Three Reasons that Solar Panels Make Sense Now

Are you considering installing an alternative energy source for your home? Thanks to the Feed-In Tariff scheme instituted by the government recently, alternative energy systems like solar panels and wind generators are getting a serious look from many people who would never have considered them previously. If you’re one of those who are trying to decide whether or not to install solar panels to generate your own electricity, there are some excellent reasons to do it – and do it now.

Solar Panels Are More Affordable Than Ever

In 2008, solar industry experts believed that the cost to manufacture solar panels would fall to $1 per watt by 2012. In August, 2009, an Arizona manufacturer announced that they’d hit that milestone 3 years ahead of schedule. Today, those same experts estimate that solar panel installation costs will fall to $1 per watt for solar PV systems by 2015 – but those who watch the industry carefully suggest that we could hit that point in six months rather than five years. Thanks to the rapid pace of technological advances – and the growing number of manufacturers who are scaling up production – the cost of installing solar panels have dropped precipitously over the past few years.

Solar PV Systems Save You Money on Your Electricity

When you install a solar PV system, you’re likely to see as much as a 50% decrease in your monthly electricity costs. That’s because the electricity generated by your solar panels is free – and every watt that you generate for your own use is a watt that you don’t have to buy from your electricity provider. If you use most of your electricity during the day when your solar panels are generating electricity, you’ll see an even more significant drop in your monthly energy costs.

Solar Panels Are More Efficient Than Ever

Today’s solar panels produce more electricity per inch than solar panels produced just a few years ago. That means that your roof real estate can be used more effectively to generate more electricity. In fact, the Department of Energy and Climate Change estimates that the typical UK family can produce up to 50 percent of the electricity it uses from a solar PV installation.

In addition to the money you’ll save on your electric bill when you install solar panels, you can profit from the Feed-in Tariff scheme, which will pay you for every kilowatt of electricity your solar PV system produces.