“Should I go solar now, or should I wait?” As with most people who work in residential solar energy, that’s a question I hear quite often these days. My answer is that you can’t go wrong either way. Yes, panel prices are dropping and yes installation costs are going down. However, in many states the rebates are running out at about the same rate that the costs are going down. So from a purely cost perspective, are you better going solar now or waiting a few years? Hard to tell. It’s not like a $25,000 solar power system will end up costing $6,000 in two years. Will the price come down at all? Definitely. Will it come down so much that it’s worth waiting a couple of years? I doubt it. Similarly, will the cost of energy increase by more than the historical average of about 6% of year? Not sure. But with the recent BP oil spill and the recent coal mining accidents, maybe the necessary added safety measures will drive up energy prices. I would bet that energy prices will continue with their historical trend.
However, if you are primarily motivated by or in some part motivated by environmental concerns, then yes, now is absolutely the time to go solar. Why continue to exclusively use grid energy, 50% or more of which comes from coal, when you could get a majority, if not all of your energy from your rooftop? The more momentum we can get around renewable energy, the faster we can get away from dirty energy sources and foreign oil. The technology and installation practices are tried and true, there are leasing and power purchase agreement programs popping up left and right, and your installer will handle all of the paperwork for you. If you own your home, have a shade-free, south facing roof, and want to use less energy and help save the planet, then we’d like to help you get started right now!
Lastly, if you do happen to live in New Jersey, then you should DEFINITELY go solar now. The rebates are extremely favorable and the SREC program (ability to the sell the “renewable energy credits” that your system produces) is amazing. The system will pay for itself in 3-4 years, then you make money by saving money on your energy bill for the next 20 years.
So what are you waiting for? We’d love to help you get quotes from several installers in your area!
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