Do You Know The Truth About Residential Solar Power?
Welcome back, my friends, to the Climate Solutions Series by Woven Wordsmith. In this installment, we’re exploring residential solar power.
While we’re living in uncertain times, one thing we can rely on is the rising and setting of the sun each day.
And our trusty energy plant in space is wildly powerful. The amount of solar energy hitting the Earth in one hour is more than enough to power the world for one year. 1
Honestly, that’s incredible.
The thing is, when it comes to harnessing, converting, and using all that energy, things get complicated.
And that’s exactly what we’ll unpack in this blog.
Before we dig in, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Andraya, a copywriter and marketing strategist for sustainable brands. I specialize in crafting compelling copy that fits seamlessly into the brand voice, vision, and values of my clients.
While I prefer to write blogs that ethical businesses will find useful to level up their marketing, this climate solutions series is where, once a month, I give the floor to innovations in the industry.
Why?
Because while we need to speak to the reality of climate change, the power to move forward in hope, conviction, and creativity lies in climate solutions. The more we talk about them, the more powerful they become.
So, what are the pros and cons of residential solar power? How does a basic system operate? And what companies are leading the charge in this industry?
Let’s get to it.
What Does A Residential Solar System Look Like?
A residential solar power system is going to work a lot like any other electric system.
There are electric currents that move from your meter to your household gadgets. And those currents power your home.
Traditionally, though, that electricity comes from a utility provider. And that utility provider usually gets their power from fossil fuels like oil, coal, or natural gas.
With a residential solar power system, the electricity that moves through the wires in your walls comes from solar panels. And those panels generally sit on the roof of the home.
A schematic diagram of a residential solar power system
You’ll see above that solar energy comes into the solar panels (PV modules). When the sun’s rays enter the residential solar power system, it’s in the form of DC (direct current). The electric system in your home is AC (alternating current). The power is sent to an inverter, where it’s converted from DC to AC. It’s then sent to your home. In most states, net metering is legal. That’s where surplus power from your residential solar power system is sent back to the grid.
Now that we understand how it works, let’s look at its benefits.
5 Benefits of Residential Solar Power
Considering the enormous environmental and economic costs of fossil fuels, residential solar power has the potential to power our homes with a lower impact.
Here are five of the biggest benefits of residential solar power 2:
Solar panels are increasingly affordable — Incentives for residential solar power are becoming more and more abundant. And the federal tax credit is now at 30%, where it will stay through 2033. Often times, residential solar companies offer even more incentives for you to make the switch.
You can save money on your electricity — When you install a residential solar power system on your roof, you no longer are at the mercy of your local utility company. Most utility companies can raise their rates at any point, too. With solar, you’re often paying a lower, fixed rate for your electricity. Since you’re not paying for the infrastructure costs of a utility company, you get to cash in on huge savings.
You can keep the lights on in the event of an outage — With battery backup, you’ll never have to worry about how to get through a power outage. Regardless of when or why your neighborhood experiences an outage, your lights will always be on.
Solar can increase the sale value of your home — Since solar cuts down immensely on power bills and is an eco-friendly way to power your home, it can increase the value to a potential buyer if you ever decide to sell.
Residential solar power is available in almost any climate — The only requirement for a residential solar power system to work on your home is you have enough sun-hours hitting the panels. This means that whether you’re in the desert Southwest or on the East Coast, residential solar is accessible to you.
A bonus benefit? You no longer need to own a home to go solar. Community solar programs are a great source of residential solar power for renters. And these programs often save you money, just like a solar installation would.
As we evolve, our technology will continue to improve. But after 40 years of solar innovation, residential solar power is at in a really exciting place.
Like most things, though, there are some challenges. Let’s dig into those.
5 Challenges of Residential Solar Power
Challenges show us where there’s room for improvement. And we can’t improve without knowing where to put our efforts. The current challenges in residential solar power are no exception.
According to SaveOnEnergy, the top 5 challenges of residential solar power are:
Building infrastructure and supply chain delays — Current grid infrastructure isn’t built for the influx of solar energy, so it needs to be retrofitted or reimagined altogether. Also, supply chain delays are common for overseas manufacturers.
Solar industry reputation — Solar’s quick rise to popularity made it hard for public perception to keep up. And since a lot of solar companies use “pushy” tactics like door-to-door salesmen to get new leads, some prospects have been put off.
Pushback from utility and energy providers — Utility companies have a real stake in keeping their customers. Since so many utility companies are for-profit, they’ve got a vested interest in keeping your business. The energy independence you receive from your residential solar power system loses them money.
Residential installation costs — For some people, the installation costs and timelines can be too much to bear. While many companies offer solar-as-a-service options that require no upfront investment, some customers have power bills that are too low for the switch to make sense.
Access for renters — Since most renters can’t make permanent changes to their homes, they can’t approve a solar installation. Further, most solar companies won’t talk to a lead about their solar options if they don’t own the home. But community solar is a great option for most renters.
All of these challenges can be mitigated through creative problem-solving. The immense potential of residential solar power makes it worth committing to overcoming these challenges.
So, where do homeowners get their residential solar power systems? There are hundreds of companies that offer appealing deals. Some have proven the test of time while others haven’t. Let’s take a look.
5 Residential Solar Power Companies
There are hundreds of solar companies out there. And many operate locally. Finding the best fit for your residential solar power system will likely involve getting multiple quotes. To help you begin your search, here’s a list of five companies that work nationally on residential solar installations.
Sunrun
Tesla (Formerly SolarCity)
Blue Raven Solar
SunPower
Momentum Solar
Shopping around is sure to give you a clear picture of your options. And it can lead you to the residential solar power dream — a nonexistent electric bill.
Where Does Residential Solar Power Go From Here?
From here, the future is bright. Pun *definitely* intended.
As an example, the low-to-moderate (LMI) households are an untapped residential solar power market. It has the potential to total 320 gigawatts (GW) in capacity.4 For perspective, the U.S. installed 10.6 GW of new solar in 2017 — meaning LMI residential solar power represents up to a six-fold untapped market expansion for the industry. 4
And that’s just in the US. Residential solar power across the world could have an even larger impact.
When it comes to residential solar power as a climate solution, there’s a ton of potential for positive impact. This was just an overview and I encourage you to dig deeper if this topic lights you up.
To see how I can write blogs like this for your brand, you can contact me to see what personalized marketing support is the best fit for your needs.
