California is world-renowned for fostering the growth of the solar industry. The state has created a welcoming environment for solar industry owners and provided government programs and incentives to homeowners for utilizing solar as a clean energy source.

The state has been successful in encouraging residents to transition to solar energy. If you are an environmentally-minded individual, you may be considering making the transition to solar energy. By enlisting simply solar services you can begin cutting your utility costs and harnessing solar energy. 

Keep reading to find out more about solar systems and why you should consider installing one in your own home. 

How Do Solar Panels Work?

The sun's light carries energy that is not able to be harnessed by humans. This energy is used to help plants grow, but in its current form is not able to conduct electricity.

With the use of solar panels, humans are able to harness the sun’s energy for their own use. Solar panels are able to harness energy from the sun by converting energy into electricity. Once the sun’s light shines on the solar panels it creates an electrical current.

The energy captured by the panels is DC electricity, which is unusable to the home. The solar inverter on the panels is able to transfer the DC electricity into AC electricity.

This electrical current is carried through a wire from the solar system to an electric grid. The energy that is taken from the electrical grid is where we can utilize the stored energy.

What Is Domesticated Solar Energy? 

Over time, money and research have been poured into the solar industry. This has refined the technology necessary to mass-produce solar energy for household use. 

Domesticated solar energy allows homeowners to support a system that can convert the sun’s energy into usable electric power. The solar system can use photovoltaic panels and a rack to absorb the sun’s light energy.

The system’s panels should be angled in a position that optimizes the amount of sun access the system can absorb. These solar systems can be effective anywhere that has a strong sun potential and well-sized surface area.

Why Are Solar Panels Popular in California? 

California has been known for its beautiful sunny days and beaches. By adding solar panels to your home you can profit off these hot summer days. The state has remained the nation's leader in solar energy production since 2006. 

This title is a result of the former governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Million Solar Roof Initiative. This initiative encouraged the installment of photovoltaic panels on California homes. This would help to make California the leader of clean energy. 

Under Governor Schwarzenegger's leadership, the state was able to develop financial programs, conduct solar research, and produce inexpensive domestic solar systems. The state serves as a model for the nation to develop solar incentives. 

This 2006 goal was accomplished in 2019 as the state announced the installment of 1 million solar roofs. The state has continued to produce large qualities of clean energy and boost the economy. 

Thus far California has had over 230,000 make the switch to solar. the normalization of domesticated solar energy has allowed for the development of an entire industry dedicated to bringing clean energy into your home. 

California’s incentive programs allowed the state to create a competitive market around solar. California’s competitive solar market has driven the cost of domesticated solar panels down by 40% over the last five years. This market has created low-cost solar systems like those at Simply Solar.

How to Install Solar Panels On Your Home

Making the switch so solar has gotten easier than ever. Once you determine your energy needs and the solar potential it is not difficult to get contracted with a solar company like Simply Solar.

More than 12 million homes across the United States of America have begun relying on solar energy. This number has continued to steadily increase because of how desirable the impact of clean energy is. 

Adopting solar energy is a very simple process. It only takes a few steps to install a domestic solar system and plug your energy into the grid. If you are considering introducing domestic solar energy to your home, here are the steps that you need to take to make your home energy independent.

Once you purchase your solar system, an expert can come out and install the device in your home. 

Discover Your Home's Annual Energy Use

Before making the switch to solar energy, you need to determine how much energy your home uses each year. You can track your home’s annual electricity needs by tracking your utility expenses over the past year.

By compiling your utility bills over the course of a year you can find the total sum of your energy usage. This will help you to build out a projection of how much energy you will need for your system to produce.

While tracking the amount of energy that your household consumes, you can better prepare yourself to invest in a solar system. You need to ensure that your home can effectively support your home’s energy usage.

Energy is measured in kilowatt-hours, or kWh. Your utility bills will show how many kilowatt-hours you use per month. As a point of reference, keep in mind that the average American household utilized nearly 10,500 kWh per year.

You don’t have to install a solar system that will fulfill all your energy needs. You can install a system to supplement part of your home’s energy use.

Research to Find Your Energy Potential 

The amount of solar energy that your home can produce is dependent on your home’s solar potential. Solar potential refers to the amount of pure energy from the sun that an area receives.

A roof’s energy potential is dependent on the surface area available and the amount of sunlight an area receives. A heavily shaded area will have lower solar potential.

You can see if your home’s solar energy by utilizing a sunroof mapping tool. This tool enables homeowners to quantify the amount of usable sunlight that they could capture with solar panels. The sunroof mapping tool can help you develop a plan for installation.

By seeing what areas of your roof will be the most effective you can begin building out your installation plan as you investigate different systems. For every 100sq ft. of sun enriched roof will be necessary to produce 1 kWh of energy.

Look Into Solar Program Incentives 

California has been wildly successful in implementing functional incentive programs. Because the state’s government made using clean solar energy a priority it was able to create an environment that cultivated a strong sense of industry around solar.

Over the years federal, state, and local governments have established financial incentive programs to stimulate growth in the solar industry. You can search for incentive programs in your area to help you finance your solar system installation.

Solar programs can ease the expense of purchasing a solar system. Between the profitability of the solar energy you harness and the potential payout of solar programs, you can make money easily by installing a solar system. 

Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit

The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit grants users a tax credit of 26% that can be used to help finance any homes that installed solar systems during 2020. This credit has dropped to 22% to fund homes' solar systems that are installed during 2021.

To receive this tax credit, you will need to submit your receipts for solar installation to the IRS. You also will need to fill out IRS form 5695, so you can add your renewable credit information to your taxes.

Single-Family Affordable Solar Housing 

Certain programs are federally funded and exist to make solar systems more attainable for low-income families. The Single-Family Affordable Solar Housing Plan gives low-income families a cash payout for every kWh of solar power that a home will produce.

By this program's definition, a "low-income" family is anyone that performs under 80% of the area's average household income. 

Solar Energy System Property Tax Exclusion 

The Solar Energy System Property Tax Exclusion seeks to provide an incentive to solar owners providing property tax exclusions based on the added value that solar gives you of your home.  This tax helps to reduce the amount of taxing on individuals who decide to be environmentally conscious.

The tax exception helps solar owners to save once they have invested in a domestic solar system. 

Self-Generation Incentive Program 

The Self-Generation Incentive Program rewards solar system owners by giving a partial refund for the cost of purchase. This rebate depended on the production and storage capabilities of a solar system. 

Eligibility to profit from this program is selective based on what energy company you use. The financial benefit of the rebate maxes out at $200 per kWh. 

Utility Company Rebates 

Some local utility companies, such as those in San Francisco and Sacramento give an additional payout to homes that have domestic solar systems. If you live in these areas, you should check with your local utility company to see if you are eligible for a potential rebate.

Purchase a Domestic Solar System 

Once you have established your home’s solar potential and electrical needs you can begin shopping around for a domestic solar system. When purchasing a system, you should be aware of the variety of sizes and costs of a solar system.

The Center for Sustainable Energy cites the average cost of a domestic solar system as one that ranges between $15,000 and $25,000. This sizable investment can be alleviated once you find a suitable incentive program to help you fund your solar installation.

You can shop around for bids with different solar system installation companies to get the best price. Simply Solar is widely known for its affordable and expert services. You can consult solar experts to determine which system will be the most cost-effective for you to install.

File the Paperwork to Make the Switch 

After you have installed your residential solar system, you will need to meet with your utility company to file the paperwork to put your system online. Your utility company will help you gain access to the solar power produced by your solar system.

Enlisting the help of your utility company will allow you to put your system online and establish a payment schedule if you are not fully transitioning to solar energy.

Benefits of Enlisting Simply Solar Services 

Over the years there has been an increase in the number of homes that rely on domesticated solar systems. The boost in solar systems can be attributed to the plentiful benefits of using solar energy. 

There are many positive attributes of installing a solar system in your home, other than your ability to become energy independent. If you are considering investing in solar panels it is important that you know all of the advantages of using domesticated solar energy.

Utilize Clean Energy

Solar energy systems convert the sun's energy into renewable solar energy. By installing solar systems, you can make this conversion from your home. 

Clean energy is a form of energy that does not produce air pollution or greenhouse gases. You can have a positive effect on the environment by capitalizing on the riches of the sun's energy. 

Producing solar energy also helps to preserve water. Unlike unclean energy sources, solar power uses minimal to no water during energy production. 

Minimize Your Carbon Impact 

If you are hoping to reduce your home's carbon footprint you want to consider switching to solar energy. This will allow you to positively impact the environment. 

Homes which utilize domesticated solar energy are able to lower their carbon emissions by 80%. Many eco-friendly homes are eager to drive down their carbon emissions by making the switch to solar.

By switching to using renewable energy for your household needs you can minimize the number of fossil fuels you deplete. Domestic solar systems are able to create energy using the clean power of the sun. 

Stock Up On Solar 

In order to make your home less weather-dependent, you can invest in solar batteries to stockpile excess solar energy. Stocking up on solar energy produced during favorable weather will allow you to have the energy to use during unfavorable weather conditions. 

Solar batteries are used for the long-term storage of solar energy. Solar batteries may be an additional cost, however, they convert and store solar energy to be sold or for later use. With solar batteries, you can even sell the excess energy that you produce.

Shrink Your Utility Bill

Installing solar panels is a great tactic to use if you are looking to lower your electric bill. Although these systems can be expensive, the long-term payout of a solar system makes them a worthwhile investment.

Depending on the size of your solar system and your home's energy potential you may be able to eliminate your electric bill.  The energy that your solar system produces will partially or entirely replace your home's use of privately owned electricity. 

Using your own energy will reduce the cost of your electric bill. If your energy system produces large quantities of energy it can even eliminate your need for being on the city's electric grid. 

Protect Yourself From Changes in Energy Costs

The costs of unrenewable energy are easily subject to change. The cost of this energy is directly tied to the cost of oil per barrel. We have all been witness to the fluctuation of gas prices over the years, you can use solar as a way of building some consistency into your budget. 

Unrenewable energy such as gas is produced from a finite amount of fossil fuels. This is why the cost of energy is projected to continue escalating. In the long term using solar energy can help you to keep your energy costs down. 

Solar Systems Are Low Maintenance 

Once installed domestic solar systems are very low maintenance. They require little care other than regular cleaning. You can help clean these every few months when you clean out your gutters. 

Solar systems are stationary therefore do not undergo regular wear and tear from pieces grinding together. Very rarely will you need to enlist the help of a repairman to fix your system. 

Boost Your Home Value 

By becoming energy independent you can boost the resale value of your home. This makes solar panels a smart investment that you can continue earning on even after you put your home on the market.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory says that every $1 of energy produced by your system adds $20 dollars to your home's resale value. This mark-up can have quite an impact on a highly functional solar system's resale. 

Invest In A Simply Solar Services Solar System 

Once you pay off the initial investment in your solar system you will see your utility bill begin to drop. Many people hesitate and the idea of switching to solar energy because of the market cost of a solar system. It is important to persuade individuals to look at purchasing a solar system as an investment opportunity. 

Research has shown that the average household solar system can save between $10,000 and $30,000 dollars during its lifetime. This factor can help to reassure you of the financial prosperity that can come from switching to a household solar system. 

The initial cost of a solar system is paid off by financial incentives, shrinking your bills, and boosting the resale value of your home. Rather than being deterred by the cost of a solar system, you should look at it as a worthwhile and ecologically friendly investment opportunity.

Things to Consider Before Going Solar 

Solar panels don't work for everyone. It is important to be educated on if solar is right for your home before making any big purchases. Yes, solar panels can help you save money, however, your home may not be suitable for them. 

Potential buyers need to ensure that they have an area with a high solar potential that is large enough to fit a domestic solar system. Some home's roofs are not compatible with rooftop solar systems. 

Your home’s roof may be limited on its access to direct sun. You need to determine if this is from controllable or uncontrollable factors. If you are passionate about wanting to install a solar system you may need to cut down some trees to produce a sunnier area, adjusting factors like this can drive up your cost as well.

It is important that you consult an expert, like those at Simply Solar, to ensure that you have a suitable area for your solar system. Solar consultants can help you determine the solar potential of your home and guide you to making the right choice for your home. Getting these consultations can help to save you money and make a wise investment. 

Switch to Solar Energy Today

Because of people like you, California remains the nation's leader in residential solar panel use. By making the switch today you can capitalize on any hot and sunny day. 

Consider making the change to using clean energy in your everyday life. Switching to solar energy is a cost-effective investment for your home. By installing a home solar system you can enjoy the financial and environmental benefits of renewable energy. 

If you are ready to make the switch to solar, use Simply Solar services to make the transition easy. Simply Solar's California branch is eager to fulfill all of your solar needs so contact us today.