Benefits of Solar Electricity in the Home
Thinking about investing in solar electricity for your home but not sure if it’ll be worth it? Let us take you through some of the reasons why choosing solar could be the best decision you make for your home.
What is Solar Energy?
Solar energy is produced by the rays of the sun’s light, taken in through solar panels. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t have to be a particularly sunny day for solar energy to be produced – all that is needed is sunlight.
Solar energy is generated from solar PV (photovoltaic) panels installed in solar panels.
The energy is fed through an inverter into your home to power your lights and appliances. The energy generated in the daytime can be stored in solar batteries so that you can keep on using the power even in the hours of darkness.
What can solar power be used for in the home?
Solar panels can produce enough electricity to power everyday appliances in your home. In order to power the entire house, you can use a combination of solar energy and power provided by the National Grid. By doing so, you can cut down on energy bills and total dependence on the grid.
With the energy stored in your batteries, you can continue powering your house using solar even when the weather takes a turn for the worse.
You can even use solar energy to charge your electric car at home.
Reduced energy bills and less dependence on the grid
We’re living in a time when utility bills are increasing at an astonishing rate. We are all looking for ways to cut back on expenditures, and one great way to do that is by making solar electricity the power source for your home.
Using solar electricity means that you will be less dependent on energy generated by your utility supplier, which logically means a reduced energy bill.
What’s even more incredible is that you can even make money back by selling your excess energy back to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee(SEG).
Feel-Good Factor: Save the Planet
The first thing you are likely to think of when someone mentions solar energy is that they are a renewable energy source, and are a ‘green’ form of energy generation.
Each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of solar electricity produced substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions like CO2, and other dangerous pollutants such as sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
Knowing that your home’s solar panels help to combat greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our collective dependence on fossil fuels is a great feeling.
Unlike finite resources derived from fossil fuels, solar power is infinite and therefore doesn’t suffer fluctuations in price according to supply and demand. And that’s some good news we could all do with in these times of soaring energy prices.
Renewable energy also improves public health, as they don’t produce air and water pollution that is harmful to human health.
In fact, solar energy requires little to no water to operate. So it doesn’t put a strain on the world’s water supply. It is also reliable enough to operate during droughts and heat waves.
Solar Pays For Itself
Although solar panels don’t necessarily come cheap, they are definitely a worthwhile investment for most homes.
Apart from reducing your overall energy bills, you can actually reap further financial benefits from using solar electricity in your home.
As we’ve already mentioned, you can get on board with a net metering scheme as a way to earn money by selling any excess electricity generated by your solar panels.
Aside from government incentives and reduced energy bills, there’s also the fact that solar energy systems generally don’t require a lot of maintenance.
As long as you keep your solar panels reasonably clean and they are well positioned out of reach of potential falling debris, you shouldn’t have any cause to spend extra money on the panels. Cleaning them once or twice a year should be sufficient to keep them functioning properly. If for any reason you don’t feel comfortable doing the cleaning yourself, you can always hire a professional from a specialised cleaning company. Prices usually fall around the £25-£35 mark – so it won’t burn a hole in your pocket either.
If you look after your solar system, you can expect them to keep producing energy for around 20-25 years – that’s a sound investment indeed!
That longevity is also down to the fact that solar systems don’t include any moving parts, which means there is no wear and tear.
The only thing that you’ll probably have to change after around 5-10 years is the inverter. That’s because it continuously works to convert light from the sun into electricity and heat suitable for domestic consumption.
Another aspect of the system that might need a little more attention is the cables, which have to be in excellent condition to keep the system running at maximum efficiency.
Increased Home Value
When you install a solar system in your home, you are technically performing an upgrade on your property.
In the same way as renovating a kitchen or doing up a basement, installing solar panels can also increase the value of your home.
Aside from influential factors such as electricity rates and the size of the solar panel system, overall it has been found that solar homes can have a higher market value than homes without solar panels.
As you can see, solar electricity is a sound investment for anyone serious about saving money while doing their bit for the planet. To reap all these benefits and more in your home, contact us today.
