SOLAR ENERGY PROS AND CONS
Written by Alternative Energy

Solar Panels Pros & Cons in Arizona

If you are searching for solar energy pros and cons in Arizona, keep reading to learn more or download the Solar Energy Arizona Pros & Cons PDF.

Solar Panels Pros in Arizona

Save Money on Electricity

Solar power allows you to stop using utility electricity and generate your own solar electricity. You can lower your electric bill by up to 100% and eliminate it altogether. Most utility companies still charge a small fee to have solar but your savings far outweigh that fee. On average, solar systems last about 30 years so you can expect to save money on electricity for many years to come. If you live in Arizona you can use our solar panel cost calculator to figure out your solar system size, how many solar panels you need, total system cost, and your estimated monthly payment.

According to ZME Science, “New Mexico and Arizona are red hot with solar potential, and California, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Colorado also have large areas highly favorable for PV development. If you live in one of these states, consider this point as a “pro” on your checklist.

Make Money Back From Solar

With enough sunlight and the right solar panels, some homeowners actually produce more power than they use. This means they have an excess they can sell. Power companies have introduced a feed-in-tariff scheme and net metering. This tracks energy production from the solar system, and how much power is used from the community grid. If the net power remaining is higher than the usage homeowners can either sell the electricity or have the option to actually just receive credits on their power bills.

According to EnergySage, “Due to a number of awesome solar incentives in the U.S., solar panels can actually turn you a profit in addition to generating bill savings that pay off the cost of the system.

This means many homeowners are able to completely free themselves from their overall electricity consumption from the grid.  In some cases, depending on the days of sunlight and type of panels, some homeowners can expect to have regular excess sunlight to sell. This is especially true in the sunny states, light Arizona, Florida, and California.

Most homeowners these days have the option of entering a power purchase agreement or choosing to lease the solar power equipment. This in some cases completely eliminates paying for the solar power panels upfront. At the very least it dramatically reduces the installation and set up costs involved with upgrading your home with solar power. That means that homeowners can start saving on power from day one, and not have to wait for the savings to pay off the equipment. However, choosing to lease solar means you will miss out on Federal solar incentives and rebates. It’s best to purchase or finance solar if you can afford it.

$0 Down Solar Panel Installation

Companies like Alternative Energy of Arizona and others throughout the state offer whats called “$0 Down Solar Panel Installation” where you can finance solar without spending any money out of pocket.

Increase Your Home’s Value

According to Zillow, in an article published April 16, 2019, “During the past year, homes with solar-energy systems sold for 4.1% more on average than comparable homes without solar power“. Adding solar panels to your home is considered a solar premium that potential homebuyers are willing to pay more and more for. Do solar panels increase home value in Arizona? According to AZCentral, yes solar can increase your home value but only if you purchase the system, not lease it. Read more about how solar panels increase home value in Arizona.

Solar Power is Renewable

One advantage of solar energy is that it is a energy source that is renewable. This simply means that we will not run out of sunlight. In contrast to other energy sources like coal, and fossil fuels.

Solar will be renewable each morning when the sun rises, for as long as the sun keeps rising or the Earth keeps on circling it. Estimates for the suns projected longevity run about another 6.5 billion years, according to NASA. This leaves plenty of time for us to make the most of the sun, and it’s energy.

Solar Energy is Abundant

An incredible amount of energy is already producing both commercial and residential solar power collectors. But this is only a tiny fraction of what really could be done with solar energy. Earth’s surface on average receives 120,000 terawatts of sunlight or solar radiation. With more extensive solar energy collection through solar panels, this is more than 20 times the energy required to power the entire planet.

Solar Energy is Sustainable

Simply stated, a sustainable energy source is one that does not run out. It is also a system where the draw is exceeded by the output. Solar once installed does nothing but output power, and simply absorb the sunlight already falling on your home. This means that solar power can help meet our needs today, while not leaving a world with exhausting energy sources.

Solar Energy is Environmentally Friendly

Collecting solar energy with solar panels does not create pollution. The production of solar panels does cause some emissions, and the transport of the panels to our homes does burn some fuel. This pales in comparison to convention power sources like coal. Maintaining power lines along with the pollution of the power plants themselves, far outweigh the carbon footprint of solar panel construction. Solar power already has dramatically reduced our dependence on non-renewable energy sources. With greater utilization solar could easily replace them entirely. This is a critical step in our energy independence and helping to fight the climate crisis.

Solar Power is Universally Available

There are many places in the world that are remote and difficult to access. Rural parts of the countryside are on the grid, but during inclement weather are plagued with power outages with downed power lines. Some countries such as Germany have advanced and efficient power systems, but that power can only be carried so far to share with neighboring countries. It is also only shared at will and at a cost, meaning that price negotiations can make it unrealistic to buy power from other countries. Solar power, however, is available anywhere the sun shines. This makes the production of power something everyone can do. It’s power independence, which means power by the people, and for the people. Not by the conglomerates, for a buck.

Solar Energy is Versatile

Solar panels can be used in a variety of applications. We see them powering crosswalk lights. They help with producing clean water in suffering countries like Africa.  Solar energy is indispensable in areas where there is no public or commercial power grid available. Solar power is even depended upon for the satellites we have in space, and the ones we send deeper into our solar system.

Solar power is definitely the way to give the power back to the people, which is why it is called “The People’s Power”. Not only is this a reference to power independence, but it is about how easily accessible it is for homeowners to take advantage of. This is true for both types of solar collection hardware. Consumers can talk to their local solar power experts and choose from solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.

New material sciences are underway and exciting new avenues and applications for solar power collection integration are becoming a reality. Building materials themselves can be equipped with photovoltaics and start the homes off right with solar power collection. Being in the building materials themselves doesn’t just mean that your solar power collection is already installed. it means that more surface area of your home is dedicated to reducing your need to buy power, or even it increases your excess power you have available to sell.

The solar panel manufacturer Sharp has even developed and introduced clear solar systems. These solar systems are integrated as the windows in your home and further increase the solar power collecting surface.

Community Solar Power

About 1/5th of homes in the United States are unable to install solar panels due to a variety of issues. Some of these problems arise from ownership issues, space, and excessive shade. Much like the cooperative spirit of shared community gardens, these homeowners have the option to build a shared solar collection with their neighbors. These are called “community solar gardens”. This means the panels can do their job a short distance away. With this option, homeowners can still get the benefit from solar energy when their home’s aren’t eligible for on-site installation.

Solar Energy is Silent

Home energy production without solar is usually produced by wind turbines or noisy diesel generators. There are no noises involved with solar power generation. Photovoltaics collectors have no sound associated with their functioning, as they have no moving parts. So you can take that afternoon nap right under the roof while your solar panels help free yours from your energy bills.

Federal Solar Panel Rebates

Starting in 2008 the U.S. government began offing a 30% tax credit, with no maximum limit for the installation of solar panels. There are other rebates and grants available depending on location, state, and county. Local solar energy experts have all the details for your particular location.

With all of the possible rebates, the potential cost of a photovoltaic system can be cut by 50% or more. These rebates are available for the majority of homeowners, and even on a higher utility scale endeavor.

Solar Energy Systems are Low Maintenance

Solar energy is as simple to take care of as it is quiet. Simply cleaning the surface of the panels a couple of times a year is usually enough to keep the system working. This means there is little work associated with having the solar power option in your home.

Solar Power Technology is Advancing

Interest in the solar energy alternative is gaining momentum. Companies are constantly advancing the effectiveness of the panels energy collection. In addition to materials, science is allowing increased solar collection integration with a wider variety of applications. Every surface that is exposed to sunlight might someday be equipped to collect this green energy, not just panels attached to the roof.

In recent years both the private sector and education institutions like MIT have been researching and investing in solar power sciences. With the current solar panel typically able to capture about 16% of the solar energy it receives newer panels will be more effective. A Siemens based subsidiary called Semprius Inc. has reported new prototypes capable of capturing significantly higher rates of solar radiation.

Solar Panels Cons in Arizona

Costs a Lot of Money

On average, solar panels cost about $24,500 for a 7 kilowatt solar system in Arizona. So as you can see it does cost a good amount of money to get solar installed on your home. But you can save about $8,500 on a system of that size with the Federal ITC of 30% and the $1,000 Arizona tax credit.

Doesn’t Work as Well on Cloudy Days

One disadvantage of solar energy is that solar electricity is totally reliant on weather conditions. If it is rainy or cloudy outside, the system doesn’t produce as much power. However, Arizona receives over 299 sunny days per year, making anywhere in Phoenix, Arizona perfect for going solar.

You May Have To Still Use Grid Electricity

If you don’t have solar battery storage, you might still have to use grid electricity during the night time. However, night time is the least expensive time of the day to use electricity as utility companies charge more during daytime peak hours. However, this is no DIY project, make sure you choose a professional solar installer.

May Not Provide Enough Power

If you have a two story home or a home with a small roof, you may not get enough power to cover 100% of your electricity usage which means you will still have to rely on grid electricity. Two story homes have a lot more square footage than a one-story home and laws are being passed about the number of solar panels that can be placed on your roof. Typically you can cover about 30% of your roof or less with solar panels. This is fine for a one story home but 2 story homes may have difficulty covering all of their energy consumption. There are options to remedy this. Contact a solar contractor to explore your options.

Solar Leases Aren’t Worth It

A lot of solar companies are offering to lease you solar panels. This is not a good option because you lose out on the solar incentives and rebates that make solar so much more affordable. The solar company gets to take your incentives and rebates and pocket them. And, then they still charge you nearly what the electricity company was charging. Purchasing solar is the only way to go if you want to get a great deal on electricity rates and get to earn money back from solar energy you can sell back to the grid.

Learn more about The pros and cons of monocrystalline solar panels by clicking here.

Alternative Energy Offers $0 Down Solar Panel Installation In Phoenix, Arizona

Free Solar Quotes In Arizona

Alternative Energy is one of the top solar companies in Phoenix providing solar installationoff-grid solar systemsresidential solar panels, solar batteries for home & business, solar air conditioningsolar carports & canopiescommercial solar panels, solar EV charging stations, solar panel repair, and other very effective energy saving products & services.

Our Solar Panel Installation Service area includes the all major Arizona cities including: Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Litchfield Park, Glendale, Ajo, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Tempe, Carefree, Cave Creek, Peoria, Surprise, Yuma, Avondale, Flagstaff, Goodyear, Lake Havasu City, Buckeye, Sedona, Flagstaff, Kingman, Goodyear and more.

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