Pros and Cons Of Solar Energy in Washington

Solar energy is becoming increasingly popular among homeowners across the U.S., particularly in southern states. But is it worth investing in photovoltaics (PV) in Washington State?

That’s the topic we address in this post. We look at the pros and cons of solar energy so you can figure out whether it is the right choice for you.

Pros Of Solar Energy In Washington

Here are some of the benefits of home solar in Washington state:

Generous Incentives

While solar panel installation incentives are declining nationwide, Washington state still provides significant financial support in various forms. If you have a plan, you can claw money back, save on taxes, or get exemptions.

For example, Washington State waives all sales taxes on the purchase and installation of new solar panels (provided systems are less than 100 kW AC and are installed by a qualified installer). You can access these tax breaks by filling out a simple form, which vendors will often help with or do for you.

The federal solar tax credit is also available in Washington. This legislation covers 30% of the cost of solar energy systems installed from now until 2032. (As an example, rules allow deductions of $7,200 on systems costing up to $24,000). The tax credit also includes battery purchases.

Finally, Washington’s net metering encourages many people to invest in solar panels. Net Metering is the exchange of energy from the home’s solar system production back to the utility at market rate in a 1 to 1 ratio. When a solar panel system generates more electricity than is being used at a particular moment, the excess electricity production is fed back into the grid and the utility banks every kWh of electricity as a credit to be used later. The credits roll over from month-to-month, but not year-to-year. The Net Metering calendar in Washington is from April 1st through March 31st.

Lower Energy Bills

The prospect of lower energy bills is also an attractive feature of solar energy in Washington. While temperatures might be low most of the year, the sun still shines, and solar panels can still collect energy, even on cloudy, wintery days.

According to research by Energy Sage, a homeowner with a typical 5kW solar panel system can save a massive $21,280 over 25 years on electricity bills and sell energy back to the grid. That translates to just under $1,000 per year.

Energy Independence

Another benefit of solar is energy independence. If you are a solar power owner with a backup battery, you are no longer beholden to energy companies or grid reliability. Continuing to generate energy, even during brownouts and blackouts, is easy.

According to independent power company Tenaska, the risk of rolling blackouts in Washington State is real. For this reason, it is pushing plans for a massive grid-level battery storage solution through the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to provide up to four hours of electricity for 200,000 homes.

The facility is necessary because of the enormous growth of data center usage in Washington State. It believes electrical grid load growth will balloon by 92% by 2050, underscoring the requirement for a more robust energy system.

Increased Home Value

Another perk of adding solar energy to your home in Washington State is the increased real estate value. Hard-and-fast statistics are difficult to find, but most homeowners see resale prices rise 4 to 6% with a solar panel system installed (depending on the age). Hence, adding a renewable energy system could boost the selling price of the average property by $10,000 to $15,000.

Furthermore, this increase in value is likely to rise more if the cost of the state’s electricity continues to increase. Savvier buyers will look for properties with pre-installed solar energy systems, generating additional competition.

Reduced Carbon Footprint

Reduced carbon footprint is another advantage of installing solar panels on your property. Research shows that solar panels save around 900 kilograms of CO2 per year with a carbon “payback” of 1.6 years (to compensate for the CO2 emitted during production, transport, and installation of solar panel units) in Washington State. Furthermore, this calculus will likely improve as more energy inputs become renewable. Battery technology used in mining and transportation will reduce the carbon embodied in solar panels, allowing for faster payback in the future.

Cons Of Solar Energy In Washington

Of course, there are some cons of solar energy in Washington:

Lack Of Sunlight In The Winter

One issue is the amount of sunshine. Washington gets plenty of light in the summer but not as much in the winter. Summer has around 15 hours of daylight and 9 hours of dark, while winter is the opposite.

In terms of insolation – the amount of sunlight hitting the ground – Seattle gets a maximum of 4.83 kWh/m2 in the summer, which falls to a minimum of 1.60 kWh/m2 in winter. That compares to a maximum of 6.16 kWh/m2 and a minimum of 5.67 kWh/m2 in places like Tampa, FL, highlighting regional disparities across the U.S.

Fortunately, the combination of long summer days and net metering allow solar panels to be a viable option in Washington.

Upfront Cost

The other significant drawback of solar panels in Washington State is the upfront cost. Even after incentives, installing a fully-functioning system (with batteries) is often thousands of dollars. This differs from the standard, grid-based setup where you pay over many months and years.

One solution is to take out finance. Loans spread the costs of solar energy systems similar to conventional bills (and end when you finish making payments).

Another solution is to save up or use long-term savings. Solar energy solutions are often investments (like stocks and shares) that pay dividends long-term.

Are Solar Panels Worth It?

Ultimately, it is up to you if solar panels are worth it. As long as you can find a way to deal with the upfront cost, systems will usually save you money in the long term, protect the environment, and, potentially, pay for themselves.