The greatest ideal that America is known for is freedom. The American Dream has been, and still is the idea that any citizen has the freedom to strive for economic prosperity.
A significant part of the American Dream has been home ownership. That millions of people who have achieved middle class status can afford home ownership has been one of the things that has been a cornerstone of this great nation.
Solar power is now starting to play its role in the American Dream. Residential solar power represents one of the largest economic opportunities in history. For the first time ever, the average homeowner now has the ability to be a producer of energy, instead of a renter.
The implications of this fact are truly staggering. Besides a mortgage payment, electricity costs have been the largest ongoing expense for homeowners. With the arrival of affordable solar panel systems, homeowners can now choose to make payments on a solar panel system loan, much like they do with their mortgages. Of course, some homeowners can pay cash for their systems, saving even more.
A traditional home loan spreads the cost of a home over 30 years. On the other hand, many homeowners can have their solar systems paid off in only 7 years or less. Adding energy ownership to home ownership can substantially add to the average person’s prosperity and overall lifestyle.
However, the same freedoms that make this possible for the average homeowner, are the same freedoms that allow for all sorts of different solar power companies to take shape. Many of these companies wish to become the next major power companies, ultimately taking away the economic boon that is now available to homeowners. Traditionally – over the last 5 years or so – these new power companies have used solar to provide 20 year leasing schemes. Many thousands of homeowners have chosen to do business with these companies and forfeit any of the economic bounty that solar power now represents.
There are now other, utility style companies that are also pushing solar programs. The results are the same. Homeowners do not ultimately own the solar panel systems in these programs and therefore will not stand to gain the most from what solar technology has to offer now.
Unfortunately with solar, as with anything else, “buyer beware” is a good attitude to have. For every company that is trying to do the “right thing” for people, there are plenty of others that would rather try to make as much money as possible.
Solar power is too important for it to be held back by greed. Thankfully, this is not always the case. There are many affordable solar panel installers that want to do right by their neighbors. Low prices for solar ownership means that even more people can afford to make this switch.
As there is a new solar installation completed in the United States every 3 minutes, an increasing number of people are benefiting from low and locked-in energy prices due to solar power.
Clean, renewable sources of energy like solar power will continue to become an increasingly larger part of what is known as the American Dream.
