Don’t let Yourself be Spooked by Solar Myths!
As we embrace the Halloween spirit here at NATiVE, we wanted to share with you some frightening misconceptions about solar that may scare away customers.
Don’t worry – we’re here to show you there’s nothing to be afraid of.
Here are five chilling myths about solar – busted!
Spooky Myth #1: Solar Energy is too Expensive
While the upfront cost of installing solar may spook some homeowners away from investing in solar, there is no need to be scared! It is important to understand that the entire cost of the system does not have to be paid at the time of installation. There are many solar financing options that allow you to pay for your system over time, as well as local, state, and federal tax incentives and rebates that can help you offset some of the costs. One of the most notable incentives is the current 30% federal solar tax credit, which allows homeowners to claim a tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of their solar system.
In addition, the cost of solar itself has dropped dramatically in the past decade – 70% since 2010. It is now far less expensive to build a new utility-scale solar plant than to build a new fossil-fuel burning power plant of equal capacity. Being durable and reliable, solar panels also require very little ongoing maintenance, so there are few extra costs associated with solar once the installation is complete. Over time, switching to solar can lead to significant savings, paying off the initial cost of the installation and even making money for those homeowners who choose to sell their excess power back to the grid.
Spooky Myth #2: Solar Only Works When the Sun is Shining
This common myth has been debunked time and time again. While we may perceive that sunshine is only hitting the panels on sunny days, solar technology can generate power in a range of weather conditions, including overcast, cloudy, rainy and snowy days because some sunlight still reaches the earth. While solar panels typically perform best in cool and sunny climates, they will still generate plenty of energy even on days that are not sunny.
On top of that, with added battery storage connected to your solar panels, your home can stay powered by solar at night or on dark and spooky days when you need an extra boost of power.
Spooky Myth #3: Solar Panels are not Efficient Enough
Oftentimes, customers hear that solar panels have an efficiency rate of 22% and wonder why it’s not 100%. That’s because some sunlight is always reflected off the panels or turned in to heat instead of electricity. Solar cells also can’t absorb all the ranges of light that make up sunlight, like infrared light.
The truth is, the sun produces an enormous amount of energy—the sunlight that shines on the earth in just one and a half hours has more power than the world consumes in an entire year. With this huge energy supply, commercially available solar panels provide plenty of power to meet your home’s needs, at a cost at or below electricity provided by the grid in most parts of the country.
Solar technology continues to advance and improve every year, but if you wait for continued advancements, you may risk missing out on today’s plethora of solar incentives and tax credits, as well as failing to lock in your energy rates, which will likely only continue to rise.
Spooky Myth #4: It’s Best to Wait for the Next Best Technology
Another reason people may be frightened to invest in solar now is because they’ve decided to wait for better technology to become available. While solar technology is always improving, that doesn’t mean you should always wait for it to. For example, while there will be many improvements to items like cell phones, laptops, and cars in the near future, people still need and use those items now, and always expecting a newer, better technology would be a constant waiting game.
Current solar panels work efficiently and are able to provide for a homeowner’s needs, so there is no need to wait for an improvement in technology and miss out on enjoying years of clean energy.
Spooky Myth #5: Solar Power is Unreliable
Solar panels are actually very reliable for the entire duration of their (approximately) 25-year life span. As previously mentioned, they require very minimal upkeep and are built to last—and the reliability of solar panels will only continue to grow stronger as solar PV technology advances. Additionally, solar power continues to be deployed for a variety of public daily operations, which show its consistency and reliability; for instance: traffic and construction safety signs, railroad crossing signals and switches, streetlights, etc.
As battery storage technologies continue to become more efficient and affordable, we’ll soon start to see many more solar owners using less power from the grid, and becoming more self-reliant and resilient. Storage is one component that increases solar’s reliability by making solar energy available at times when your array is not producing energy, such as at night when you want to keep the ghosts away.
Trick or Treat
Now that we’ve taken the shock from common misconceptions or spooky myths about solar energy, we hope there is no reason to be scared away from making an impact by going solar. The best way to obtain an efficient and cost-effective system is to work with an established solar company that develops a solar energy plan tailored to your particular energy goals and needs. The trick is to lock in a great incentive deal now; the treats are many: reliable energy throughout the year, reduced energy costs and the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping the environment, too.
So don’t be frightened–go solar with NATiVE Solar!
We often hear many myths about solar energy and in this blog, those myths have been cleared, this will help people in making the switch to solar energy.