Why go solar: The benefits of solar

The two most common reasons homeowners go solar are financial savings and helping the environment. Whatever your motivation, here's a list of all the benefits you get from switching to solar power.

Most people go solar primarily for the economic benefits. There are four main ways to think about solar from a financial benefits perspective: 

Going solar drastically reduces or even eliminates your electric bills. Electricity costs can make up a large portion of your monthly expenses. With a solar panel system, you'll generate free power for your system's entire 25+ year lifespan. Even if you don't produce 100 percent of the energy you consume, solar still reduces your utility bills, meaning you'll save a lot of money.

Going solar helps avoid rising energy costs. Every year, electricity prices continue to increase throughout the country. By investing in a solar energy system now, you can lock in the price you pay for electricity today to protect against future increases in electricity costs.

Going solar increases your property value. This one's easy: homes with solar sell for more than homes without. And when you consider that solar allows you to reduce or eliminate electricity bills, it's easy to understand why: wouldn't you rather live somewhere without monthly utility bills? 

Going solar nets you a great return on your investment. Solar is one of the best investments you can make. The average American solar purchaser sees a return on their investment (ROI) of 20 percent or more, with most solar panel systems paying for themselves multiple times throughout their decades-long lifetime. Try getting that ROI from stocks! 

The second primary reason people install solar is for the environmental benefits. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the electric sector accounts for 27 percent of America's carbon emissions. Fossil fuel-fired power plants create carbon emissions and contribute to local air pollution in areas close to power plants. 

By installing solar, you can reduce your environmental footprint. When you put a solar panel system on your property, you can avoid purchasing carbon-emitting electricity from the grid, pulling directly from your solar panels instead. And even when you're not using solar electricity now, you're offsetting the need for carbon-emitting generation by putting your solar energy onto the grid. A typical residential solar panel system will eliminate three to four tons of carbon emissions yearly—the equivalent of planting over 100 trees every year.

For businesses, going solar can demonstrate your commitment to sustainability, increasing employee morale while demonstrating sustainable values to potential customers. 

The benefits of solar don't stop at just financial savings and environmental benefits. There are plenty of additional reasons to go solar. 

For instance, going solar contributes to local jobs, helping to boost your local economy. According to The Solar Foundation's annual Solar Jobs Census, the solar industry employs over a quarter million people, most of whom work for local solar companies in your area. By investing in solar, you're also investing in your local jobs. 

Home and business owners are also increasingly looking to solar plus storage to avoid power outages as storms increase in severity throughout the country. Many install solar to be on the cutting edge of technology. And many EnergySage solar shoppers are looking into solar for the aesthetics: today's solar panels are pretty sleek! 

There are many reasons to go solar beyond just the ones outlined above. Whatever your motivation for going solar, get started today with EnergySage.

EnergySage is the nation's online solar marketplace. When you sign up for a free account, we connect you with local solar companies who compete for your business with custom solar quotes tailored to your needs. Over 10 million people visit EnergySage annually to learn about, shop for and invest in solar. Sign up today to see how much solar can save you.