When an industry experiences the kind of explosive growth that solar power has, people are bound to retain a lot of misconceptions. All the more so when the industry’s rise to prominence resulted from technological advancements that completely changed the nature of its product.
In a previous post we took a look at some very common misconceptions about solar power. Today, we’ll be busting a few more myths.
Myth #1: Solar Power Is Too Expensive
Fact: It’s definitely true that solar power used to be too costly to be a viable way of meeting a homeowner’s energy needs. But “used to be,” are the operative words here.
Over the last decade, scientists and engineers have managed to both radically increase panel efficiency while, at the same time, radically decreasing production costs. The result has been that, since 2010, the average per-watt cost of going solar has decreased by a remarkable 78%.
More importantly, that decline in cost has turned the corner on the financial viability of solar power. Rather than being the expensive novelty it once was, solar power now provides the “cheapest electricity in history” according to an exhaustive 2020 report by the International Energy Agency,
In the U.S. and many other countries, the overall per-watt cost of solar power is now lower than the cost of generating electricity by burning gas or coal.
The upshot is that, if you’re a homeowner in the U.S. it’s very likely that the cost of installing a solar system will be significantly less than what you’d be paying for electricity over its lifetime. In fact, Investment payback times for a solar system are now sometimes as low as a jaw-dropping 1 year or less.
This isn’t 2000 or even 2010. Besides being a source of clean and renewable energy, it’s now perfectly common for residential solar installations to be significant money-savers as well. And given the extraordinary increases in the cost of fossil fuels we’re now experiencing, the amount of money you’re liable to save by going solar is bound to be increasing.
Myth #2: Solar Power Is Too Complicated
Fact: Installing a solar system to meet all your energy needs yourself would, of course, be very complicated, indeed. But so would building your own computer or automobile or any piece of modern technology we take for granted.
The fact is the ins and outs of solar power don’t have to be complicated at all if you turn to trained professionals who specialize in solar installations. When you request a solar quote from an established solar provider like ReNu, you get a lot more than a merely a price estimate.
Using state of the art software that tracks the movement of the sun throughout the year together with satellite imagery, our analysts can both design a solar system for your home and tell you how much energy it will generate over the course of a year.
With just a copy of your monthly utility bill, they can then provide a report on whether going solar is a money-saver for you and, if so, how much you’ll actually be saving under various financing options. And our energy estimates aren’t just blowing smoke. Not only are they accepted by the big finance companies, we’re so confident in them that they’re written into your contract.
Our consultants can also explain the technical aspects of solar power as well.
The science behind harnessing the sun’s rays to generate energy is, in some ways, complex. But it’s not too complex for the average homeowner to understand. Moreover, in other ways solar panels are the simplest possible way to create energy since there are literally no moving parts.
The upshot is that going solar doesn’t have to be financially or technically complex.