As with any new technology, it took a while for people to get on board with solar. Installation costs were prohibitive in the beginning and discouraged many homeowners from going with solar as an energy choice. However, installation costs have gone down as technology has improved, and the popularity of solar has soared in recent years.
The cost of solar installation has decreased faster than anyone expected. Did you know that the price of solar panels has dropped approximately 100 times over since the late 1970s? Recent estimates show there are nearly 2 million U.S. homes powered through solar energy. As solar panels grow even more affordable, this number is expected to increase dramatically.
Solar experts believe they will start seeing a million or more new solar home installations each year in the U.S. While the energy from the sun may be more plentiful in states like Florida and California, installations are growing in many other states like Wisconsin, Illinois and even New England states.
On days when it is sunny, excess energy is exported to the grid. On cloudy days when the sun isn’t producing as much energy, your home can access energy stored in the grid. Your costs are based on your consumption of energy. New solar technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries, are improving solar panel storage of energy on sunny days so that you can rely less on energy stored in the grid.
Solar technology breakthroughs continue to find ways to keep homes comfortable while aggressively conserving energy. Solar is the growing choice of modern homeowners. It is a clean renewable source of energy, and the price of installing solar panels is decreasing each year. Have you checked into installing solar panels for your home? With the savings in energy costs, a solar installation will likely pay for itself within 5 to 10 years.
