If you installed a solar energy system in 2010, you would’ve paid about $40,000. That’s a lot of money, so few homes and businesses had one back then. But here’s some good news: Solar installation costs have since decreased by over 50%.
So, it’s no wonder almost 4% of U.S. homes already had solar s installed as of 2020. Experts say it will rise further in the following years, mainly due to solar incentives.
But why exactly are more and more consumers deciding to switch to solar? And why should you follow in their footsteps?
Below, we’ve rounded up all the top reasons to go green with solar, so read on.
1. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by an entity using fossil fuels. This entity can be a person, a household, an organization, or a business.
Everyone should aim to cut their carbon footprint since CO2 is a primary greenhouse gas (GHG). GHGs, in turn, are gases that trap heat once they reach the atmosphere.
Humans are the number one contributor to GHGs considering we burn so much fossil fuels. Indeed, in 2022 alone, the world emitted an estimated 58 gigatons (GT) of GHGs.
The problem is that human-emitted or anthropogenic GHGs are behind global warming. Global warming, in turn, is a factor in deadly climate change events.
So how does switching to solar energy help reduce your carbon footprint?
Generating electricity from solar power doesn’t require fossil fuel combustion. Instead, it relies on the technology of solar s to absorb energy from sunlight. From there, the solar energy system converts that energy into usable electricity.
So the more solar energy you use at home, the less fossil fuel-based electricity you consume. That minimizes the need to burn fossil fuels that emits GHGs into the atmosphere. That’s how going solar lets you shrink your carbon footprint and go green.
2. Do Your Part in Abating Air Pollution
Solar is “green” because it’s a clean, renewable energy source. It’s renewable because it will be available as long as the sun shines. It’s also clean because its generation doesn’t involve burning fossil fuels.
By contrast, fossil fuels take hundreds of millions of years to form. This is also why they’re near depletion.
Even worse, fossil fuel combustion emits pollutants into the air. These include ozone, particulate matter, and various types of acids.
Those pollutants, in turn, are behind polluted air, which about 137 million folks in the U.S. breathe daily.
So by opting for solar energy solutions, you can do your part in making Earth less polluted.
3. Cleaner Air for Better Health
Inhaling polluted air contributes to, causes, and exacerbates many health conditions. These include diseases of the lungs, heart, and skin, to name a few. Scientists also say air pollution is behind up to 6.5 million annual deaths worldwide.
As mentioned above, the combustion of fossil fuels releases pollutants into the air. That makes it one of the primary drivers of air pollution.
Therefore, reducing reliance on fossil fuels can also help minimize air pollution. Since solar doesn’t produce combustion pollutants, it doesn’t have the same polluting effects. That’s another excellent reason to switch to solar.
4. Cut Your Energy Bills
After turning on your solar power system, your s generate energy immediately. That’s electricity you don’t have to draw from the grid and, thus, don’t have to pay for. You can use this energy to power your entire home, from your appliances to your lights.
When you don’t tap the grid, you reduce your reliance on your utility provider. Therefore, the less you draw from the grid, the lower your energy bills.
Also, depending on the number of s your system has, it may generate more power than you need. That surplus energy gets sent to the grid if you’re on a net metering program. Your utility company then gives you credits on your bills for all that extra energy.
So with net metering, your electricity bills could go even lower. As a result, you may only owe your utility provider miscellaneous or service fees. You can click the following page for more details on how this cost-saving program works.
5. Reduce the Income Taxes You Owe
Go solar this 2023, and you may be eligible for a 30% federal investment tax credit (ITC). This dollar-for-dollar credit reduces the total income taxes you owe the federal government. It applies to many solar system-related costs, from the s to their installation.
The actual amount of credit you get depends on your eligible costs. So if it’s $18,000, you’d owe $5,400 less in income tax for the year. This effectively lowers your system’s total cost to $12,600.
If you owe the federal government less than your total credit amount, don’t worry. You can roll over the excess to the next tax year. You can keep doing this as long as the federal program is in effect.
The 30% federal ITC is available through 2032. After that, however, it drops to 26% the following year and then 22% in 2034.
Several states also offer state solar income tax credits to their residents. These include Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico, and New York, to name a few.
6. Hedge Against Power Outages
Power outages in the U.S. have increased by 64% between 2000-2010 and 2011-2021. Over 8 in 10 of all these incidents are attributable to weather-related events.
So not only does climate change cause extreme weather events, but it also affects the grid. This further highlights why everyone should use more clean energy like solar.
But there’s another pro to going solar: You can also use it to power a home solar generator. You can even store the excess solar energy your system generates in batteries. You can then use these as backup sources in cases of power outages.
Switch to Solar Now and Enjoy These Benefits
The sooner you switch to solar, the sooner you can shrink your carbon footprint and energy bills. It also lets you do your part in making the air cleaner and the planet healthier. As a bonus, you get to reduce the income taxes you owe the government.
All that should be enough reason for you to invest in a solar energy system ASAP.
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