Lets talk about Solar in Colorado. Solar energy is available all over the world. Not only the countries that are closest to the Equator can put solar energy to use – Germany, for example, has by far the highest capacity of solar power in the world. With the introduction of net metering and feed-in tariff (FIT) schemes, homeowners can now “sell” excess electricity, or receive bill credits, during times when they produce more electricity than what they actually consume.
While solar power certainly is less polluting than fossil fuels, some problems do exist. Some manufacturing processes are associated with greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrogen trifluroide and sulfur hexafluoride has been traced back to the production of solar panels. These are some of the most potent greenhouse gases and have many thousand times the impact on global warming compared to carbon dioxide. Transportation and installation of solar power systems can also indirectly cause pollution.
Installing a solar power system on your home means you can lock in a price of energy for at least the 25 year life of the solar panels. You know how much energy the solar panels will produce so that once you get an accurate price quote you know exactly how much each kilowatt-hour of energy will cost you over the next 25 years. Many consumers are now able to get a levelized cost of energy of $0.10 per kilowatt hour. When you compare this to the average amount you will pay to your utility for power over the next 25 years, the average consumer with a $150 per month power bill can see savings in the range $30,000 over the life of a solar system. The monthly savings don’t start out being huge, perhaps only $50 per month but in the 25th year it can reach savings of $300 per month. You can use this solar savings calculator to check what your savings will be based on usage and utility rates.
Solar panels (also known as photovoltaic panels) are installed on your home. The solar panels convert light (photons) into electricity (voltage). Each panel is connected to a microinverter that changes the electric current from DC (direct current) to AC (alternating current). Each microinverter operates independently of the others so that if one stops working your system is still generating maximum power. The benefits of switching to solar energy are many. Adding solar panels to your home offers a secure investment as solar energy is not only sustainable but renewable as well. It is performance guaranteed and proven to significantly increase the value of your home while decreasing your energy bills.
The process of installing solar panels on your home and switching to solar electricity starts with a free survey of your home where we also perform an energy review to determine how photo voltaic solar panels can help reduce your energy costs. We create a custom installation plan that’s efficient and effective without compromising the quality of the results. Before we begin, we will walk you through the entire solar installation process down to the smallest detail to ensure you understand what will be done and how you’ll benefit.
Because the time, tasks and equipment involved in each project can vary greatly we prefer to see each project in person to give a detailed quote. By doing a site visit we can ensure that we are giving you an all-inclusive price quote. Additionally, when we are able to give you an accurate price quote we can also tell you exactly how long it will take for you to see a return on your investment. Read more info at Solar energy for homeowners.
