We’re practical people, and we know which way the wind is blowing. Renewable energy is cheaper, cleaner, and soon it will be the only way we get our power.
On average, switching to Solar power will save you over $1,100 per year. That’s over $30,000 in the average lifespan of a solar system. Boom.
Your electrical utility raises its rates by an average of 3% a year! You don’t get better electricity, you don’t get to negotiate, they just keep charging you more and more. With solar, you pay the same amount every year until you’ve paid off your system, and then you’ve got free power!
Houses with solar are worth 4% more on average than houses without.
Solar currently powers over 12.3 million homes in America. And that number is growing fast.
Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! A lot of politicians and businessmen talk a big job game, but the fastest growing job in the USA is “solar power installer”.
America’s Solar industry employs over 242,000 workers - more than the coal, oil, and natural gas industries combined. Put that in your pipe and don’t smoke it.
In America alone, Solar power offsets over 70 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year, which is like planting over 1 billion trees.
3 of the 4 states currently leading on community solar get the least sunshine in the country – proving that solar still works in cloudy climates
One home in the US switching to solar for a year is equivalent to NOT adding more than 12,500 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
40% of the energy produced in power plants is lost by the time it reaches your house. When you make it yourself on your roof, not one watt goes to waste.
As the saying goes, “Make hay while the sun shines… use grid power at night.” ;-)
And with battery storage like the Tesla Powerwall, you can keep all the electricity you produce. Goodbye, power outages!
Why not be your own power provider?
How much will it cost me?
It will probably be cheaper than your monthly electricity bill, and there's no mandatory down payment. Since most homeowners finance their solar systems, what you’ll pay each month is a loan payment, as well as the remainder of your conventional electricity costs. For example, if your solar system produces 90% of the electricity you use, you’ll have a utility bill for the remaining 10%. Keep in mind, that your electricity rates raise every year by an average of 3%, so if you stick with what you have your electricity bill will keep getting higher.
The total cost of the system will depend on the size, which is different for every house. The price of system is then reduced by various incentives. Most utility companies offer “Net-Metering” (see below) which serves to keep utility costs at or near zero. Then there are Federal and State tax incentives, ranging from write-offs to rebates and exemptions. In some states, a homeowner can sell their SRECs (solar renewable energy credits) back to the energy marketplace, which means you might end up making money on your solar system!
How does solar work?
Magic! Kidding...but close. The Solar Panels (PV cells) on your roof convert sunlight into DC electricity, which is then converted to AC through an Inverter. That's the electricity you use during the day. At night, your house takes electricity off the grid as normal. Whatever electricity you don’t use during the day goes back on to the grid, where it accumulates as credits for you to use at night. But if you have battery storage, like a Tesla Powerwall, you can store the excess electricity you didn't use, and run your house off that at night, or during power outages.
What is Net-metering?
Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid. For example, if a residential customer has a PV system on their roof, it may generate more electricity than the home uses during daylight hours. In this case, you’re only billed for your "net" energy use.
How long will it take to get solar on my roof?
The first step is a sales consultation with one of the Weathervane team members. If solar is a good fit and you decide to move forward, the installation typically starts 60-75 days after signing. The installation itself only takes between 1 and 3 days!