The Main Benefits Of Installing Solar Panels In Your Home

Installing solar panels in your home is a great way to reduce energy costs, help the environment and prevent climate change, and even improve your home’s value. For example, a typical 6-kilowatt (kW) solar panel system can increase your home’s resale value by an extra $24,000, Mother Earth News reports.

Not only that, but solar panels can also even improve air quality and contribute positively to human health.

Cut Electricity Bills

The average American household spends roughly $124.47 every month on electricity. Although they require an initial financial investment, solar panels can significantly cut your energy bills both immediately and over time since they harness the power of the sun for free. The exact amount of money you can save depends on a variety of factors.

First, figure out your average electricity bill over the past year and how much electricity you consume. That will tell you the size of solar panels you need, along with the installation cost. You can then calculate your normal electricity bill total for the next 25 years (the average solar panel lifespan). Remember to account for inflation.

Finally, subtract the total cost of solar panel installation from your normal electricity bill to roughly determine how much money you can save from installing them.

Help The Environment

Generating electricity with fossil fuels is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, which contributes to climate change. Installing solar panels for house use lowers the demand for fossil fuels and therefore lowers your carbon footprint. For example, the average Connecticut household burns through an average of 8,288 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity every year.

In this state, switching to solar panels is the equivalent of planting roughly 150 trees each year to reduce emissions. In New York, the average household uses 7,248 kWh of electricity yearly. Using solar panels as a sustainable electricity source drastically lowers carbon emissions by the same amount that’s created by burning over 5,000 pounds of coal every year.

Improve Health

A lesser known but equally important benefit of solar panels is that they can actually positively impact human health by eliminating air pollutants and improving the quality of the air.

In particular, a study conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) discovered that a switch to solar energy would drastically lower rates of sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and particulate matter emissions — toxins that commonly contribute to a number of health issues.

The NREL study concluded that the widespread adoption of solar panels has the potential to lower cases of heart and breathing issues, chronic bronchitis, and time taken off work due to health problems.

As sustainability continues to play an increasingly important role in our lives, solar panels can help you live a more eco-friendly and less expensive lifestyle. In particular, they can help you save money on your electricity bills, protect the environment and lower your carbon footprint, and even improve air quality and help combat certain health issues.