Did you know you can get paid to use solar panels for your home?
Sounds too good to be true, huh? It’s not! One of the newest home improvement trends emerging from the push for cleaner energy, solar panels offer a variety of additional benefits for homeowners.
Benefits of Solar Panels
Solar panels come with a hefty cost. Are they worth it? Here are the advantages:
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Dramatically decreases energy costs.
Rather than paying your monthly electric bill, you’ll pay for the solar panels and installation. But after those initial payments, your solar panels will start producing energy from the sunlight…even on cloudy days!
Depending on your situation, you may even be able to eliminate your energy bills altogether! In many cases, rooftop solar panels create enough solar energy to power an average family with net zero consumption
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Amazing tax credits & rebates.
Solar panels come with a payback period of only 3.5 years and a useful life of about 25 years. That means you’ll get FREE electricity for over 20 years!
So, not only will you save money when you use solar panels in North Carolina, but you will actually make money in the long-run.
What do I mean by that?
Governments are pushing clean energy intensely right now! Between federal tax credits and state and local rebates and energy credits, governments will pay you to install solar panels.
You’ll get 26% of the total solar system construction costs back from the federal government, and the North Carolina government exempts your solar panels from your property tax assessment.
Plus, in North Carolina, you may be able to take advantage of net metering, which lets you build up energy credits on sunny days when you don’t use all the power you produce and store it up for cloudy days that produce less power.
Not all utility companies have a net metering program. Some offer a buy-back program instead. A utility company may buy your unused energy from you, and if you need it down the road, you can buy it back for a small upcharge (credited to your utility bill at the end of the month).
North Carolina uniquely offers low-interest loans for solar panel installation, and many installers — like Duke Energy — offer special deals for clients with rooftop solar panels.
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Sustainable & environmentally friendly.
Solar energy is clean and pure. Relying solely on energy from the sun, solar panels don’t depend on fossil fuels, like coal and natural gas, that release harmful greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Such fossil fuels not only impact climate change and cause pollution, but they are also a limited resource. As supply fluctuates, so do energy prices.
Plus, solar panels don’t use the extensive water power required by fossil fuel energy production. Water-free energy production is becoming more and more crucial with increased clean water shortages and droughts across the world.
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Protects public health.
Coal and natural gas plants create water and air pollution that are not only detrimental to nearby animals and vegetation. But the pollution also impacts human health in ways that are still being discovered.
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Extends the life of your roof
Rooftop solar panels protect your shingles from the daily wear and tear of the elements, giving them a longer useful life.
Plus, solar panels are simply more energy efficient. A roof without solar reflection absorbs sunlight, warms your home like an oven, and requires your AC unit to work harder. Meanwhile, solar panels use that sunlight to produce your home’s electricity, and in turn, keep your home cooler.
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Boosts your home’s resale value.
Putting off solar panels because you think you may move?
Actually, new homebuyers LOVE homes with solar panels already installed. Think about it! Between the sustainability and savings potential, who could blame them? This means you’ll definitely get your money’s worth when it comes to setting a sale price.
Preparing your Roof for Solar Panels
Before you install solar panels, you need to walk through a few essential steps to address any underlying issues with your roof:
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Get a roof inspection.
Have a roofing specialist assess your roof for mildew, leaks, stains, ventilation, and weak spots. Although you may not notice any problems now, a specialist will be able to catch potential issues before they grow larger. This will ultimately save you money and stress in a few years when the issue can’t be ignored.
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Think about a roof replacement.
More often than not, it’s more cost-effective to get your roof replaced BEFORE you install solar panels.
Too often, we get customers who need us to replace their worn-down roof. The problem — they just installed solar panels within the last couple of years. Now that their roof is breaking down, they’ll have to pay the hefty costs for the solar company to remove the panels and reinstall them after the roof replacement
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Measure your roof.
Before you install solar panels, you need to measure the total area (width by height) of your roof and make sure your roof meets the minimum requirement for usable surface area.
The minimum area requirement will depend on the general size of your home, and your solar panel consultant can help you determine your size needs.
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Make sure your roof gets direct sunlight.
To ensure your rooftop solar panels meet their potential, consider the orientation and shading of your roof. In the U.S., it’s best to position solar panels on south-facing areas of your roof. A solar consultant can help you determine whether you need to remove or trim any nearby trees blocking the sun.
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Find a quality roofing company.
Choosing a trustworthy roofing company that will be able to pinpoint any potential problem with your roof is the best way to ensure your roof is fit for solar panels. A local, family-owned business with more than 25 years of roofing experience, CFR offers roofing services that you can count on!
At Carolina Flooring & Roofing, we provide exceptional roofing service that will ensure your home is ready for solar panels. When you work with us, we’ll conduct a thorough assessment of your roof and provide any repair or replacement services you need.
Thinking about going solar? Contact us today!