Going solar is trending because of some of these factors:
- Climate change and the need to move towards sustainability.
- The volatility of oil prices.
- Government policy.
- New business models making it simple to switch to solar without any money down.
2. Why solar PV?
Solar panels are now commercially and readily available technologies while solar energy can be easily harvested through photovoltaic (PV)— a technology made up of solar cells and consisting of a semiconductor material (silicon) that can easily produce electricity when struck with sunlight in a process known as the photoelectric effect.
3. What is the process involved in going solar?
This blog explains the process of switching to solar through articles and available tools in the solar industry to assist homeowners and small business owners to make an informed decision when going solar. Some of the questions answered in the blog include:
- How much do solar panels cost?
- What solar panel financing options are available and the best options available?
- How much sunshine does your roof obtain annually? Is this sunshine enough to generate solar energy for your home or business?
Why switch to solar today?
Some of the reasons why you should switch to solar today include:
- To save money with solar energy.
- To reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to efforts of reducing climate change.
- Increase the value of your home.
- Reduce the cost of solar panels with government incentives.
- Save energy with solar energy (a free source of energy)
- The price of solar panels has dropped significantly as technology continues to advance.
- Today you can get solar with zero money down.
Switching to solar in the USA
Many homes and businesses in America are going solar:
Homes: By 2013 about 400,000 homes in the US had gone solar compared with only 30,000 homes in 2006. The number of homes going solar is projected to be between 900,000 to 3.8 million by 2020 (According to US DOE, Annual Energy Outlook, 2014 and SunShot Vision Study 2012 Data)
Businesses: Companies, including some of the most recognized brands in the US such as Walmart, IKEA, Bed Bath & Beyond, Staples among others have switched to solar panels. Also, non-profits and government organizations have not been left behind and all these companies and organizations have added over 1000 megawatts (MW) of new capacity in terms of solar panels installation in the USA.
- The solar industry is applying some of the most innovative financing options that do not require your business or home to put any money down to obtain solar panels. These financing options are solar power purchase agreement (Solar PPA) and Solar Lease.
- There are four options as shown below which are used by both homeowners and businesses to finance their solar panels:
- Cash
- Loan
- Solar PPA
- Solar Lease
- Learn more here about solar panel financing for both residential solar panel financing and commercial solar financing.
Going solar today in the USA
Today there are several solar installers and contractors in the USA and hence the decision to switch to solar may not be easy for some consumers. As a result, a few solar energy market places have been developed to enable customers to compare solar prices, financing options of switching to solar as well as certified solar installers and so on.
This allows consumers to choose the best solar energy prices while comparing different plans available in the market. Learn more about going solar at the EnergySage online solar marketplace.
I’ve looked at switching to solar for a while now, but I think I’m finally getting to the point where it’s going to be the best time to switch. I’m a big fan of saving money on my energy bill, and reducing my carbon footprint is a nice bonus. Thanks for a great summary of why solar energy is a great option!
Hello Tobias, I am happy that switching to solar PV blog has helped you to make an informed decision to switch to solar. Switching to solar PV has partnered with Geostellar (USA) and MySolarToolkit (outside USA) which are solar market places providing with you with additional information for your specific case. These tools use information from google maps and other databases to provide you with personalized solar reports such as how much you can save with solar and what percentage of your energy bill you can offset with solar. To support the work of this blog, you can go solar with switching to solar PV through these partners. To get started if your are in the USA, you can get more specific information for your case by visiting here or click here if you are outside USA. I may get a small commission if you decide to go solar with them. Thanks and I am glad you found the information on this blog valuable and please sign up to continue receiving regular blogs which you can share with your friends and family. Thanks again.