Solar Energy
Solar energy is one of the fastest growing types of sustainable energy on the market today. More and more people around the world are switching to safer and greener energy sources in their homes and businesses. When you install a full solar energy system, you become completely dependent on the sun which protects our planet and your wallet. As part of this project, I interviewed Ray Hoffman, the marketing manager at Current Electric Company, about the importance of solar energy in the world today and why you should consider making a change.
Why Choose Solar?
Solar is a great investment financially and environmentally. Solar has very low maintenance once installed and saves you money on something that you will have to pay for either way. The technology is very reliable and is rarely affected by outside factors. The largest drawback of Solar is the high upfront costs of installation, but as you will read there are many possible options around these costs.
Financing/Payment Options
Even though solar has these high upfront costs, there are many ways to manage the payment so that more people are able to afford solar energy. Many banks and energy companies offer financing options that allow for the panels to be paid for over a long period of time. This money is also made back in your energy bill every month. As solar becomes more and more prevalent in today’s society, we are seeing more options being introduced to help supplement payment for green homes by the government and private firms.
Listen to the Current Electric video podcast. Ray is the host and he speaks with Current Employees who work with residential consumers on solar installation.
“Solar has a high upfront cost for cash buyers. There are plenty of financing options that make solar affordable for many more people. There are also new products coming to market such as green home refits that allow a customer to wrap the cost of solar into their mortgage payment and use equity in their home to pay for solar easier than a traditional refinance. The biggest incentive in 2021 is the Federal Investment tax credit that covers 26% of the system cost as a tax credit to customers. The state also has a rebate of $500 per system to residential homeowners.”
“Different batteries have different features and benefits; some may fit one customer’s needs better than another. We believe in proposing the right solution to each individual customer’s needs and that is why we offer multiple products.”
Solar Batteries
When solar panels are installed, large batteries are used to store the energy collected from the solar panels. This energy collection makes it possible to use the energy collected later and become fully reliable on the solar panel energy. Many different companies produce these batteries and are all slightly different. Some of the brands offered include Tesla, SolarEdge, and Wisconsin’s own Generac. Each customer has slightly different needs that are each tailored to a specific type of battery that best suits their needs.
How do you go about getting solar energy?
If you decide that you want to go ahead with solar energy, you will first need to talk with local contractors or your energy company who will be able to help you with choosing the panels, choosing where panels go, how many you will need, etc. You should also research local permits or ordinances involving building solar panels in your area. The next step will be to apply for funding from a bank. As said earlier, there are many financing options and green bank payment options available so find the choice that's best for you. After that you order the panels and once the panels arrive, they take a few days to be installed and just like that you are running completely on solar.