If you’re planning to use sustainable energy, figuring out how to determine if solar is right for you is an extremely important issue. Solar energy is the most popular and efficient form of sustainable energy available, and for many people, it represents the future of energy generation.
Can You Afford It?
Even though solar power is so efficient and a large solar array can last for well over 20 years, larger installations can also be quite expensive. The cost of a single solar panel is quite small, and you only have to pay about $13 per Watt on average. This means that, if you just want to power your phone and laptop, then the limited number of solar panels you require will not cost that much. However, if you want to start generating power in the kilowatt range, then a large solar panel array will be required, and the costs will be far greater.
The average solar installation size in the US can generate up to 6 kilowatts. The cost of such an installation, after tax credits, will be somewhere between $11,300 and $14,900. If you can afford that amount, or you are able to get a loan to pay for your solar panel installation, then you should be fine powering most items in your home all year round. If you also want to power large heating installations, the price will be higher, since you’ll need more than 10 kilowatts.
Despite these figures, statistics show that solar Denver panel installations are actually getting cheaper every year. Last year they were about one percent lower, so if you still don’t have enough money to install your preferred solar panel array, it might make sense to wait until you can find a more advantageous quote.
Will Solar Energy Help You?
As mentioned earlier, a smaller solar panel installation is of great use when you only have a few low power items that you need to generate electricity for on a regular basis. However, a larger installation would be required to power an HVAC, a large refrigeration unit or some other large equipment you might need.
But learning how to determine if solar is right for you also means knowing if the circumstances are favorable. For example, you’ll get a lot less power from the same array, if you live in an area with frequent precipitation, than if you live somewhere in Arizona or Nevada, where the sun is out in the open for much of the year.
Also, you will have to figure out whether you plan on staying in one place for a longer time, or you want to move more frequently. Solar installations are large, and would be quite difficult to move. Aside from that, they need a lot of space. So, if you do plan on moving, always make sure that your property has a larger roof that supports the installation of solar panel roofing, or a medium sized yard, which would allow you to house your entire solar array with room to spare.
