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7 Benefits of Switching to Solar Power

There have been more than 2 million solar panel installations across the country. Many people have added this technology to their homes or businesses as a way to power their lives.

Solar power has been around for many years and is continually gaining popularity. But many people still have questions or concerns about the process and wonder if it's really worth the initial investment and effort to get installed. There's a lot that can be said about solar power for the home, so we're just going to cover the basics.


Here are the top seven benefits of switching to solar power in your home.

1. Reduces Energy Bill

The most obvious (and most convincing) benefit of switching to a solar power system is the decrease in your monthly energy bill. It's the thing that most people are interested in when they begin looking into this different energy source for good reason! When you switch to a provider like Direct Energy Houston, you'll see how much you can benefit in the future from their renewable solar power energy systems.

When you are using solar energy you are essentially producing your own energy. That eliminates the need to purchase power from the local utility company. So while you pay upfront for the equipment and installation, you will likely pay significantly less each month saving you in the long run.

Most people who switch to solar power in their homes also see these savings almost immediately. There's no wait period or downtime, as long as there's the sun!

2. Energy Production

Speaking of this energy production from solar panels, the excess that is not used at your home can often be sold back to your local utility company. They'll then disperse it back out to their other customers.

This scenario is a win-win situation for everyone involved; you get paid extra for the energy produced from your equipment and the utility company has more (at a lower rate) energy to sell. These types of agreements are made all of the time and can be a real benefit to the solar power owner.

So not only is your monthly bill going to be less, you're going to be making money at the same time.

3. Available Tax Credits

Another way that solar power for the home can make you money is through tax credits. These are offered by both the federal and state governments.

It's a pretty straightforward process to add solar power investments to your yearly tax return but you must be using a commercial solar power provider. They have the accreditation and approval from the government which is why you'll be able to get the tax credits and save yourself even more money.

A typical solar power user will get a 30% federal tax credit, which means 30% of the cost of installation can be deducted from your taxes. That often results in major savings overall and a higher return.

4. Fewer Power Outages

Power outages may be rare but they disrupt daily life and can cause major problems if they happen at the right time. Using a solar power bank will significantly reduce the number of power outages you experience.

Often, your solar panels are making more energy than you're expending in your home. If you choose, that extra energy can be stored in backup batteries that can be used in case of a power outage. Basically just like a backup generator would be but it's all from energy previously produced in your panels.

This is a great way to have some stockpiles in case of an emergency so you won't be left in need of help.

5. Available in All Situations

For many solar power sounds too good to be true or like it would only be worth it if your life in an extremely sunny place. But actually, solar power is a great option for pretty much every location.

While places that have year-round sunny days with high temperatures will definitely produce more solar energy. A typical, mild climate place will also see many of the same benefits. It doesn't take a lot of light to produce energy. And even the light that comes through on cloudy days adds up to make a difference overall.

There are different setups for a variety of home situations as well. It's highly likely that there's an option that will work for you, no matter your living conditions.

6. Protects the Environment

Saving money and having a stockpile of energy are great and helpful benefits of utilizing solar power. But there's also more broad benefits that impact the whole world.

The traditional ways that energy has been produced for decades have very serious, negative consequences for the planet.

Those are caused by the emissions that come from the procedures that must happen to produce the energy. Solar energy has none of those and has essentially zero impact on the planet. It's a much greener option and one that you can feel confident in for many years to come.

7. Creates Jobs

Another more broad benefit of using solar power is that the industry has created many jobs across the nation, which is always a good thing and boosts the economy overall.

The jobs come from a variety of places across the industry. Utility companies have customer service representatives that cover solar power, installation technicians, and maintenance crews. There's also engineers and scientist who are continually working for these companies to improve and develop new technologies.

It's always a bonus to be able to stimulate the local economy and more opportunities in your area.

Benefits of Adding Solar Power

Solar power is a great choice for almost any home because it can be installed in a variety of ways, will save you money overall, and doesn't have a negative impact on the world. It also has a long lifespan and low maintenance costs.

When you take a deeper look it's easy to see why so many people have converted to solar energy to power their homes.

If you're interested in learning more about the energy industry and the new technologies available, check out our other articles.