Did you know that the average American household uses around 10,000 kWh of electricity per year? This amount would be lessened if people would invest in more energy efficient windows and appliances, and replace their insulation. These cost saving improvements alone would save hundreds of dollars a year. Another simple and relatively inexpensive option is to change your incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones. You can also save money by turning lights off when you leave a room and unplugging those things that you don’t use all the time. However, residential solar energy is the only way for homeowners to completely eliminate their electricity costs. While costly at first, rest assured that the savings will quickly add up.
Finding the Right Size
There are a variety of residential solar energy systems available for use. System capacities range from 1,000 watts to cover 50 square feet, to 25,000 watts, to cover 1600 square feet. A 10,000-watt system will save the average homeowner approximately $50,000 over 25 years while still supplying the 10,000 kWh needed. The savings scale with the size of the system and household energy consumption, so your own savings might be larger or smaller with residential solar power. One cost-effective alternative to installing a full residential solar power system, is to install a system that powers specific areas of the house, removing the more energy-draining items from the grid. Most homeowners do not have the $75,000 required to install a system even with the promise of savings in the future.
There are tax credits available for those people who choose to upgrade their home to energy friendly alternatives that will help offset the initial installation fees. That $75,000 solar power system listed above could get nearly a $35,000 tax credit, effectively lowering its cost to $40,000. The Government has instituted these tax credits to help stimulate the economy and encouraging people to “think green” at the same time.
More Solar Energy Advantages:
In the coming years as motor vehicles switch from gasoline powered to electric, our power grid will be even more taxed. It is important to start the change to residential solar power now so that we can ensure the integrity of our energy grid, save ourselves in home energy costs, and protect our natural resources.
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