The residential solar power industry has come a long way in just a few short years.
We are well into the third quarter of 2015 and there has never been a better time to buy solar panels. Homeowners now have access to the best prices on solar panels since the industry began. About 40 years ago, solar panels were $76 per watt. Some of the lowest prices for panels are now well below a dollar per watt. Of course, these are wholesale prices and are only for the panels themselves. There are many other costs involved with getting a solar panel system installed on a home. See the cost of solar page.
One of the main reasons why now is a great time to purchase solar panels is that prices cannot really fall much further. We might end up seeing some reduction in prices in the other costs for going solar; permitting, interconnection, installer, and the balance of the system costs. However, they’re not likely to change that much. Affordable solar installers are already working on small margins and utilities are not likely to wave their fees.
Another great reason why its now excellent timing for going solar is that homeowners can still take advantage of the 30 percent off Federal Tax Credit. The tax credit was just renewed and is available until the end of 2020. It should go without saying that being able to reduce the cost of going solar by almost a third has been a big reason why many people have adopted solar in recent years. However, it should be made clear that residential solar power still makes great financial sense even without the tax credit and others rebates. That’s a testament to how cheap solar is now.
Many potentially interested homeowners often ask this question to start out with – what is the best place to buy solar panels? Admittedly, the whole theme of this post has a very “do it yourself” vibe to it. They’re not really looking for a solar panel store. The fact remains that a high majority of homeowners are not interested or capable of installing solar panels themselves. It’s best to leave this type of job to the professionals who can handle the installation, permitting, interconnection, and rebate/tax credit paperwork a bit more easily.
So when homeowners are looking to buy solar panels, the implication is that they are really looking for a solar contractor that will take care of everything needed to get solar panels installed on their homes and producing power as seamlessly as possible. The service fees that an affordable installer charges are well worth it considering that all the paperwork and potentially dangerous manual labor is being taken care of.
The bottom line is that homeowners who go solar now can get started on a path to some major savings in the coming years. Solar is a great investment that can pay for itself in just a few short years. In fact, those that do not switch to solar will end up paying many thousands of dollars more than they have to.
It’s time that homeowners everywhere look into buying some solar panels and join the solar power revolution!
