Powering your home with solar energy is the best way to make it eco-friendly and energy-independent
Energy solutions like solar panels or shingles are something you must have considered for your home at some point in time. And for good reasons, as they not only take your home off the grid but also reduce emissions from dirty energy sources.
In fact, if you’re looking to build a sustainable home or make your present home green, then solar solutions are a must-have.
Already, 79 percent of the country’s energy needs are fulfilled by fossil fuels, a major source of climate change. However, by going 100 percent solar, you can reduce your carbon footprint significantly; while also saving big on energy expenses.
But isn’t solar powering your home all about installing solar panels?
Certainly not.
You see, the common assumption around solar-powered homes is that they’re ones with photovoltaic panels atop their roofs.
And while it’s true that solar panels are predominant in the green energy market, they aren’t the only solar products to make your home eco-friendly. That’s because the solar industry has come a long way to now include amazing materials to illuminate your property, provide your home with a warm water supply, and more.
In case you’re wondering, here’s what these solar energy solutions are:
#1. Solar shingles for all your household energy needs
If there’s one best way you can have green energy for all purposes, it’s through solar shingles.
How?
Well, since solar shingles overcome every shortcoming of their predecessor, i.e., the solar panels, the advantages they offer are endless.
To begin with, solar panels are known for their bulkiness, something that increases the overall weight of your roofing system. As such, you’d end up installing roof reinforcements to support the increased weight.
On the contrary, solar shingles feature a very lightweight construct that adds little weight to your roof.
Further, while you couldn’t rely on solar panels to sufficiently power your entire home, that’s not the case with shingles. So you can have all your electricity needs fulfilled by solar shingles, thus having 100 percent off-the-grid energy.
Did you know your solar shingles can even earn you money?
Yes, that is possible.
The Florida net metering program allows you to store and sell the excess energy produced by your shingles to the grid.
That’s awesome, isn’t it?
There’s more to solar roofing shingles
Contrary to solar panels, which you need to mount on your roof, solar shingles like the Apollo solar roofing system can be used as actual roofing.
In fact, sturdy roofing shingles like these fare better over traditional roofs, given that they can stand winds up to 150 MPH.
Also, as solar shingles integrate into just about any roofing system, you can install them on top of your existing roofline without ruining outdoor aesthetics.
#2. Solar lighting to reduce your energy consumption
You see, even though solar shingles can cover your entire energy needs, they do require you to make an upfront investment; and that might prevent you from going solar.
However, as we discussed earlier, solar energy isn’t just about shingles and panels, meaning you can still opt for cost-effective solar solutions.
Solar lighting is one such affordable solution that can illuminate your entire home with clean energy for free.
As a matter of fact, lighting accounts for 15 percent of average household energy consumption. That means by switching over to solar lighting; you can significantly cut back your electricity costs.
Solar lighting as a DIY-friendly and low-maintenance solution
The scope of solar lamps isn’t confined to increased savings on utility, as they’re also ideal for DIY installations. That’s because, unlike traditional lighting materials, solar lights don’t include complex wirings, making them very easy to install across the house.
Also, solar lights have little to zero maintenance requirements since the panels powering the system have a long service life of 25-30 years, while the lamps themselves can illuminate for up to 75000 hours.
Sounds awesome, doesn’t it?
Solar lights are reliable for nighttime safety
Ensuring nighttime safety could be one of your biggest challenges. And it’s not just you facing it, as figures suggest that, on average, three burglaries happen every minute across the country, most of it during the dead of night.
So no matter what neighborhood you stay in, it’s always better to secure your property with outdoor lighting, as well-lit homes are far less likely to be targeted by burglars.
Talking about outdoor illumination, nothing compares to the reliability that solar-powered or hybrid lamps offer.
Take, for instance, the Sol-Pol solar lamps or hybrid solar wind LED lights that can keep your outdoor space illuminated even if there’s no electricity. While the Sol-Pol lamps are entirely based on solar energy, their hybrid solar wind counterparts, powered by an additional wind turbine, are even more versatile.
#3. Solar water heating systems
Another excellent way of switching over to solar energy on a shoestring budget is by installing a whole-house solar water heater.
You might wonder, is a solar water heating system worthwhile?
The answer to that lies in the fact that 20 percent of American household energy expenses result from water heating. That means you can have zero water heating costs by simply installing a solar assisted heat pump.
So how does a water heater powered by solar energy work?
An active solar water heating system or solar assisted heat pump is powered by a dedicated solar panel and runs very similar to a solar roofing system.
And that’s also why solar water heaters with longevity between 15 and 20 years outlast traditional grid-powered water heaters.
Wondering how much such a water heater can cost?
According to HomeGuide, a water heater powered by a solar panel can cost you anywhere between $2300 and $6000. And you can easily offset this amount by saving up on your water heating costs.
Amazing, right?
#4. Passive solar water heaters
While solar assisted heat pumps are an excellent way to reduce your dependence on the grid, the fact that they need solar panels to generate energy increases their overall cost.
Nevertheless, there is a low-cost solar water heating solution in the form of passive solar water heaters.
With their prices ranging between $1000 and $3700, a passive water heating system costs about half the price of an active solar water heater.
So what makes these heating systems so affordable?
You see, unlike active solar water heaters that run on electricity generated by solar panels, passive heaters use direct sunlight to warm water.
These heating systems pass water through a collector tube which is heated by sunlight, thus increasing the temperature of the water. And since no extra heating systems or electrical components are needed in this process, the manufacturing costs are way lesser than their active counterparts.
Bonus: with solar energy solutions, you become eligible for the federal investment tax credit
Savings and eco-friendliness apart, by opting for solar energy, you also stand a good chance to benefit from the federal investment tax credit scheme.
As you might be aware, the federal government offers a tax credit of 26 percent of your total solar investment. Meaning, you stand to offset 26 percent of the total amount of your residential solar system through tax savings.
Moreover, if you’re planning on availing of this scheme, now is the best time to go solar. That’s because, in August, Congress extended the tax credit to 30 percent for the time period between 2022-2032.
And that means only one thing: more savings on solar.
The final word
Powering your home with solar is more than just saving up on energy costs, as you also stand to make your home sustainable.
As residents of the sunshine state, we have enough sunlight to cover all our energy needs with solar power; all the more reason you should consider solar solutions for your home.
If you’re looking to power your home with solar energy, you can reach out to us.
At Eco-$mart Inc, we have the most extensive collection of best-in-class solar shingles, lights, heating systems, energy storage systems, and more. And we can provide you with your ideal solar solutions at the most cost-efficient prices on the market.
