Solar Renewable Energy
Solar Renewable Energy
Going Solar—A Little or A Lot!
by Dale Y the green Guy
Let’s get one thing out in then open right here, right now. The 30% tax credit will still be in effect for the next few years, so if you had considered going solar, you still have time. Our government wants you to make a switch to solar. Why? Because it has become one of the most cost effective ways to use 100% sustainable energy for your home.
Ok, let’s cut to the chase. The average home uses somewhere in the neighborhood of 800 to 1200 kilowatt hours per month. This is a true rough guesstimate here because electricity demands for any given home are variable, as to how many people live there, what type of appliances are used, etc. etc.
A basic whole house solar system kit is going to run you about $20,000 bucks. That comes complete with the solar panels, the mounting kit and the power inverter that will let you hook into the grid. If you have a month of sun, this solar panel kit will put out about 1000 kilowatt hours of power, which can be enough to run your entire home.
If you punch the tax credit into the equation, the cost for this system gets it in the 13,000 dollar range. That looks a whole lot better than 20 big ones, for sure.
OK, now lets do a little math. The average rate of payment per kilowatt hour is 15-cents. If we multiply that by 1000 we get, $150.00 worth of electricity per month. This equates to $1800.00 dollars per month in electrical costs.
Now then, at $1800.00 bucks per year, you will pay for your whole house solar system in about 7 or 8 years. After that, you are golden. Can you say free electricity?? I knew you could! If you pay 20-cents for electricity, you will recoup the cost of your whole house solar system in about 5 to 6 years.
Once again, even these rates are variable. But you can see what I am getting at. It is reasonably safe to say that no matter what, you’ll have the whole house solar system paid off within 10 years. Then make sure to invite me over and we’ll have a green coming out party.
But, you don’t have to go whole house solar to still get some amazing savings. You can get a solar hot water heater kit for about $2500.00 dollars or less. These will pay for themselves in only a few years because literally 33% of your electric bill is made up of heating hot water. AND, solar hot water heaters also qualify for the 30% tax credit that will remain available until 2016. Realistically then, the solar system will cost $2000.00 bucks or less.
So, doing the math once again, it costs $600.00 dollars to heat water for your house per year. That means in about 4 years or less, you’ll pay off the cost of a solar hot water heater. The best part is that the more you use the hot water (think kids and lots of laundry here) the more you will save.
It’s time to start thinking about going solar. There are affordable options available no matter what you want to do with it. Plus, the tax credit is still available for either one of these solar upgrades. This is one of the bonafide ways to save energy now, and save money later, which pays dividends every time you turn on the juice or hop in the shower.
Knowledge and information are the keys to a greener world, and Detect Energy will be there every step of the way.