Net Metering: Make Money With Solar!

Uncategorized / By Josh Sanders / November 29, 2022

You’ve probably heard from your neighbor or someone else that you could save money with solar. We are here to tell you that it is true – making the switch to eco-friendly solar energy can save you money. It will help you reduce utility bills and provide you substantial tax incentives. However, we aren’t here to talk about those topics – but to cover the concept of net metering. We will discuss what net metering is, how it works, and where this is actually an option.

there are many ways to save money, including with solar energy — Net Metering is a great way to save money

What is Net Metering?

Net metering is often referred to as net energy metering. Net energy metering is when electric companies pay you back for the excess solar power produced by your photovoltaic system. As many know, there is an energy meter at each home. This is a way to tell how much energy a household has consumed. It also gives energy companies the accurate reading on what to charge customers.

When your solar energy system happens to produce more electricity than needed, this power can be filtered back to the electric company. The meter would then be able to read the change, resulting in a payment from the utility company. Net metering is essentially the net of energy consumed and produced at a household. If solar produces more, then the homeowner gets paid!

This is one of the various benefits of making the switch to solar power. You can even get paid to do it through net metering programs offered nearby.

Where is Net Metering an Option?

Many places allow for this service. There are several states in the U.S. that allow net metering, meaning there are areas where it is even more worth it to invest in solar energy. Additionally, there are also requirements that may need to be met, but the following states currently allow net metering:

Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Maine
Maryland
Minnesota
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Utah
Washington
West Virginia

Check with local solar energy providers about your eligibility for net metering. It is definitely an opportunity to take advantage of if applicable to you and your home.

Can I actually Save Money?
Yes, you can save and make money by going solar. In regards to net metering, utility companies often pay homeowners the retail rate of the energy. This means that they will buy it back at the price you paid for it! Sometimes, this is even increased to cover generation fees and other related costs. Give us a call today to learn more.

How Does Solar Power Work?

Uncategorized / By Josh Sanders / November 14, 2022

When considering the change to solar power, some may ask how solar actually works. It also may occur to someone, what are the benefits of solar? Let’s discuss a little bit more about how conversion from UV rays to usable energy occurs. We will also cover some of the basic benefits of switching to a photovoltaic system on your residence or business.

Most solar panels are made up of a bunch of solar cells. These cells are much like semiconductors are made primarily of silicon. This element allows the conduction of energy and electricity. In many ways like a battery, these cells have positive and negative components which allow for the flow of electrons. Because of these solar cells, panels are able to generate what is called direct current (DC) electricity. In DC electricity, the electric current flows only in one direction. The other type of electricity, alternating current (AC) can travel in multiple directions. Homes generate power from alternating current electricity so the solar panels convert DC electricity to AC electricity in order to power homes and appliances.

The conversion of DC electricity to AC is done by a solar power inverter. They are classified as a solar power electronic device, meaning that they are able to connect solar systems to the electrical grid. With ongoing advances in technology and solar power innovation, these types of systems are becoming more affordable and made with high quality materials. As photovoltaic systems increase in efficiency, the more benefit they have for homeowners.

Obviously, the most power is generated on sunny days where direct sunlight hits the solar panels installed. However, there is a possibility of storing the power and obtaining credits or refunds through net metering. This will be discussed in another article.

Overall, solar power is generated in an eco-friendly way that can help you and your family save money. The science makes sense, and so do the savings!

Solar energy can help reduce greenhouse gas emission

Greenhouse Gases: What’s the Facts?

Uncategorized / By Josh Sanders / November 3, 2022

November 3, 2022

Greenhouse Gases: What’s the Facts?

We are all accustomed to hearing about climate change, global warming, greenhouse gasses, among other hotly debated topics. Each of these things have to do with the environment and its changes. First, let’s take a look into defining some of these terms.

Climate change is “a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates. These changes have a broad range of observed effects that are synonymous with the term (NASA).” Overall, climate change is the change of overall weather patterns in a certain region. Now, what is the connection between climate change and global warming? Global warming is the overall rise of temperature of the earth and its oceans/waterways. Therefore, global warming is climate change and more specifically the change of climate towards hotter temperatures and more sporadic weather.

Now, what is a greenhouse gas? A greenhouse gas is simply a gas that adds to the trapping of heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Thus, the emission of these gasses have been found to add to the change in the earth’s climate. Some of these elements include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Carbon dioxide is released when we burn fossil fuels such as coal and oil. However, this type of gas can also be absorbed by plants! Methane is also emitted when we produce things like coal and oil. It can also be released by certain agricultural uses.

There are several sources of greenhouse gasses, but we will cover the main factors.

Transportation
Production of Electricity
Industrial Fuel Burning
Household Fuel Consumption

Research shows that approximately 29% of greenhouse gas emissions come from private and public transportation. It isn’t anything new that studies prove that our vehicles and transportation methods are consuming vast amounts of natural resources. There has been a big push towards more eco-friendly vehicles that run on renewable resources.

There are a variety of ways that we generate and consume electricity. These sources include coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other resources. It is said that about 60% of the electricity we use comes from fossil fuels.

It is also no secret that the production of goods and services use a lot of energy. Much of this energy is also derived from fossil fuels such as natural gas and oil. This contributes about 24% of the total greenhouse gas emissions throughout the world.