5 Reasons to Go Solar
May 24, 2023
We’ve boiled it down, folks! The top 5 reasons to go solar. Aren’t you glad we took the time to simplify this for you? Ok, hold on tight. Get ready for the most compelling reasons to go solar in Washington state.
OK, so what are these 5 reasons to go solar?
Save money
Gain independence
Clean, green energy
Home investment
The future of energy
OK, now that we’ve identified the top 5 reasons why homeowners should go solar, let’s dive into each topic and explain.
1. Save THOUSANDS on electricity. Incentives make that possible.
In Washington state, there are three incentives homeowners are eligible for that make solar a financially viable alternative to continuing to pay the utility for electricity.
The first incentive is the Solar Investment Tax Credit. With the recent Inflation Reduction Act, Congress has extended the solar ITC for another 10 years and increased the tax credit to 30%! That means you can get 30% of your total system cost coming back to you as a tax credit if you buy solar before 2032. The tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the income taxes a person or company would otherwise pay the federal government. If you don’t have the tax liability to claim all of your tax credit in the year of purchase, the remainder can rollover to following years, for up to 5 years! Since we’re not tax professionals, we recommend consulting a qualified tax professional to discuss how this massive tax credit could translate into a big check!
Then there’s Net Metering. In Washington, if you have a solar panel system connected to your utility, it’s state law that they provide you credit for excess energy you send to the grid. Each month, the utility will review how much energy you've sent back to the grid and how much you've drawn from it. They'll net this result out and bill you for the difference. If you've sent back more energy than you've drawn from the utility, the leftover credits will remain on your utility bill for future use. If your solar system is designed to meet 100% of your energy needs, most of your annual energy need will be produced in the spring and summer months, building up a bank of credits to be drawn down in the winter months. Come fall and winter, fear not the gray skies of Washington! You'll have a bank of solar credits that have been accruing during the long spring and summer days to pay down the difference between what your system produces and what you consume from the grid. The credits rollover from month-to-month, but they expire on March 31st every year, which is why it's so important to speak with a Blossom Solar Sales & Design Consultant who can right size your solar system. Eliminating energy costs is the goal, NOT giving free energy to the utility. With the tax credit and net metering, a solar system easily pays for itself during the warranty period and will earn you lots of extra savings that you can put into the things that matter most to you!
Finally, there’s no sales tax in the state of Washington! For solar installations of 100 kW or less (average solar install is 12 kW), there’s no sales tax. Any quote you receive from Blossom Solar will be inclusive of installation, labor, materials, warranties, and permitting! Just like that, you save 10%! (give or take based on where you live)
2. Gain some independence.
Ok, not necessarily that kind of independence, but you get the idea.
We’ve been conditioned to accept that when we move into a new home, you contact your local utility, you set up an account, and then you pay whatever they want to charge you for electricity.
It’s normal.
But what if you could produce your own electricity? What if the cost to produce your own electricity ended up being cheaper than buying from the utility?
Sounds good, right? Add a battery system and you can weather the storm with your own mini-grid. Even better. Insulate your home from the whims of the utility by generating your own energy. Even better, better.
3. Cleaner and greener. Neat.
The world is changing. Fast. Many of us are looking around and wondering what we can do to help out a bit. Everyone’s busy with work, dropping kids off at school, soccer games, dance recitals - a never ending list of activities. What if there was a way you could make an impact but it didn’t have to take up space on your calendar? What if your positive impact saved you money, too?
With renewable energy like solar, it can do those things. Clean energy that could save you thousands on electricity. Save with solar.
4. Invest in your home.
When you’re planning a home improvement project, one of the considerations that’s probably crossed your mind is, “How does this project impact my home’s value?” Now, that may not be the deciding factor when you’re updating a bathroom, but it’s likely somewhere on the priority list.
With solar, it’s an investment that locks in a low energy cost for 25 years - oftentimes lower than the cost of today’s energy prices. A home improvement that eliminates future cost and generates a positive return on investment.
Oh, and according to a recent national study conducted by Zillow, homebuyers’ desire for energy efficient homes has been increasing over the last few years - 67% said it was “Very or Extremely Important.” That’s already a high proportion of buyers, but with the way technology is becoming more integrated in our daily lives, coupled with greater awareness of solar, that number might increase.
5. The future of energy.
The average utility increases their cost to the consumer by 4% annually. With that said, there are several key indicators that electricity will become even more expensive as time goes on: the grid is in desperate need of an overhaul, numerous green power initiatives, and rising demand, to name a few. It’s true that Washington has an abundance of clean energy from our rivers, but we source nearly 20% of electricity from coal and gas. Replacing that piece of the energy pie is a goal over the next 10 - 20 years for local governments.
Who do you think is going to cover those costs?
We’re guessing it’s not going to be done out of the goodness of their hearts, but you never know.
