Top Reasons To Go Solar in California

Solar is all the rage right now in California, and for good reason. California has 270 days of sunshine on average per year. It is also at a great solar azimuth angle to take advantage of all the sunny days. With so much interest in solar energy, there is a ton of information out there that is hard to digest. For this article, we will assume we are talking about residential solar installation that is customer owned, as opposed to a leased system, or PPA. Here are the top reasons to go solar.

Save the World

Yes, solar power can save the world, or at least get us closer to sustainability. Reducing your carbon footprint, and knowing you are using energy converted directly from the sun is pretty cool. If every home in the state had solar and battery storage, it would drastically reduce the energy burden put on the utility grid. 

• Lower your carbon footprint
• Clean, renewable Energy
• Solar and battery storage reduce burden on the grid

Lower Monthly Expenses

Residential solar power will cost about 50% less compared to your yearly average PG&E bill per month. Current interest rates are 3% or less, and lenders are offering amazing solar loans. Consistent monthly expenses are nice too. It is much easier to balance household budgets with consistent expenses, instead of utility bills that swell out of control in the heat of summer, or the cold of winter.

• 50% cheaper electricity costs
• Low interest rates below 3%
• Consistent monthly expenses

No Money Down

The rumors are true. You can go solar with zero money down! 10 to 25 year loans, low interest, and no money down. Now is the time to get solar. That being said, the smart move is to use the money from your solar federal tax credit and apply it towards your loan principal to keep your monthly payments lower. 

Federal Tax Incentive

The federal government is currently giving a Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). This ITC is 26% of the total cost to install solar, and you receive it with your tax return the following year. So, if your solar installation costs $30,000, you get $7,800 back from the government. Not bad. It is scheduled to decrease in 2023 to 22%, and completely end for residential use in 2025. This is another reason to go solar now. The federal government may decide to extend it, but you never know.

• 26% Federal Tax Rebate
• Tax rebate decreasing in 2023

Envy of All Your Neighbors

Yes, homes with solar are statistically 25% sexier than their grid-powered counterparts. It is said that solar will add value at a rate of $4/watt. So an average residential solar install size of 6kW, will add about $24,000 value to your home. Not bad. 

• Increase the value of your home
• Make all your neighbors jealous

Less Grid Dependency

A lot of people started looking into solar after the PG&E Public Safety Planned Shut-offs (PSPS). Those are the grid shut offs PG&E does during high fire danger situations, such as high winds and low humidity forecasts. The problem is, most solar installations are tied to the grid using Net-Energy-Metering (NEM). This allows PG&E to buy your excess power you create during the day, and sell it back to you at night. This has been a huge breakthrough that allows solar to be economical for most homes. However, it also means when the grid is down, so is you solar. This is where battery storage comes in. Batteries are quickly becoming an integral part of solar installations. They allow you to use your solar power when the sun sets, and provides a back-up solution when the grid goes down. Ask your solar provider about how batteries can add grid dependency to your solar system.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, the top reasons to go solar are to; save the world, lower monthly power expenses, zero money down payment, federal tax incentives, envy of your neighbors, and to limit your dependence on the grid. While each of these reasons demand further info, we will save those deep dives for another time. If you have questions, or want to learn more, please reach out to us here at SIG Placerville.