Solar panels are becoming more common on roofs across the nation. They can save you money and reduce emissions, using an abundant source of power. But there’s a lot that might surprise you about solar panels. Read on for 21 facts you should know about this remarkable technology.
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Although humans have been trying to harness the sun’s energy since the 7th century B.C., the first solar cells were installed in National Renewable Energy Laboratory . Solar Energy Basics. Accessed Jan 8, .. Modern solar cells, like the ones we use today, were developed at Bell Labs in . Since then, technological advances have made solar panels more efficient and reliableU.S. Department of Energy . The History of Solar. Accessed Jan 8, ..
The energy that solar panels harness from the sun is free. However, offers for "free” solar panels are not what they appear to be. Most are either scams or refer to solar leases, power purchase agreements or $0 down financingU.S. Department of Energy . Free Solar Panels? Don’t Get Burned.. Accessed Jan 8, ..
Although solar panels aren't free, they can still bring significant savings on electric bills. Also, many states provide homeowners with incentives to install solar, and the federal government offers a solar tax credit of up to 30% of the cost of installing a residential solar systemU.S. Department of Energy . Homeowner’s Guide to the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics. Accessed Jan 8, ..
The cost of installing solar panels has dropped by nearly $15,000 since , according to the Solar Energy Industries AssociationSolar Energy Industries Association . Solar Industry Research Data. Accessed Jan 8, .. According to EnergySage, the average cost of installing a home solar system in is about $30,000 before federal tax credits and incentives, with the cost potentially dropping to $21,000 or less after federal and local incentives .
The average payback period (the point at which the money you've saved by having the solar system exceeds the cost of the solar system) for residential solar ranges from 3.6 to 19.1 years, with an average of 7.5 years, according to EnergySage . The exact payback time depends on factors like where you live, the size of your system and how you pay for it.
Solar panels generally last 20 to 30 years with proper care and maintenanceUnited States Agency for International Development . Photovoltaic (PV) Systems. Accessed Jan 8, .. Warranties for solar power production are typically 25 years long. Solar panels typically won’t stop working after these periods — they just get less efficient.
Solar panel efficiency is a measure of how well a solar panel converts sunlight into electricity. Although solar panels last a long time, they gradually lose efficiency as part of normal wear and tear — at an estimated rate of about 0.5% each year, according to the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. After 20 years, you can expect your solar panels to function at about 90% capacityNational Renewable Energy Laboratory . STAT FAQs Part 2: Lifetime of PV Panels. Accessed Jan 8, ..
Today’s residential solar panels are 21% efficient on average; some are up to 23% efficientEnergySage . How efficient are solar panels?. Accessed Jan 8, .. This means they convert 21% to 23% of the sunlight that hits them into electricity. More efficient panels cost more, but because they generate more electricity, they may save you more over the life of your solar system.
AdvertisementFinancing optionsSee your solar costson Palmetto Solar's websiteWorkmanship warrantyGoodEquipment warrantyGoodPerformance guaranteeGoodSee your solar costson SolarEdge's websiteWorkmanship warrantyGoodEquipment warrantyGoodPerformance guaranteeGoodUnless you go completely off the electric grid, your solar panels will likely be connected to the gridU.S. Department of Energy . Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Systems. Accessed Jan 8, .. That’s because when your panels aren’t producing as much electricity as you’re using (such as when it's dark outside), you have to draw electricity from the grid. When your panels are producing more power than you need, you can send that power back to the grid or store it in a battery for use later. In many states, you can get a credit on your electric bill for the power you send back (this is often called net metering).
Because solar panels are connected to the grid, solar panels usually shut down when there’s a grid outage . That’s to protect utility workers from surges of power coming back onto the grid. To obtain electricity from your solar panels during a blackout, you can pair your solar panels with a solar battery.
Although solar panels are most effective on sunny days, they can still produce some energy in cloudy weather Solar Energy Industries Association . What happens to solar panels when it’s cloudy or raining?. Accessed Jan 8, ..
Pollutants and particles that build up on solar panels can cause energy loss; in drier, dustier parts of the U.S. that loss can be as high as 7% annuallyNational Renewable Energy Laboratory . Scientists Studying Solar Try Solving a Dusty Problem. Accessed Jan 8, .. So it’s a good idea to clean your solar panels once or twice a year in addition to other solar panel maintenance work.
According to a survey by Zillow, solar can increase a home’s value by up to 4.1%, depending on your location. In a survey, Rocket Homes found that homes with solar are more likely to sell over the asking price and also tend to sell faster, spending 13.3% less time on the market than homes without solar .
Solar panels can protect your roof from rain, hail and sun, potentially extending the life of your roof. Be sure your roof is in good condition so it can support the weight of the panels; a quality installer should do a site visit to assess the condition of your roof .
Solar panels can be installed on many types of roofs, but the best types are asphalt, metal, tile, tar and gravel. If you live in the northern hemisphere, a south-facing roof is ideal .
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According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the ideal angle for solar panels on most U.S. homes is between 15 and 40 degreesU.S. Department of Energy . Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar. Accessed Jan 8, ..
Although solar panels generate more energy when they get more sun, they also generate more energy when they’re a bit cooler. The ideal temperature for solar panels is up to 77 degrees Fahrenheit; they work if it's hotter than that, but they won’t be quite as efficientEnergySage . How hot do solar panels get?. Accessed Jan 8, ..
More than half of a typical household’s annual energy consumption is for space heating and air conditioning, according to the U.S. Energy Information AdministrationU.S. Energy Information Administration . Use of energy explained. Accessed Jan 8, .. Pairing solar panels with an electric heat pump, which is much more efficient than traditional furnaces, may significantly lower your power billsU.S. Department of Energy . Heat Pump Systems. Accessed Jan 8, .. Similarly, pairing solar with an EV may save consumers hundreds of dollars per yearU.S. Department of Energy . The Benefits of Powering Your EV with Solar Energy. Accessed Jan 8, ..
All manufacturing creates some emissions. But once solar panels are on your roof, the energy they generate is clean and renewable. According to Columbia University, solar panels even reduce CO2 emissions more than treesColumbia Law School Sabin Center for Climate Change Law . Solar panels reduce CO2 emissions more per acre than trees – and much more than corn ethanol. Accessed Jan 8, ..
According to the Department of Energy, over 85% of the materials in a solar panel, such as aluminum and glass, are recyclable.
Most solar panels are still manufactured overseas, but the Inflation Reduction Act of is encouraging growth in U.S. solar manufacturing . According to research firm Wood Mackenzie, domestic solar panel manufacturing capacity has nearly quintupled since Q2 of Wood Mackenzie . US Solar Market Insight. Accessed Jan 8, .. EnergySage maintains a list of the top American-made panels .
Choosing whether to invest in a rooftop solar power system for your home or business is a big decision. Solar energy is one of the most popular forms of renewable energy in the electricity mix here in WA. In fact, 36% of customers in the South West Interconnected System (or SWIS) already have a rooftop solar installation.
Each rooftop solar power system represents a distributed energy resource. Along with household batteries, electric vehicles, and other are smaller-scale energy resources that connect to the energy system, they are also known as household energy assets. They either use, generate or store electricity – and the WA Government has published a DER Roadmap outlining a framework to make the most of these resources.
There are many questions to ask when considering a rooftop solar power system, so if you’ve been thinking about investing in solar panels for your home or business, here are five things you should know.
Having a rooftop solar power system could be one way to reduce your home or business electricity bills, but it does involve a significant upfront investment. According to the Clean Energy Council (CEC), the average cost for an average size home system (5.5kW) can range from $3,500 up to $9,500 and larger systems can cost anywhere up to $15,000. The upfront cost will depend on a range of factors, including the system size and brand of rooftop solar panels and solar inverters used.
When you’re deciding if a rooftop solar power system is a good option for you, you should look at how and when you use electricity at your home or business. Remember, solar power is only generated during the day when the sun is shining and the amount of electricity your rooftop solar installation could generate will depend on your system size.
If you use a lot more electricity than your rooftop solar power system can generate, or if the majority of your electricity usage generally happens at night and you can’t shift your electricity usage habits – then you should consider carefully whether rooftop solar panels is a good option for you. If you’re considering solar for your home, you might be better off taking advantage of a Time of Use tariff . If you’re considering solar for your business, you may be able to support renewable energy for business in other ways.
If you can make the most of the solar electricity generated by a rooftop solar power system, it could be a great investment in your home or business. Using electricity generated by your solar installation could help to reduce your electricity bills, as you’re likely to be drawing less electricity from the energy system (formerly known as the grid). Further, since the electricity mix from the energy system includes both renewable and non-renewable sources, using electricity generated by your rooftop solar power system is also a way you could reduce your emissions.
When you are looking at what to consider when buying solar panels, it’s important to choose your solar supplier and installer carefully. To start with, be wary of any company who promises ‘zero electricity bills’ in the future. Daily supply charges for connection to the energy system will still be payable as well as charges for any electricity usage charges for any electricity you need to draw from the energy system and you will still need to power your Wi-Fi, lights and alarms when the sun isn’t shining.
Here are some other things to think about when you’re looking for a quote for a rooftop solar power system:
If you’re considering investing in a commercial solar system for your business electricity needs, here are some tips to help you choose the right solar installation company.
Rooftop solar power systems catch that famous WA sunshine and use solar inverters to transform the solar energy into electricity that can be used to power your home, business and even electric vehicles.
As a whole, your solar PV system is made up of:
Your solar system might also have a consumption monitoring feature accessible with a mobile application that measures how much electricity your solar panels are producing and how much electricity you are drawing from the energy system. Not every rooftop solar power system will include a consumption monitoring feature – but if your system does, monitoring your solar power output and use can help you to make the most of your rooftop solar power system. You can also use Synergy My Account to see how much you’re drawing from the energy system.
You could also consider investing in a battery storage system to help make the most of any excess solar power your rooftop solar power system produces during the day. Rather than exporting solar power to the energy system, excess solar power could be stored in your battery to help power your home or business when the sun goes down, or on cloudy days.
Your solar panels should be positioned on the roof of your home or business where they will have the most exposure to the sun. Depending on the space available, the location of your home or business and any shading on your rooftop, your solar panels could even be mounted at an angle to maximise sun exposure.
Your solar panel supplier and installer should consider your electricity needs at different times of the day when considering where to place your solar panels. For example, more solar power will be generated in the morning from east-facing solar panels, in the middle of the day from north-facing solar panels and in the afternoon from west-facing solar panels.
If you’re building or renovating your home, you might like to consider how your home design could help you to make the most of solar energy.
When you’re exploring the different elements of a rooftop solar power system, remember that the biggest system with the most solar panels is not always the best option. Exporting solar power to the energy system used to be a high priority for solar customers – but it’s now known that the real benefit of a rooftop solar power system is using as much of the solar power your system generates as possible. This reduces the amount of electricity you may need to buy from the energy system, which could help to reduce your electricity costs.
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