Solar energy is one of the hot topics in today’s marketplace. With government incentives at record levels-and some utilities paying you to switch to solar-now is the time to research more and find out how you can save money with solar energy.
But what is solar energy? How does it work? Can it really generate electricity?
Solar energy harnesses the power of the sun. When sunlight hits photovoltaic cells (they look like giant computer chips made of silicon) the photons in the sunlight cause all electrons to be freed from the silicon. If you can capture those electrons, you have electricity.
Think of it like this: you are playing billiards (shooting pool) and you hit the cue ball into another ball. What happens? The white ball ricochets making that other ball into motion as well.
When sunlight hits the solar cell, it bounces off and sets the electron in motion. Electricity is made of electrons. The more electrons you can push in motion-and harness-the additional electricity you can generate.
For an interesting article on solar energy and other green energy, visit this page at NASA http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/greenspace/clean-energy.html
So does this help you in your home? The government is fighting hard for solar energy. $19 billion dollars has been set away to help advocate solar energy throughout our country. The federal government as well as many state governments and utilities, will literally pay you to start utilizing solar energy.
Why would they do this? First, we want to eliminate our dependency on foreign oil. Second, burning fossil fuel is aweful for the environment. Solar energy, on the other hand, is completely clean. There are no byproducts. There are no carbon emissions. It is a extremely clean and pure way of producing electricity. Third, the government wants to create the solar industry in this country which will create more and more jobs and opportunities.
Solar energy is not inexpensive, however. Solar energy for a house can cost $20,000. Do not stop reading this article! There is good news. The government and utilities may rebate you up to 70% of the cost of the system. In this example, you could get tax credits and rebates for about $14,000. The net price to you is $6000. If you were to finance this, you may pay about $50-$75 each month. You may say this much or more in your electric bill! Even if you don’t, you not only done something great for the environment, but have also increased the value of your house by about $20,000! If you’re going to resell your home, this not only adds value of nature home more desirable than other homes on the market.
There are also laws preventing local government from raising your taxes when you add solar energy to your house. We cannot give you specific tax advice-you must talk with your accountant or attorney.
SaveWithSolar.org shares great information about solar energy and ways to save with solar power. Get the facts, including quotes on the solar energy rebates available in your area!