Are you thinking about going solar? It might seem like a big decision that requires a lot of research. Don’t worry – you can start right here! We’ve listed some solar energy pros and cons below. Let’s look at the pros of solar energy first. There are a ton of good reasons to begin using solar energy. We’re biased, of course, but we’re not wrong. Home solar energy with Pineapple Energy has many benefits, and here are just a few.
5 Benefits of Solar Energy
1. Save Money
An easy way to eliminate your electric bill is to switch to solar. The main factors are the size of your solar energy system and the amount of sun that hits your home. If the amount of energy generated is more than you consume, your utility bill could be net zero. Even if you do not eliminate your electric bill completely, using solar energy will drastically lower the monthly cost.
2. Affordable to Maintain
There’s very little that needs to be done in order to maintain your solar energy system. Solar panels only need to be cleaned once or twice a year. And you can do this yourself or hire a cleaning company for a low service fee.
3. Qualify for Tax Breaks and Incentives
When you install solar panels, you may qualify for local, state and federal tax benefits. Homeowners who purchase a solar system can claim a percentage of the installation cost as a federal tax credit.
4. Easy on the Environment
Switching to solar energy helps fight climate change. Solar energy is environmentally friendly, and doesn’t harm our ozone layer. Solar energy reduces our reliance on non-renewable, non-friendly energy sources such as coal.
5. Solar Energy is Everywhere
You’ll never have to worry about a shortage of solar energy. Right now the earth receives 173,000 terawatts of sunlight continuously, which is about 10,000 times more power than is needed for everyone on the planet.
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Learn More3 Cons of Solar Energy
1. Expensive to Get Started?
The biggest cost of a solar system is usually up front. Pineapple Energy can help you out with our flexible financing options. Also, you can use your new tax incentives to recoup some of the system costs. If you don’t have the capital up front to get started, you can get a solar loan or a solar power purchase agreement (PPA) for affordable monthly payments. Any way you slice it, you’ll pay less than you do for electricity each month anyway, and over time the solar system will more than pay for itself.
2. Takes Up Space?
To save the most money, you’ll need as many solar panels as possible to collect the most sunlight. If you don’t have enough room on your roof, many people also install solar panels in their yard. If there’s no extra yard space, that’s ok. In the end, you’ll still be saving money and that’s a good thing.
3. Dependent on Weather?
Good news, solar panels still collect energy even on dark and cloudy days. Your solar system’s efficiency will only be slightly lower than normal. Even in bad weather, you’ll pay less than you would with electricity from fossil fuels, like your current utility company.
3 Disadvantages Of Fossil Fuels
Examples of fossil fuels include natural gas, petroleum and coal. Most people use these for energy consumption as they have been a reliable and affordable source of energy for a long time. But that reputation is fading quickly…
1. Unsustainable
Because of the high demand for fossil fuels, we are using our reserves at an unsustainable rate. Switching to solar energy is a great way to cut down on the overall usage of fossil fuels
2. Non-renewable
It takes literally millions of years for fossil fuels to naturally replenish themselves. This translates to only a limited amount of fossil fuel reserves for our usage.
3. Polluting
Burning fossil fuels is not at all environmentally friendly. This accelerates climate change in several ways, mainly by creating harmful gas emissions when used for electricity. Additionally, there have been oil spills which polluted our environment and harmed wildlife. The pros of solar energy outweigh the cons of solar energy, as well as the cons of fossil fuels. If you’re interested in switching to solar, get in touch with us! Reach out to Pineapple Energy to inquire further about solar for your home.