Traditional To Solar Energy: Why And How To Make The Switch
A growing number of people are shifting from traditional to solar energy. Homeowners who already made the switch say it provides their homes with plenty of benefits. The pros are more than the cons.
What Is Solar Energy?
Solar energy is a type of energy that comes from the sun. You can capture this energy using solar panels. They convert sunlight into electricity that you can use in your home. Solar energy is clean and renewable. It doesn’t produce harmful pollutants or run out like fossil fuels. It’s like having your little power plant on your rooftop.
You can choose from three types of solar systems for your home: on-grid, off-grid, and hybrid. One of the most popular choices is the hybrid system. A hybrid system connects you to your traditional energy source during the night. However, if you’d like to depend solely on solar, you should look for the best off grid solar system.
Why Switch To Solar Energy?
You may be wondering if solar energy is worth it. Even with their upfront cost, you’ll appreciate how solar power can improve your home. To give you some ideas, below are some reasons you should switch to solar energy:
It Helps You Save Bills
Solar energy can help you drastically lower your energy bills. When you switch to solar energy, you minimize your dependency on traditional energy. The only time you’ll use traditional energy is during nighttime.
You can allot your budget for energy bills to other things, including savings. Switching to solar energy will be an excellent investment as you can save more throughout the years.
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It Makes You More Eco-Friendly
Traditional energy negatively impacts the environment. Burning fossil fuel contributes to significant air pollution. By switching to solar energy, you’re minimizing your carbon footprint. You’ll use what’s naturally available to you.
Moving to solar energy allows you to be more eco-friendly. It can even inspire you to do other green practices, such as rain harvesting, composting, and ditching plastics.
Solar Lets You Breathe Better
As traditional energy produces air pollution, more people are experiencing respiratory issues. Switching to solar energy is a great start to make the air cleaner.
While one home can only make a slight difference, inspiring your neighborhood can make a significant change. Switching to solar energy ultimately lets you breathe better.
Solar Energy Increases Your Property Value
If you plan to sell your home, your primary focus should be increasing your property value. You can clean and organize your home to make it more attractive for homebuyers.
You can also go beyond and install solar panels to increase your Energy Performance Certificate rating, making it more desirable for homebuyers. Solar panels can make a home more energy efficient. Homebuyers are willing to pay more for a cost-efficient home as they can save from reduced energy costs.
For the reasons above, you can see how switching to solar energy is the best solution for your home. You can save money, increase your property value, and be eco-friendly. Even with a high upfront cost, the benefits undoubtedly impact your home in the best way possible.
How To Make The Switch
If you’re convinced of the benefits of solar energy, you may be wondering how to switch from traditional to solar energy. To help you out, below are some tips on how you can make the switch:
Check Your Roof’s Condition
The best placement for solar panels is on top of your roof. The highest point of your house allows you to get the most sunlight. However, not every roof is solar panel ready. You must check your roof’s stability to see if it can accommodate your panels. A usual solar panel weighs around 40 pounds. You must see if your roof and foundation can handle the weight.
Apart from your home’s stability, you must see if solar panels can be placed properly on your roof. The angle of your roof may be unable to hold your solar panels. Or sunlight doesn’t reach your roof. When you’re facing these issues, you can place your panels on the ground or reconstruct your roof.
Prepare Your Budget
Installing solar panels is costly. You must pay per panel and the regulators, batteries, and installation. If your usual energy use is higher than normal, you need to buy more panels to accommodate your home’s lifestyle. With these in mind, you have to prepare your budget for solar installation.
Some solar companies can offer flexible payment options. They allow you to have solar energy without immediately putting out much money. You can pay in installments or get financing from the government. As you pay off your solar panels, you’ll notice a great return on investment. You can get lower energy costs for at least 25 years.
Decide The Type Of Solar System
As mentioned earlier, you can install three types of solar systems in your home. You can decide between on-grid, off-grid, and hybrid.
An on-grid solar system means you still use traditional energy. It helps reduce your electricity bills but doesn’t eliminate them. It’s a great choice if you’re still starting or don’t want to transition fully.
An off-grid solar system is when your home is detached from your neighborhood’s power. All your energy depends solely on your solar panels, day and night. You can install solar batteries to keep your home running when the sun is out.
A hybrid solar system is when your home’s still connected to your electricity provider but only uses this energy source as needed. Unlike the on-grid system, you can use your hybrid solar system daily. You can use regular electricity at night when the sun is out. You can also install solar batteries if you want to use solar energy at night. When the battery empties, your home will switch to regular energy, adding cost to your bills. It uses traditional energy as a backup energy source in case there’s not enough solar energy for the day.
Preparing your home for solar installation isn’t easy. It’s not just about deciding to have one and installing it in your home. You need to see if your home and budget are ready. Moreover, you must determine what type of solar system best fits your home, style, and budget.
Takeaway
You should switch from traditional to solar energy for many reasons. You can save the environment, be more cost-efficient, and increase your property’s value. While solar energy is costly at first, you can see a significant investment return as you use it for years.
However, you need to prepare your home well for installation. You’ll need to see if your home’s sturdy enough and if the roof is at the right angle. You also need to consider your budget to decide what type of system you’ll have. But with early research and preparation, you should be able to find the best option for you.
