If you’ve been looking into going solar, you’ve probably at some point seen quotes for a 6kW solar system. 6kW solar systems are one of the most popular system sizes in the US because in most places they will produce about the right amount of electricity to meet an average household’s daily electrical needs.
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You’ve probably heard about how solar energy can reduce your electricity bills, but what solar panel cost should you expect to see? The easiest way to calculate the average cost of solar panels is to look at its price in dollars per watt ($/W), which is relatively consistent across the United States.
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Across the country, utilities are beginning to introduce innovative rate structures for residential energy consumers. These rate structures–from time-of-use rates to demand charges to real-time-pricing–all have a common goal: to incentivize customers to consume energy during times when the cost of generating electricity is cheap, and to disincentive energy consumption when the cost of generating electricity is high. As a result, understanding the ins and outs of a time-of-use rate can help you reduce your monthly cost of energy.
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If you’ve been researching the best solar energy incentives available, you have likely heard something about solar renewable energy credits (SRECs). SRECs are a tradable commodity that you obtain from owning a solar panel system and producing clean energy. Because of a common state requirement known as the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), many utilities must generate a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources, typically at least 20 percent. In several states and Washington D.C., the RPS specifies that a certain percentage of the renewable energy produced must come from solar power. States with this type of “solar carve-out” are willing to pay significant amounts of money to take credit for the power generated by solar homeowners.
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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began sending out stimulus checks earlier this month, providing much-needed cash to a country hit hard by both the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. If you’re fortunate enough to not need the cash right away, and are weighing your various options for what to do with the check, you may have encountered other articles telling you how you should spend this cash. We’re not going to do that: whether you use the money to buy something special, put it away for a rainy day, donate it to a worthy cause, or convert the check into twelve-hundred dollar bills to turn your room into a snow globe, we won’t judge!
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There are many different types of solar incentives out there – tax credits, performance-based incentives, and solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) to name a few. Solar rebates are some of the most common solar incentives, and some of the easiest to understand. While not available in every solar market, those who can take advantage of rebates can significantly lower the upfront cost of going solar.
In this article, we’ll give an overview of solar rebate incentives, provide sources for finding solar rebates in your area, and discuss how to apply for rebates for which you’re eligible.
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Are you a customer of San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E)? Whether you currently have solar panels on your roof, are considering solar, or don’t have any plans to generate your own electricity, SDG&E’s time-of-use (TOU) rates will have an impact on your monthly electricity costs. In the past, all SDG&E customers had the option of switching to TOU rates or remaining on their existing rate schedule. However, this began to change in early 2019 when SDG&E began the process of moving all residential customers (with a few exceptions) to a TOU plan. When it comes to choosing the right rate plan for your property, the best option for your home depends on your electricity use habits.
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Over the last decade, the costs of solar have decreased from over $8 per Watt in 2009 ($/W) to under $3/W in 2019 on EnergySage, a decline of more than 60 percent in ten years. Over this timeframe, a primary driver of the declining cost of solar in the US has been technological improvements in the actual hardware that’s included in solar energy systems: solar panels and solar inverters.
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Homeowners, solar companies, and industry advocates alike were given a big Christmas gift in 2015 when Congress approved the 2016 federal spending bill and extended the solar panel tax credit. The December 18 bill contained a 5-year solar tax credit extension, which makes solar energy more affordable for all Americans. Wondering how this impacts you? EnergySage has the answers.
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Solar energy renewable certificates (SRECs) are some of the most attractive solar incentives available in the United States. Many states with renewable portfolio standards (RPS) have special “solar carve-outs” that require a certain amount of energy production to come from solar. These states use SRECs as a way to promote solar installations and compensate system owners for the energy their panels generate.
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