Solar power is the generation of electricity from sunlight. It can be stored and used on rainy days, and since the sun isn't expected to burn out for another billion years or so, it's the most reliable alternative we have right now to fossil fuels. In more recent news, it has even been used to power airplanes for long periods of time. So if it can do all that, how can solar power be used in our everyday lives? Well that's easy.
People have been using solar power in their homes for decades. While solar power isn't cheap since you can expect to spend 20,000 to 40,000 installing solar panels depending on the size of your home, it is becoming an increasingly viable alternative to sourcing electricity from main power grids. You won't take your home off the power grid completely, of course. On the contrary. You will actually be doing yourself and the energy companies a great service.
On days when your solar panels are overproducing solar electricity, your house will act as a mini-power station. Storing that energy for use later on, thus putting electricity back into the main power grids. This could mean a big credit on your energy bills depending on how much solar energy you have stored up. On days when it is overcast and cloudy, the solar energy you have stored produces electricity, and works with the main power grids to make sure your lights don't go out. Thanks to your stored energy, you're not taking as much power from those grids, thus you also have a lower energy bill that way as well.
In terms of government incentives for switching to solar power, there are many State and Federal rebates you could receive, including tax credits. The amount of rebate subsidy varies by program, but some are generous enough to provide a 30 percent rebate on your total cost. Some locations even have additional incentives to make solar power more affordable. San Francisco offers a city rebate and the state of Oregon offers up to 6,000 in tax credits over 4 years. Not bad at all. The federal government allows you to deduct 30% of your system costs off your federal taxes through an investment tax credit (ITC). If you do not expect to owe taxes this year, you can roll over your credit to the following year. A good website to visit is DSIREUSA.org (Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency). It's an ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, and there you can choose the state you live in to see all the programs that are offered for switching to solar energy. It's an excellent resource if you want to learn about all the ways you can save money before making the switch to solar energy.
While solar power is not perfect in the sense that yes, it does cost a lot out of pocket to install, and the solar cells you put on the roof of your home aren't exactly the most fashionable of decorations, it is one of the cleanest alternatives to fossil fuels that we have right now. It may not work for 24-hours straight, but depending on where you live, the type of climate around you, and the amount of pollution in your city, you can get a lot out of solar power and save money at the same time. With more and more programs popping up everyday, and government incentives increasing, solar power could very well be the next main source of energy for us after fossil fuels. It's clean, dependable, and offers many advantages, those of which certainly outweigh the disadvantages. Before you switch, just do your homework, and make sure solar power is right for you, and you could end up saving a bunch of cash in the long run.
