(Newswire.net — October 5, 2020) — Did you know that there are now more than two million solar panel installations in the US alone? That’s an incredible increase of fifteen-fold from the count back in 2010.
That’s not all though: the price itself of solar energy has also gone down over the years. The power generated by solar panels is now cheaper than many other fossil fuels.
That should be enough reason to consider investing in solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. However, solar energy’s lower price is only the tip of the iceberg. We’ve shared some of the other top reasons solar is an excellent renewable source of energy, so be sure to read on.
Solar Panels Work Even When It’s Cloudy
According to https://PoweredPortableSolar.com, the sun’s full power runs for up to five hours a day. That means that solar panels can generate at 100% peak for at least a fifth of the entire day. However, they start to collect and store energy as soon as and so long as the sun is up.
This doesn’t mean, however, that the panels stop collecting solar power when it’s cloudy. In fact, they can still generate power using indirect sunlight, or even when it’s rainy!
Solar Is a Clean, Virtually Limitless Power
Fossil fuels create loads of toxic gases like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. They also generate harmful compounds like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) among many others. That’s why governments all over the world are pushing to reduce reliance on these fuels.
Solar energy, by contrast, has a negligible carbon footprint. It produces a mere 6gCO2e/kWh (grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour). Coal’s footprint, on the other hand, is a whopping 109gCO2e/kWh.
Solar PV Panels Last for a Long Time
Modern solar panels come with at least a 20-year warranty. This indicates that manufacturers are confident that the panels will last that long.
However, the best panels can still produce over 90% of their original power after two decades. So, even if they’re no longer under warranty, they can still deliver clean, renewable energy.
Solar Panels for Home Use Come With Tax Incentives
As part of their plan to cut back on the use of fossil fuels, governments offer many incentives to go solar. In the US, for instance, there’s the ongoing 26% solar investment tax credit. This runs until December 31, 2020, and will go down to 22% come 2021.
The Price of the Panels Themselves Continue to Drop
The cost of solar panels has decreased by at least 73% since 2010. Experts say that it will continue to drop as more innovations in solar tech get introduced.
Pair this up with rebates and tax incentives, and you can make your solar installation cost even less.
Solar Panels for the Big Win
As you can see, there’s a lot of reasons why solar panels should be your renewable source of energy. Not only can they save you hundreds, even thousands on energy bills each year. They can also help protect the environment, which should be a good enough reason for you to make the switch.
Looking for other ways to save on bills, costs, or become more environmentally-friendly? Feel free to check out our many other health, tech, and home how-tos and guides!