Pros and cons of solar energy

This one is a pretty straightforward, but weighty advantage. Going solar opens up new opportunities, such as generating your own electricity and offsetting your electric costs by selling the excess energy to the utility. Solar panels can save you a substantial chunk of change, an average of $100 per month, which means zero electricity bill for residents of some states. Check the map to calculate how much solar panels might save you.

Investing in solar energy will pay off in the near future. There are awesome solar incentives in the U.S., thanks to which solar panels can turn you a profit in addition to bill savings. Solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) and net metering are the key benefits of solar panels. They allow you to earn bill credits or even extra cash as your system produces electricity.

If you are lucky to live in the area that has both incentives, the payback time for your solar panel system will be as little as 4 years. Once the PV system is paid off, your solar panels will generate free power for your home for the lifetime of the system! Not to mention that the energy rates are increasing all the time and the demand for clean energy now is getting higher than ever.

Having a rooftop solar system with batteries can be a great advantage in emergency situations. During natural disasters the grid is often down. PV modules will provide you with energy as long as the sun shines, whatever the weather. Not only can solar panels power your house at these harsh times, they’ll also protect your roof from winds, rain and hail. 

If you decide to go solar, you should also consider how much energy-independent you want to become. With a basic grid-tie system you draw the energy from the utility only in case of deficiency. Off-grid and hybrid systems negate that necessity allowing to store the excess energy for later. Hybrids also give you an option to draw the power from the utility during off-peak hours or put it on the grid when the rates are the highest. If you prefer to live on your far away ranch, consider an off-grid panel system. While extending the grid costs a fortune, solar panels are a cheap alternative to becoming powered-up and energy-independent. If you want to know more about different panel systems check out our grid-tie, off-grid and hybrid panel system comparison guide.

Once the solar system is installed, it becomes an integral part of your house. Net Metering Agreement fixes your energy credits to your property. If you decide to move somewhere else, you won't be able to use your energy credits there. The only way out is to literally move the house, which is hardly an option.

As the sun doesn't shine at night, solar is called an intermittent source of energy. To use solar power at nighttime, you will have to purchase a battery bank. It stores the energy gathered during the day for later use and keeps you powered up during the outages. Not only is the battery expensive, but it also needs to be replaced every 5-10 years.

Modern solar technologies made it possible to collect solar energy on cloudy and even on rainy days, but at much lower rates. The power output specified by the manufacturer is achieved only on sunny and clear days, and these can be rare in some states. You should take into account that solar panel efficiency and amount of money saved may differ from state to state.

It is hard to foresee how long you will live in your house for. Once you decide to move on, you will probably want to take your solar panels with you. However, removing the panels is expensive. An average bill of dismantling works is about $1,500. Some may want to do all the work themselves, but we strongly recommend against it. Don't risk your health or your panels and hire the professionals.