even need any upfront financing to switch to solar.

With regards to how much you can save with solar; it depends on the size of your solar power system and your current energy requirements.

A bigger system means more savings and vice-versa, but the sizing of your system also depends on your current energy needs and your current geographic location.

Working with an experienced solar contractor will help you design a solar power system that will be conducive for your home and maximize your energy savings.

Online solar marketplaces play an important role to give you estimates of how much you can save and how many solar panels you might end up needing for your home or business.

Although what you would get from an online solar marketplace would be estimated to help you decide whether solar panels are right for you. With the increasing electricity costs and the decreasing prices of solar panels, solar energy is becoming the most common source of energy and in some places, it is competing very well with electricity sourced from cheaper sources of energy such as coal.

With that background, solar is beneficial because it is a great source of saving money.  How much you can save with solar will vary from state to state or from place to place depending on electricity costs and the tax credits offered by the government to encourage the adoption of solar. In general, expect to save on average about $20,000 over a period of 20 to 25 years.

To get a more personalized report about how much you can save with solar or how many solar panels you might end up installing, check HERE to register and start the process of switching to solar. Here you will be provided with more solar energy plans and based on different financing options such as interest rates or type of financing you can select the solar plan that will be suitable for your household or business. 

2. Solar is beneficial for the environment and sustainability

This is another reason why homes and businesses are switching to solar. However, saving the environment with solar might not appeal to everyone. As much as we know that solar is good for the environment; different people have different values. Some people are passionate about conserving the environment, while some people want to know what economic/financial value solar will provide for them which is tackled in the first point discussed above. 

Today, there is an increased awareness in the media about climate change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move towards a sustainability path. As a result, many corporations or businesses, including Wal-mart, IKEA, GE, and many others have already started implementing what is known as “sustainable business” to factor in social, economic and environmental aspects in their decision making processes as well as their business operations. In other words, a business that targets to improve its triple bottom line, i.e. People, Profit and Planet could consider solar panels. Going solar is a perfect example of an innovation that can help businesses to have an impact on their triple bottom line. 

Solar panels will directly reduce a company’s energy bill through cutting energy costs resulting from increasing electricity prices. Going solar will also help to create jobs and create employment thereby helping families and people contribute to the economy and improving their quality of life. In addition, going solar will help to off-set carbon emissions from conventional sources of energy such as coal, thus reducing the carbon footprint of a company.

Likewise, most homeowners could switch to solar to help to make a difference in these three aspects of sustainability (social, economic and environmental). With regards to sustainability, homes going solar will contribute to sustainability by reducing their carbon footprint, encouraging local economies to grow, creating local jobs for solar contractors and installers while contributing to the overall local economy.

In conclusion, the decision making of going solar is based on your specific situation and in this blog we have taken the approach of letting individuals and businesses use online solar tools to determine whether this move is worth it or not. You can determine how much you can save with solar and help you answer some of the common questions such as: Are solar panels worth it?.

In this regard, we have recommended tools and other resources such as online solar marketplaces to help you determine your specific value of switching to solar. Depending on where you live, solar may end up being expensive for you as the end-user and that’s why we thought it is great to use these tools that can provide specific answers to questions you might have about going solar. 

A review of these tools is provided here while a review of online solar marketplaces is provided here to help you with your decision making process about going solar. Some of these tools can provide you with information for your specific case such as the amount of your carbon footprint that can be reduced when you go solar.

Also, specific questions you might have such as: How many solar panels you need? Are solar panels worth it? How much can you save with solar? etc can be answered using these tools or online solar marketplaces.

Get started today using a solar panel cost calculator at EnergySage.  

Solar panel financing options for going solar.

Despite switching to solar energy having tremendous benefits, it has not come so easily because of the high initial cost of solar panels. However, the economic and environmental benefits you could accrue for switching to solar are much more compared to not going solar.

For instance, a typical residential solar panel system in the U.S. costs $3.60/watt after installation and the solar panel could save a homeowner over $20,000 (net) in the course of 20 years.

To check how much you could save with solar, you can type the address in one of the online solar market places provided here. These solar market places will give you a snapshot of the costs involved as well as the potential savings available to you.

You are also provided with the financing options available to you to go solar with either cash, loan, PPA, and lease. A snapshot of the solar panel financing options available to you to switch to solar is provided below. 

For most people going solar, they are interested in the value they achieve such as reducing their carbon footprint and saving with solar. To determine how much energy you can save. The EnergySage system can help you to get your personalized scenario of going solar.

However, by looking at your personalized solar panel cost in these online solar market places, it may appear to you that the cost of buying solar could be high based on your income and therefore you may want to learn more about what financing options are available to you when you want to switch to solar.

Nowadays financing barriers have been overcome by the use of innovative options to help solar consumers afford to switch to solar without any money down. 

If you as the homeowner or business owner has a suitable rooftop or space to install solar photovoltaic (PV), you don’t have to have all the money upfront because of these innovative options.

Today, you can use third-party financing models such as leasing, solar power purchase agreements (SPPA) which require no money down helping to overcome financial barriers that may exist. 

Also, government incentives have contributed to reducing the cost of switching to solar and with the tax credit and state incentives, the cost of solar is reduced even further based on where you live.

In addition, the price of solar equipment has reduced by almost 80% since 2009 because of continuous technology advancement and research and development which is still being done by the private sector and the government. 

To understand the options of solar panel financing available today, please see below a brief snapshot of some of these options that you may want to consider when you decide to switch to solar. There are four options available today, namely: 

1. Leasing 
2. Loans from financial institutions
3. Pay Cash 
4. PPA (Power Purchase Agreement)

1. Leasing

• With leasing solar consumers enter into an agreement with a solar company to install solar panels for a fee.
• In this model, you as the solar user do not own the system, but within this framework, you enter into an agreement to pay for solar power delivered to you through the lease agreement.
• Since you as the solar user does not own the solar panels, you agree to pay for the electricity produced by the solar panels.
• The advantage of switching to solar using this model is that you don’t have to go solar with no money down and you will still enjoy the savings associated with going solar.
• Also, you don’t bear the costs of installation, maintenance, and interconnection for going solar.

2. Loan

• Taking a loan is another option that solar consumers can opt to use to own the solar panels equipment and enjoy savings associated with switching to solar. 
• There are various loan schemes out there to assist solar consumers to switch to solar.
• One of these schemes includes Property-assessed clean energy (PACE) loans which can be repaid in a period of 10–20 years.
• These schemes are suitable for homeowners and commercial buildings to help them implement improvements in their buildings that are capital intensive.

3. Cash

• Using this option to switch to solar is the best if you can pay upfront all the costs for switching to solar.
• This option allows you to go solar while saving with solar because you are not making any repayments to any loan.
• Also, you benefit from the tax credits from the government that are available when you go solar.
• The federal investment tax credit is currently set at 30% and depending on your tax appetite you may or not utilize the whole 30%.
• However, with the cash option, you will be bear all the risks and costs of installation, operation, maintenance, installation once your system is up and running. 

4. Power-Purchase Agreement (PPA)

• This system is almost similar to leasing, but the only difference is based on the agreement with the solar contractor.
• With leasing, the model is to do with the usage of the solar panels installed on your property for a certain period of time, while the PPA model, the agreement is based on the supply of electricity derived from your installed solar panels.
• In both PPA and leasing, the solar panels are not owned by you, but the solar contractor.
• Just like with leasing, within a PPA, you can switch to solar with no money down and you are not responsible for the costs of installation, operation or maintenance.
• The only thing you agree to is to sign the PPA and purchase the solar power you utilize from the solar panels.
• The period of a PPA could range from 6 to 25 years based on the nature of your PPA agreement. 

All these four options depend on your current financing situation and the regulatory structure of where you live. Since not all states offer all of the four solar financing options (because of the regulatory structure), the selection of the options may vary.  Although not all states in the US, offer PPA. 

To get a personalized solar panel financing report, click here to select from one of the solar market places of your choice. These online market places are a good starting point to obtain advice on the available financing options available to you based on your personal or specific information.