If you’ve been thinking of going solar, you’ve come to the right place.
Everyone wants to do their part to lower their carbon emissions so we can try to resuscitate the earth. There are many different ways to do that, but one of the more popular ones is moving towards solar power.
Going with solar power has numerous benefits, but many are frightened off by the installation and maintenance costs. If you look closer, however, the numbers tell a different story. Today, we’ll answer the question, “how much do solar panels cost?” to try and help you get a better idea of where your money’s going.
One thing you can be sure of is that it’s going to the right place. Solar power can help save the world, one kilowatt at a time.
Understanding Solar Power
Solar panels are incredible pieces of technology that convert light from the sun into energy, then energy into DC power that can provide charge for your entire life. They’re made up of many smaller solar cells, which are made of silicon, a semiconductor. The more panels you have, the more power you can generate.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost?
We’re not going to lie, it can be a pretty big one time cost to install a solar panel on your home or business. It varies from state to state, but you can expect to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 per watt in America.
Believe it or not, this number is actually down 20% in the last 5 years, so solar panels are getting cheaper and cheaper as the years go by and we figure out how to optimize the technology.
Residential solar panels range in size from 3 to 8 kilowatts and businesses are even bigger, so you’re looking at well over $10,000 to install a home solar system.
Saving You Money Long-Term
The lump sum of installing a solar panel can be daunting, there’s no doubt. Whether you’re doing it for your home or for your small business, you might not think you could actually afford one of these things. However, there’s unrefutable proof that solar power will save you money in the long run.
Who thought solar panels would be an investment decision for business owners? But they are. Aside from the considerable solar tax credits (reduces the cost by 26%), solar panels save you money because you’re generating your own power instead of paying for the city’s power.
The price of electricity seems to be rising all the time, so the more power you can generate on your own, the more you’ll save. When you think long-term, the price of a solar unit now is heavily outweighed by the savings down the road.
Get Your Solar Unit Installed
Now that we’ve answered the question, “how much do solar panels cost?”, you can make the jump to solar. Helping heal the earth by cutting your fossil fuel use is a great feeling, but so is saving money on your electrical bills. Go solar and you won’t regret it.
If you enjoyed this post, come back and see us again for more tips on how to go green.
