With so many electronics, appliances, and devices in our homes consuming energy, utility bills have skyrocketed. According to the Short-Term Energy Outlook prepared by the US Energy Information Administration, retail electricity prices have increased every year since 2013. In addition, costs are expected to continue to rise for years to come.
It's not like we'll wake up one day without the need for electricity, either. Everyone uses power in one way or another..
But if you play your cards right, there is a way to offset some of that cost. When Implementing a Solar Power System Future Power Today:How Do Solar Panels and Heliostats Work? The energy of the future, today:How do solar panels and heliostats work? renewable resources. It's a problem we face every day, whether we realize it or not. With each pump of a gas handle, with each press of the gas pedal of a car, with each plug of our... Read More Using a database like DSIRE, you can find a host of local incentives and benefits for adopting renewable energy.
Over time using your own home solar system What is solar power and why hasn't it taken off? What is solar energy and why hasn't it been removed? What is the problem with solar energy? If it really is as important and necessary as many claim, why hasn't it taken over the energy industry yet? Read More A 2015 report revealed that anyone who installed a 5kW solar system saved an average of $44 to $187 per month during their first year. This is before any loan, lease, or PPA payments are factored in, however.
Still, it's a lot of money you could be saving.
Initially, the cost may seem high. Is solar energy sustainable? 4 problems to solve before the solar revolution Is solar energy sustainable? 4 problems to solve before the solar revolution Read More Solar panels aren't exactly cheap, and installation can also be expensive. However, there are tax credits you can take advantage of to recoup some of that cost.
Additionally, having a solar system provides you with a more reliable and self-sustaining source of energy. If you live in an area that experiences major power outages or blackouts, you'll still have electricity when others don't. Not to mention that if grid power prices go up, it won't affect you at all.
So there is always the point that solar energy is much better for the environment. 6 Advantages of Solar Panels You Probably Haven't Considered 6 Advantages of Solar Panels You Probably Haven't Considered Solar power is becoming more common among middle-class consumers, with more and more people realizing the advantages of the solar panels. Read more.
Even knowing all that, however, the decision to go solar can be a difficult one. The cost of purchasing solar energy is not the only factor. For example, if you live in an area where there isn't a lot of sun, there is no benefit in trying to go solar.
Fortunately, there are many tools at your disposal to determine if solar energy will be best for you. Here are nine of them:
With Project Sunroof, you can see a reliable estimate of the cost savings for solar adoption in your area.
The entire platform is built on top of Google Earth 4 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Google Earth Pro 4 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Google Earth Pro Google Earth Pro used to cost the tear-jerking $400 and comes with some exclusive features amazing. Here are four that you should probably check out. Read more . So once you enter your home address, the tool will take into account a variety of information, like the shape of your roof, and create a “custom solar plan” for you. It also takes into account local weather patterns, the amount of sunlight it will receive, and the total number of square feet it should use.
Ultimately, the tool will estimate how much you can expect to save over the course of 20 years. This data can be used to make a more informed decision.
Equipment and installation costs for a solar system are not cheap. Even with the tax write-offs, you need to have the cash on hand or a way to finance the project. The problem with this is that solar system costs vary by location.
That's why Wholesale Solar created their Basic Solar System Cost Calculator. It will detect your current location to calculate the cost of electricity per kWh in your area. If you can't detect this, you can enter it yourself. It will also calculate the total number of hours of sunshine it has.
Finally, you just have to choose the type of system you are considering (this is explained) and the percentage of traditional energy that you want to compensate.
With all this information entered, the tool will spit out the cost of a potential solar system. The best part is that the estimate is tailored specifically to you, rather than just a generic average. You can use this to decide if you have the funds for the initial investment or if you should consider applying for a loan.
SunCalc is a unique tool that allows you to view a variety of statistics related to sunlight in your area. Just enter a location and a date, and it will tell you when sunrise, sunset, and other important events will happen.
You can also see a more detailed report that explains how long each phase will last. It's a great way to estimate how many viable hours of sunshine you'll have in your local area.
Sunshine hours, if you don't know, are the hours when solar panels would be most efficient at generating power. While solar systems can still generate power on a cloudy day, they are much less efficient. The same happens if you have very few hours of sun during the day..
This tool will help you see how efficient and reliable a solar system would be for you.
You'll notice that many of these tools include separate statistics and information to help you make a more informed decision. This means you need to use more than one tool to get the full picture, especially when it comes to estimating savings.
The latest solar calculator from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance aims to change all that. It is a comprehensive cost analysis tool that you can use to see all the potential costs of a solar power system. You see, there are other ways to finance a solar system instead of buying it outright. For example, you can lease a solar system, similar to how you would lease a property or a vehicle.
Unlike most tools, the ILSR calculator takes these additional financing methods into account. It also allows you to compare the cost of buying a solar system outright or leasing it from a local provider.
If you live in the UK and want a cost estimate, you can use the Solar Century tool, which was created in collaboration with IKEA.
Simply provide your zip code and it will tell you how much you can save, how much you can earn and the cost of a system in your area.
Once you provide custom information, you can play around with the tool and change various factors to see how it would affect the cost. Esto incluye ingresar el costo de energía por kWh, cambiar la ubicación y más.
Al igual que la herramienta ILSR, SunMetrix tiene una calculadora que lo ayudará a determinar si debe comprar un sistema solar de su bolsillo o alquilar uno..
La mayoría de la información se calcula automáticamente para usted cuando envía su código postal o dirección. Aunque, puedes jugar con la configuración para ver cómo afectan el costo.
Es una excelente herramienta que puede ayudarlo a decidir qué opción es financieramente mejor Las mejores calculadoras de finanzas personales y presupuesto para administrar sus gastos Las mejores calculadoras de finanzas personales y presupuesto para administrar sus gastos Poner sus finanzas en orden puede ser difícil, pero tener las cifras correctas en la mano lo hace mucho más fácil. No importa cuál sea su situación financiera, tenemos las calculadoras que necesita. Lea más para usted y su hogar.
Lo que también hace que este recurso sea tan bueno es que puede ir y usar el “energía” y “ahorros” Herramientas para descubrir cómo te pertenecen. La herramienta de ahorro le informará cuánto puede esperar ahorrar, mientras que la herramienta de energía le dirá cuánta energía generaría un sistema solar en su área.
Esta herramienta JS Fiddle es limpia y útil. Se puede usar para determinar la cantidad de luz solar que recibirán los paneles solares a lo largo del tiempo según la ubicación del sol en el cielo..
Con la herramienta, puede ajustar tanto el ángulo del sol como el ángulo del panel. Esto le mostrará una representación visual de cuánta luz solar puede esperar recibir.
A diferencia de algunas de las otras herramientas aquí, no proporciona números concretos ni estadísticas, pero la herramienta definitivamente puede ser útil cuando se visualiza en qué configuración instalar sus paneles solares..
Notará que la mayoría de las herramientas en esta lista son para propietarios y consumidores. Si usted es dueño de un negocio o edificio, las herramientas pueden no proporcionar estimaciones precisas.
Ahí es donde la calculadora solar PVWatts es útil. Es para todos, incluidos los propietarios de pequeñas empresas y los fabricantes..
Para obtener más información, simplemente envíe la dirección sobre la que está preguntando. Luego, en las próximas páginas, elige una ubicación relevante cercana (basada en Google Maps) y proporciona información básica del sistema. La mayoría de esto se completará para usted, pero puede ajustar la cantidad de pies cuadrados al personalizar el tamaño del sistema para que se adapte a su techo.
Los resultados le indicarán la cantidad de energía solar que su sistema producirá por año, así como la cantidad que ahorrará por mes y por año..
Esta herramienta de Solar Simplified es otra calculadora útil y directa. Puede utilizarse para determinar el retorno de la inversión o el retorno de la inversión que puede esperar de un sistema solar.
Tiene en cuenta el costo de su factura mensual de energía, el tamaño del sistema que está considerando y el costo total del sistema. También tiene en cuenta> su compañía de servicios públicos local y las tarifas de energía..
Si no conoce la información que solicita, simplemente puede elegir “No lo sé” y estimará valores.
El resultado es un desglose completo de los costos y rendimientos que obtendría de un sistema solar. Puede ver estimaciones de los beneficios ambientales, como la cantidad de plántulas de árboles capaces de crecer y los galones de agua ahorrada, así como los costos de energía solar en comparación con los costos de energía tradicionales, y más.
Si no está vendido al comprar un sistema solar para su hogar o negocio, digamos que esta herramienta es una excelente manera de ver qué tipo de beneficios obtendrá al optar por uno. Esto puede ser especialmente bueno para ver cuando tiene visión de túnel porque el costo de entrada para la energía solar parece tan alto.
Ahora que tiene tantas herramientas al alcance de su mano, ¿qué puede impedirle ver sus opciones de energía solar??
Si encuentra que la energía solar es una opción para usted, puede esperar ayudar al medio ambiente y quizás ahorrar algo de dinero a largo plazo..
Si la energía solar no es una buena idea para usted en este momento, al menos puede sentirse cómodo al saber que está tomando las decisiones de energía más razonables que pueda en este momento..
¿Por qué quieres o no quieres cambiar a energía solar? Cuéntanoslo en los comentarios a continuación..
