Going solar is a wonderful endeavor. It’s a phenomenal way to invest in your home, help the planet, and save some money (in the long-term, of course). We love having solar and really can’t say enough great things about it or about our experience with installation. However, there are definitely a few (non-monetary) factors that might keep you from making the investment in solar.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should never invest in solar. As the most readily available renewable resource for residential spaces, it should definitely be on your radar. In fact, even if you don’t think you have the ideal setup, I’d recommend reaching out to a local solar installer for a consultation. Ours was incredibly helpful in learning about things that we did and did not have control over and how those items may impact our production.
Need a recommendation? If you’re in their area, check out All Energy Solar.
Age of your roof
Solar panels have a fairly substantial useful life — about 25 years. Before your company starts installation, they want to make sure that your roof is in good condition. If it isn’t and you need to replace it before your panels’ life is over, you’ll have to pay for the deinstallation and reinstallation of your current set up.
Shade/coverage
If your house is surrounded by mature trees and doesn’t receive much sun, you won’t want to install solar panels on your roof. If you have the property, you could put solar elsewhere, but that may require additional construction and utility work.
Until you’re ready to part with the trees — also an expensive endeavor — solar might not be a good investment for you.
Direction
As part of your installation process, your solar company should monitor your sun exposure to determine the most effective panel arrangement. Some energy rebates are contingent upon achieving a certain level of sun exposure.
The most productive arrangement for sun exposure is unobstructed, south-facing panels. Of course, it’s pretty rare for someone to have the ideal set-up for solar in an existing structure. If however your property is mostly north facing and/or your south facing side is covered with trees, it may not be a great investment.
Moving
Again, going solar is an expensive endeavor. While installing panels will increase the value of your home, a 2019 study by Zillow estimated the average value increase at 4.1%. Depending on where you’re located, market inflation, etc. this may or may not pay for itself if you plan on moving within a few years.
Should you go solar?
There are a lot of factors that go into deciding whether or not to take the plunge and these are just a few. Again, a good solar provider should be able to help you navigate the process and make this decision. If you’re in Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Iowa, or Massachusetts, we highly recommend All Energy Solar. They’re a full service provider which means that they handle everything: financing, installation, rebate filing, monitoring, and more. They really streamline what could be a very muddy process.
If going solar’s been on your radar, now really is a great time to act. There are a lot of great money-saving reasons to invest. Lightening Mother Nature’s load doesn’t hurt, either.
What are your reasons for wanting to go solar?
We’d love it if you’d share in the comments below!
—Ryan & Melissa, The Joneses Four
