A friend of mine from Texas tried to talk me into “going solar” last year. Over lunch one day, as we were discussing his new green lifestyle, he rattled off some statistics about how Texas was a leader in solar energy adoption. “Texas is 6th in the country!” He exclaimed excitedly as he munched on a burger made out of quinoa and some other rabbit food. “There’s hundreds of thousands of people using solar panels here now, it’s us saving money and it’s gonna save the planet! And not just for fancy office buildings either — three families I know invested in residential solar panels, and it got them through a lot of brown outs during the heat wave.”
I smiled and nodded, but privately, I must say, I was a bit skeptical. You see, I’m from New York, and although our governor talks a big game about going green, solar panel design didn’t seem at the top of his incentives list (we like to invest in computing and bridges instead). However, I am a new homeowner, and am always looking for ways to get a good return on my investment and save money. So, his endorsement inspired me to do some research.
Let me tell you up front, as a New Yorker, I’ve been converted just as thoroughly as if I were energy siphoned through an efficient solar panel design. Here are just a few of the benefits of going solar in New York that I discovered:
1. A New Yorker Who Goes Solar Could Save Thousands of Dollars in Energy Bills
The average residence uses 7,200 kilowatt-hours each year of electric energy; that’s, to put it scientifically, “a lot of hours”! If you invest in a good solar system with sound solar panel design (and by this we mean, efficient, light-weight design), then a person in the Capital Region can save an average of $25 dollars per month on energy costs. That adds up to $300 per year! This is all thanks to a solar panel’s ability to bank energy on sunny days to use later in snow storms – which allows you to keep more of your money in the actual actual bank.
2. New York Offers Serious Financial Incentives to Install Solar Panels
In addition to a number of federal incentives available, the New York Solar Tax Credit offers New Yorkers a direct, dollar-for-dollar deduction on the cost of solar panel installation. The amount is 25% of total installation cost or $5,000, whichever is lower. This is a serious chunk of change that really got me thinking. And the money benefits don’t stop there…
3. The Value of Your Home Will Shoot Up After A Solar Panel Installation
A home boasting sound solar panel design will re-sell for more than a home without, period. It’s one of the most solid returns on investment because it directly communicates that your home is green, efficient, and a home of tomorrow. According to recent studies, most homeowners see a $5,911 resale value increase per installed kilowatt. That means if you install a system with 3.1 kilowatts of power (one of the standard solar panel design options), you could increase the resale value of your home by $18,000.
4. Solar Panels Will Ensure You Are Part of the Future
I’m not just talking about in the “eats quinoa burgers and goes green for moral reasons” sense. I mean, good solar panel design will soon be just as important to our society as good car design. It will mean, when conventional electric grids tap out due to their over-dependence on water to generate power, you will still have power. It will mean you won’t have to retrofit your home in 20 years to get it up to some new green codes. In solar panels, as in life, it is almost always better to be proactive.
