While it’s certainly true that solar adoption can be an intimidating prospect for the uninitiated, the discussion around Solar Panels in online spaces is often wrought with opinion-based misinformation. Combine this with the many variables and options for homeowners that are out there, and even when intentions are pure, the facts can often be difficult to discern.
Sometimes preconceived notions or too-often repeated opinions can mean people who otherwise would benefit from the cost-saving advantages of solar could be apprehensive or missing out on something which, in reality, could totally satisfy their energy needs. To alleviate some of that apprehension or confusion, and to help separate fact from fiction, here are eight common misconceptions about residential solar, and the truth behind them.
Solar Panels Don’t Work When it’s Cloudy or Cold Outside
At first glance this sounds like it makes perfect sense; because Solar Panels draw their energy from sunlight, it can be natural to assume they can’t be effective on a day where the weather conditions are less than ideal. However, the power of Solar Energy can be capitalized on in pretty much any weather condition, even when it’s snowing, and it’s all because sunlight still reaches the earth regardless of the weather.
Will Solar Panels be as efficient, or generate as much energy on a snowy or cloudy day? The answer is decidedly no, but solar energy can still be generated at any time. Usually, solar panels generate the most energy in consistently cold or sunny climates; although we may associate an especially hot day as ideal for solar panels, extreme heat can sometimes interfere with a solar panel’s ability to turn light into energy. Ideally, sunny and cold days are the best, but while solar panels aren’t as efficient in snowy climates, they are always generating energy as long as the sun is providing light to the earth.
To maximize the energy-generating efficiency of your solar system during conditions which aren’t as ideal, such as during heavy snow or the event of a power-outage, there are options which can help alleviate your reliance on the power grid, even when it fails. One popular operation is battery storage, which can store residual solar energy collected on peak efficiency days. You can then use this reserve energy when you need it most.
Solar Panels Aren’t Efficient Enough to Reliably Power Your Home
While the efficiency of solar energy generation does fluctuate based on a variety of factors, the power grid of your local area will pick up the slack to ensure you aren’t missing out on the power you need to go about daily life.
Truthfully, residential solar will generate all the energy anyone needs to power their home, and that comes down to how much energy the sun actually produces on a daily basis. Research has shown that the energy generated by the sun’s rays touching the earth for only an hour and a half is more than enough to power the energy demands of the entire world for a whole year. With this understood, the sun generates more than enough energy for your solar panels to convert into electricity, even when the average solar panel converts energy at an efficiency rate of just above 20%.
This may not seem like much at all, but the sun emits such a massive quantity of energy every hour that even at something like 22% efficiency, a residential solar system converts more than
enough light into electricity to power the demands of your home.
Solar Adoption is Prohibitively Expensive
This is one especially prevalent misconception amongst prospective soar adopters. While it is true solar system installation comes with a high upfront cost, the copious federal and state incentives as well as how solar drastically reduces energy bills means it’s an investment that will save a dramatically higher amount of money than it costs at the start; even before government-imposed discounts and tax credits.
While solar panel installations usually start around $15,000 and only go up from there, there are a myriad of federal and state incentives in-place to ensure this won’t deter hopeful solar adopters; In New York State, initiatives like the Solar For All program are even allowing lower-income households to achieve the savings and environmental benefits of solar adoption.
Let’s take a quick look at solar financing in New York State, and how even the entry cost can be dramatically reduced, helping you enjoy a lifetime of energy savings without sacrificing too much money in your initial investment.
New York State Solar Financing Breakdown
In New York State, a year’s worth of grid electricity costs roughly $2,193; about 21 cents per kilowatt-hour. Compare that to the average yearly cost of solar energy which is only around $1,000 with battery storage, and in the range of $659 without a battery for the same amount of electricity. When compared on these terms, solar energy is the clear winner; and even more so when you consider that New York State’s grid electricity rates increase an average of 3.57% every year.
There are also further options to decrease the price of solar panels even more, such as taking out a solar loan to reduce the upfront cost. For this, you’d need to make monthly loan payments, but those payments are dramatically lower than a typical electric bill in New York State. If you’re comfortable with purchasing your solar energy system, buying it outright means you’re eligible for the Solar Investment Tax Credit. This reduces the cost of your solar system through a sizable tax credit you’ll receive. For example, systems installed in 2023 received a 25% tax credit.
Adopting Solar in New York State also means your property taxes won’t be raised for the first 15 years following the installation. This is thanks to the Clean Energy Systems Exception, a clause under the New York Real Property Tax Law. It renders solar panels completely unable to increase a homeowner’s property tax for the first 15 years, so the value of your solar panels will not be counted towards your owed property tax collections
Another way to assist in financing your solar energy system is by choosing the right installer. Particularly reputable installers like Solar by CIR are awarded the status of “NYSERDA Quality Installer”, further reducing the cost of installation.
Solar Panel Installation is Complicated, and Damages Your Roof
Any work being done on your home can be a worrying prospect, since usually the result is lots of time and money; thankfully, solar panels are a relatively simple affair to install, provided you choose a reliable and trusted installer.
As long as your roof is in good shape, the panel installation process usually takes no more than six hours, and could take as few as two hours. For anyone worried about their home or roof sustaining damage from the installation, solar panels can actually do the opposite. The installation process itself merely entails mounting the panels on your roof; the connection is secure, but the panels can be removed easily for maintenance if need-be.
In order to facilitate a seamless installation process, it is important to ensure your roof is structurally sound and free of serious damage, this way the panels can be securely affixed. It’s also an important consideration to choose an installer with a reputation you can trust. For instance, Solar by CIR is a certified NYSERDA Gold Installer, meaning our installation speed and quality is well recognized.
Solar Panels Require Lots of Maintenance
While it might seem like complicated roof-mounted equipment like solar panels should require regular or frequent maintenance, this is not the case. Typically, solar panels require maintenance only two to four times a year, and doing so consistently is all you’ll need to make sure they’re operating at maximum efficiency, and address issues before they’re allowed to become serious.
Some issues that could be addressed through maintenance are assessing wires to assure everything is connected correctly, and they haven’t been chewed on by critters like squirrels. During the fall, maintenance could also be a good idea to clear leaves, tree sap, and other debris off your solar panels, but generally speaking, solar panels don’t need to be cleaned.
Solar Panels Lower the Value of Your Home
For this common misconception, the answer is simple, and may surprise you. Solar Panels do not lower the value of your home. In fact, adopting solar actually increases your home’s value! This is because the advantages of solar power are largely considered upgrades to a home, akin to remodeling.
Prospective homeowners looking to buy your property see Solar Panels as an opportunity to save money on energy in the long term, especially since you have already paid for the installation; this means they’ll likely pay more for your home.. Homes with Solar Panels are viewed as a wiser, more responsible investment due to their energy-cost savings potential.
Adopting Solar Means No Electric Bill
It’s important to remember one crucial fact about saving money through solar energy adoption- it is impossible to completely eliminate your electricity bills.
Plain and simple, adopting solar is purely about diminishing your energy bills to make them easier to pay for. This is the end goal of solar adoption savings, and focusing on this means dramatically reducing the money you’ll need to spend every month on electricity.
The reality of solar adoption is electric bills will always be a factor in the lives of most homeowners, while solar panels provide you a means to meaningfully reduce these bills.
I Can’t Use Solar Panels Energy Because I Rent My Housing
While owning your property certainly streamlines the solar adoption process, renting a house or living in an apartment does not mean you’re ineligible to enjoy the benefits of solar energy. In this kind of living situation, community solar programs are the answer, and such programs exist all across the country.
Community solar programs start at a central panel array that multiple households can draw energy from without needing to install panels on the property where they live, an impossibility for people who don’t own their living space.
This is also a useful alternative for people who do own a house, but their roof is shaped in a specific way that makes solar panels logistically difficult to install.
Plug-in solar panel options do exist for those who rent, but doing so is usually dependent on the permission of a landlord, or whoever you rent your property from.
Solar by CIR: Reliable Solar Installation and Repair Services
If you think you’re ready to harness the power of the sun’s money and environment-saving potential. Solar by CIR can help! Our experienced, qualified NYSERDA-Gold Installer certified services mean installing and maintaining solar panels has never been easier or more reliable. If you’d like to learn more about solar energy and whether it’s the right fit for you, contact us today.