If you’re considering installing a solar panel system in Pennsylvania, one incentive to be aware of is solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs). Pennsylvania is one of the few states that offers this performance-based incentive to property owners generating solar electricity. Pennsylvanians who buy and install a solar panel system can earn hundreds of dollars each year by selling SRECs.
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How have solar equipment costs declined over time?
Over the last decade, the costs of solar have decreased from over $8 per Watt in 2009 ($/W) to $2.75/W in 2019 on EnergySage, a decline of more than 65 percent in 11 years. Over this timeframe, a primary driver of the declining cost of solar in the US has been technological improvements in the actual hardware that’s included in solar energy systems: solar panels and solar inverters.
Continue readingFeed-in tariffs: a primer on feed-in tariffs for solar
There are a number of financial incentives offered to property owners going solar. From rebates to tax incentives and net metering policies, there are many policies that bring down the cost of installing solar panels on your house. One such policy is the feed-in tariff, which, when designed properly, can provide substantial financial benefits to solar customers.
Continue readingWhat is MACRS? All you need to know for your commercial solar installation
If you’re a homeowner looking to go solar, the incentives you have available to you are pretty straightforward: from net metering to the federal investment tax credit, and to any local utility or government rebates and incentives. Between the incentives and the declining cost of solar, the average homeowner on EnergySage sees a payback period for solar of eight years. Easy!
If, on the other hand, you’re a business owner considering solar, there are additional tax incentives that help decrease the time it takes for your solar investment to payoff. The most widely-known of them is the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System, also known as MACRS.
Continue readingSolar power as a home improvement strategy
When you make improvements to your home, it’s smart to take into consideration how they will impact your home’s value. The conventional wisdom from HGTV and home improvement magazines is that updating your kitchen, renovating your bathroom, or building an addition are the smartest ways to increase the value of your property. But there’s another home improvement that you may not realize adds to your property’s value: installing a solar energy system on your roof.
Continue readingGoing off-grid with solar: what does it mean and how much will it cost? (Part 2)
This is Part 2 of a two-part series that explores the economics of going completely off-grid with solar. Part 1 focuses on what it actually means to go “off-grid” and how to start thinking about calculating the costs for cutting the cord with your utility. Part 2 discusses two real-world examples of sizing an off-grid solar energy system, along with the feasibility of going through with an off-grid solution. Check out Part 1 here.
Continue readingThe ITC was extended (again)! What you need to know in 2021
On December 21, 2020, Congress passed the omnibus spending and COVID relief bill, and on Sunday, December 27, 2020, President Trump finally signed it into law. In addition to keeping the lights on in our government and providing much needed financial relief for businesses and people alike who have been impacted by COVID, the 5,000+ page, end-of-year spending bill also provided a ray of bright light for the solar industry: an extension of the solar ITC. Here’s what you need to know about how the ITC extension impacts your solar project.
Continue readingWhich SDG&E rate schedule is best? Understanding peak hours
Are you a customer of San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E)? Whether you currently have solar panels on your roof, are considering solar, or don’t have any plans to generate your own electricity, SDG&E’s time-of-use (TOU) rates will have an impact on your monthly electricity costs. In the past, all SDG&E customers had the option of switching to TOU rates or remaining on their existing rate schedule. However, this began to change in early 2019 when SDG&E began the process of moving all residential customers (with a few exceptions) to a TOU plan. When it comes to choosing the right rate plan for your property, the best option for your home depends on your electricity use habits.
Continue readingFederal ITC savings: 2020 vs. 2021
One question we field a lot at EnergySage is whether it’s the right time to install solar panels. For anyone asking that question in 2020, the answer is often as soon as possible: given the looming step down and expiration of the federal investment tax credit (ITC), solar shoppers who wait until 2021 or later to move forward will be missing out on major tax savings – but just how much?
Continue readingSRECs in Maryland: prices, projections, and program status
If you’re considering installing solar in Maryland, one incentive you should be aware of is solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs). Maryland is one of the few states that offers this performance-based incentive to people generating solar electricity. Property owners in Maryland who buy and install a solar panel system can earn hundreds of dollars each year by selling the SRECs their system generates.
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