Solar energy has become somewhat controversial. While many individuals feel it’s generally a good thing, as it is a renewable energy source that doesn’t pollute the planet, some politicians engage in rhetorical attacks on it. It has led to there being a lot of information out there about solar energy, but not all of it is necessarily accurate.
You can look for the best solar company in Florida if you live there and you’re thinking about getting some panels installed. Before you do, though, it’s best that you learn myths and facts about this energy source.
You Can’t Install Solar Panels if You Don’t Own Your Home
This is inaccurate. While it might not be as easy to take advantage of solar power as you could if you owned your home, you can still look into community solar programs as a renter.
These let multiple people take advantage of a single solar array that they share. These can be installed somewhere off-site as well as in your building. All of the participants can divide the cost, making it affordable.
Solar Systems Are Too Expensive
This is generally considered to be a myth. It’s true that a solar panel system might cost anywhere from $15K-$35K, on average. However, you don’t need to pay for it all at once.
There are also tax incentives that you can look into at the city, state, and federal levels. These usually sweeten the deal if the initial price tag seems to be too much.
Solar Panels Don’t Require Any Maintenance
This is not strictly true. You don’t usually need to do all that much to keep your solar panels operational.
Typically, you will have to wipe them down once or twice a year if you live somewhere particularly dusty. Otherwise, though, there’s usually not that much you have to do to keep your panels operational, assuming you had them installed correctly.
Solar Panels Are Not That Efficient
It’s true that solar panels have an average efficiency rate of just 22%. You might hear that and think it means that they don’t really work that well.
That is an impractical way of looking at the situation, though. Some sunlight will naturally be reflected off the panel, and some of it will turn into heat rather into electricity.
However, that does not mean the technology is ineffective. An efficiency rate of 22% is plenty if you’re trying to meet the average home’s power needs. Also, solar technology keeps getting better, so higher efficiency rates are widely considered in the industry to be on the horizon.
Solar Panels Only Function When the Sun is Shining
This is probably the biggest inaccuracy that people seem to believe about solar panels. They still work when it’s overcast or raining.
The light and heat from the sun still reach the Earth, even on rainy days, so your solar panels can be impacted by it in a way that is beneficial to your household. Solar panels are also more dependable than traditional backup generators if the power in your neighborhood ever goes out.
It’s Difficult to Install and Take Care of Solar Panels
This is definitely not true. Provided you engage an installer who knows what they’re doing, they should be able to have the panels on your roof up and running in just a few hours.
Also, if you connect your solar panels to your local energy grid, that makes them easier to maintain. You can frequently do it yourself if you don’t mind getting out a ladder and going up on the roof. Removing dust, debris, and snow doesn’t take any more than a clean rag and a few minutes of your time.
Solar Panels Can Damage Your Roof
This isn’t true either, unless you’re using someone who doesn’t have the necessary skill set. Solar panels actually protect your roof by covering it and keeping the elements from damaging it.
If any gaps exist between the solar panels and your rooftop, you can use sealant to fill those in. This also helps to protect the roof.
Solar Panels Will Increase a Home’s Resale Value
This one is true. If you install solar panels, it usually makes your home more attractive to individuals looking to buy.
Often, you can expect bids on a house to go up by anywhere from $10K-$40K if you reach a time when you want to sell it. You might always have a few uninformed buyers who will shy away from a house with solar panels, but most people understand that they will lower the home’s energy costs. What homebuyer would not be interested in that?
Solar Panels Are One Size Fits All
This is not the case. You can get solar panels in different sizes, and that is often necessary, since many roofs have different orientations.
Often, if you contact a company that installs solar panels, they will need to either look at pictures of your home or come to see it in person. They can figure out how many panels your roof will require and whether they will need to modify any of them. There are almost no roofs that will not accommodate solar panels, though, if you’re open to it.
Solar Panels Can’t Be Recycled and Are Bad for the Environment
This is untrue. In almost all instances, solar panels are made of materials that can be recycled. Also, you can usually get up to 25 years out of a solar panel setup, so the time when you will want to recycle them is probably decades down the line.
Much like anything that’s recyclable, even if you decide you want to have that happen, it can be difficult to find a company you trust to do it. If you have solar panels that you want recycled, you can call around to different removal services.
The one you will want to use is probably the one that can tell you in explicit detail what happens to the panels once they are taken off.
Understanding solar energy is the first step towards making informed choices for a cleaner, greener future powered by renewable resources.
Photo by Vivint Solar on Unsplash