4 Ways to Tell if Your Home Is Ready to Switch to Solar Power

Guest post by Anita Ginsburg

Solar panels are more popular than ever, and millions of home and business owners throughout the country are now enjoying the many benefits of this technology. Here is a quick look at just a few of the signs that your home might be ready for solar panels.

You Are Redoing Your Roof

One of the best times to install solar panels is when a roof is getting redone. While a solar panel installation company should be able to make changes to an existing roof, those alterations are going to be much easier if the tiles or shingles are already off. Once the outer layers of the roof have been removed, the installers will easily be able to add brackets for the panels or additional support beams if they are needed.

Energy Bills Are Climbing

Your energy usage is going to change throughout the year, but you should keep a close eye on your bills to see if they have steadily been increasing. As a home grows older, it will naturally become less energy efficient, and that can lead to some staggering energy bills. In addition to improving your home’s insulation, you should also consider installing solar panels if your energy bills are getting out of control.

New State or Federal Incentives

Once every few years, many government organizations authorize new incentives for solar panels. Some of those incentives include tax breaks, while others will actually help you cover the cost of the panels themselves. You might also qualify for a state-backed payment plan that has very low interest rates. Before you have any panels installed, you should spend a little bit of time looking over all those incentives.

You Want to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Another reason why many homeowners have solar panels installed is because they want to reduce their carbon footprint. Adding solar panels to your home is one of the most effective ways to minimize your impact on the environment, and the technology is improving every year. Over the course of a lifetime, your new solar panels could reduce your family’s energy usage by tens of thousands of dollars

If you think that solar panels might be a good option for your home, then you should contact an experienced solar contractor right away. One of those individuals will be able to take a closer look at your home and help you determine just how much you are going to save with a new set of solar panels.

Anita Ginsburg is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University, and now writes articles about health, business, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn't writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.