Blog

The most successful renewable energy sources in the United States are wind and solar. The price reductions for residential solar panels over the past decade have made solar power more accessible than ever for homeowners. Meanwhile, wind energy production has grown from under 1% a decade ago to around 8.4% of the total national energy consumption. Solar grew to about 2.5% during the same period. So, wind energy adoption has exceeded solar so far. But, which actually offers the best environmental and economic option? The answer and the explanation of it might surprise you. 

The U.S. federal government projected that solar panel installation would account for almost 50% of new capacity to generate electricity in the United States last year, in 2022. Such a vast rate of solar adoption at this stage of solar panel history makes sense. After all, solar panels save energy and they’re famous for slashing carbon pollution. Solar also saves electricity consumers spectacular amounts of money collectively each year. How much do solar panels save per year for a household like yours? That depends on the unique factors applicable to you, as listed in the section below, and possibly others.

Extracting fossil fuels is damaging to the environment, and it’s very expensive for consumers. Solar energy is an environmentally healthy and free alternative. So, it’s not surprising that states and cities throughout the country are in the process of converting to solar along with other renewable resources.

When you start gathering information about solar panels for your home or business, it can be a big help to learn some of the terminology. In your research, you’ll notice that residential solar panel systems are always described in terms of kilowatts. To understand what kilowatts are, it helps to understand megawatts.

Solar panel benefits are enormous. Utility cost savings, energy security for homeowners, and environmental preservation offer great value to the world. There’s little reason to wonder why solar technology has ballooned into the fastest-growing industry in the energy production subsector. Solar panels are very convenient, economically feasible for most homeowners, virtually maintenance-free, and rarely require repairs. Solar panel technology is much more efficient than the public grid. But what happens when the panels are past their lifespan? Can you recycle solar panels?

Solar panels and electric cars are a perfect pair. Installing your own solar energy system for your home can give you all the electricity you need to supply your house and a solar car charger. That means you can meet all your household electricity needs with clean, emission-free, renewable energy by using solar for your home and electric vehicle (EV). 

During your research on investing in solar panels for home electricity production, you are sure to learn about net metering. It is one of the significant advantages over remaining fully dependent on the public power grid. Net metering bridges the gap between complete reliance on your local public utility company and home solar production. It enables you to sell any electricity your system produces but that you do not use right away back to the public grid. This can further cut your energy costs and help reduce the public use of fossil fuels. Below is helpful information for homeowners about net metering.

Among the year-end assessments of multitudinous products as the best of their kind this year, the reviews of the 2022 best electric vehicles (EVs) stand out in importance. U.S. News and World Report offers a comprehensively considered analysis and reports its rankings of the top EV models in cars and SUVs and for luxury models as well.

A wonderful feature of the holiday season is the beautiful decorative lights everywhere. Countless strands of light adorn shrubs, trees, doors, patios, and even entire houses. Not to mention the vast number of lighted plastic Santas, reindeer, elves, snowmen, and other festive characters decorating lawns and rooftops in neighborhoods from coast to coast. Inside homes are dreamy illuminated window motifs and a mesmerizing tree of lights and ornaments. Cities and towns throughout the country are transformed for weeks. It’s a stunning spectacle. But, it takes a staggering amount of electricity — reportedly about 6.63 billion kW hours.

You can hear and read about the current transition of U.S. cities and states to renewable energy sources, many with goals of complete conversion by 2030. You can also see the change happening in the ever-increasing number of homes and businesses with solar panels on their roofs. The solar adoption rate has grown by 33 percent over just the past ten years. Clearly, people want freedom from the public power grid and want to help save the environment by going solar. But what are the environmental benefits of reducing carbon emissions by switching to solar at home?