Benefits to Homeowners Who Choose to Go Solar

More Canadian homeowners are looking into residential solar power. Those concerned about the environment and who want to reduce their utility bills are looking into this sustainable source of energy.

Wondering how solar energy works in Calgary homes? Understand more about the benefits of home solar systems and why homeowners are interested in residential solar power to meet energy demands today.

Solar Energy is Clean Energy

Homeowners like the idea that they can tap into a sustainable source of energy and reduce their carbon footprint with "clean energy." The extraction, production and transportation of traditional sources of energy can create toxic by-products and damage the local environment where raw resources are being taken from. The same need not be said of solar energy. By-products during the manufacturing of the panels themselves are minimal in comparison with that produced along with the generation of oil, coal and natural gas. Once installed, the system continues to work as long as it is maintained and may last as long as 30 years.

How is solar energy produced? Solar panels generate energy in a way that does not cause additional environmental damage and does not reduce the amount of resources available for other homeowners. In fact, many residents with solar can produce energy and have it fed back into the grid, reducing the amount of energy utility companies have to produce at peak hours and helping to decrease stress on the grid at peak times of consumption. Canadian cities can have a solar potential that equals that of other major cities. Homeowners living in central regions of Canada may be located in a good area to harness solar energy for residential use.

Does Your Home Get Enough Sun to Save Money With Solar?

Nearly any home that is exposed to sun throughout the day is eligible to save money by installing solar panels. However, there are many factors that can affect energy production. Homeowners who want to determine how much energy their home can product must take into account the following:

• How much space is available on their roof for solar panels, particularly on the southern and western exposures.
• How much time those southern and western exposures spend in shade.
• Presence of buildings, trees, poles, large shrubs, hills and other obstructions that might prevent the roof from being exposed to sun.
• How often the sky is overcast in the area.

Homeowners cannot judge for themselves what percentage of their energy can come from solar panels. Working with a solar panel installation expert can help. A good solar panel installation expert can determine how many panels are needed to produce energy for that home, where the panels should be installed, and how much of that home's energy can come from these panels. In order to gauge that information accurately, the installation expert must observe the home and analyze that home's recent energy bills.

Solar Panels Work Better in Colder Weather

Homeowners living in cold areas can benefit more than those in hot and sunny climates. Germany is a leading country when it comes to solar power use and the nation is not generally known for its warm weather. Cold weather makes for better conductivity and can improve the efficiency of solar panel systems. This means that Canadian homeowners in Tuscany and elsewhere can take advantage of a technology that is both good for the environment and for their wallets.

Solar Energy Saves Homeowners Money

Much like smart home technology, solar power systems stand to save homeowners money. After the initial solar panels installation costs, a properly installed residential solar panel system requires little upkeep. It is a source of clean energy that can be used to supplement traditional sources offered from the local utility grid. In addition, those who decide to purchase solar energy storage batteries can both create and store the energy generated for other periods. The technology exists to make solar power an affordable and consistent source of energy for decades after the installation of a residential system.

How much does it cost to install solar panels? Canadian homeowners may enjoy subsidies that would reduce costs further. As the costs of electricity from the grid continue to rise, homeowners in Ontario and other areas can enjoy relatively short payback periods. Some Canadian residents may make money from their solar system and enjoy an additional revenue source as they sell energy back to local utility companies through the MicroFIT program and others like it. Those who farm or live in rural areas may particularly benefit from advances in residential solar power and local incentives.

Solar Panels Can Be Bought Or Leased

One of the big concerns homeowners have regarding solar panels is the price. To cover a roof in panels, it can cost anywhere from $15,000-30,000, and these steep upfront costs keep many people away or make them turn to leasing the panels. However, homeowners should be advised that buying and leasing solar panels are very different. Here are some of the key differences homeowners experience when buying and leasing solar panels:

• Owning solar panels can increase a home's value by $15,000-22,000 and make it sell faster while leasing solar panels can harm a home's chances of selling if the contract hasn't been ended.
• Owning solar panels leads to homeowners saving 40-70% on their monthly electric bills while leasing solar panels only leads to savings of 10-30%.
• Owning solar panels can potentially lead to tax benefits that homeowners leasing their panels will not be eligible for.
• Lease contracts estimate for energy inflation costs that may not be accurate and cost homeowners more than it would cost buying the panels.

Leasing solar panels can have its advantages in some cases, but most homeowners will find the best results from owning their solar panels, so it's worth the effort to look into a solar loan in order to pay off the cost of the panels.

Residential Solar Energy for Canadian Homeowners

Homeowners interested in solar energy advantages can call to have a free assessment performed on their home. It is important for homeowners to find out if their home is located in an area that is suitable for solar energy production using a residential solar system. Any system chosen should be professionally installed to be able to benefit from applicable warranties.