"Is Solar Power Right for Your Home? Essential Insights for Homeowners Considering the Switch"

Can Solar Power Really Save You Money?

I know you have been noticing more and more people installing solar on their homes. And you are questioning “Is it worth it?

You have also seen ads about solar, and there is a lot if information being passed around. Is it true? How do I know how much I can save by switching to solar?

To answer your questions, we have put together this guide to help you see if solar is right for you.

So, does switching to solar really save you money?

First, let’s address some hard facts right now…

You’re in a relationship THAT YOU DIDN’T GET TO CHOOSE with your electric company that varies the price they charge you with the demand.

Afraid Of Rising Electric Bills?

•              Electric price will continue to go up, probably more than your increase in pay.

•              You NEED electricity in your home. (unless you live in the stone age)

•              You have nothing to show after making those electric bill payments.

We Are Here To Save You $$$

With the Federal and State incentives, which are going away soon…( free money doesn’t last forever) we can help you keep from 20% to 60% or more of your hard-earned dollars, with ZERO upfront cost! Imagine going on an extra vacation with the money you save!

  How Solar Saves You Money On Your Electric Bill

Once the solar panels are installed, you will be receiving energy from our most precious resource… the sun. You will begin to enjoy the $$$ savings immediately.

From now on, the amount of electricity being produced from your very own solar system will not have to be purchased from your utility company. You will be receiving it from solar at a substantial savings!

The amount that you save varies from home to home. No two homes are the same. The amount of electricity that you use over the course of the year, the size of your roof, if a roof install, direction of the roof in relation to the sun, shading of trees all play a part in the amount of savings you will see.

This is the reason why to work with a solar professional that has the resources to custom tailor a design with specific panels for your needs, weigh out adjustments to get you the best savings for your situation.         

 The Saving Benefits of  Net Metering

Every state has incentive programs for installing solar panels. Where you live will determine what benefits you will receive. For example in some states, residents are offered Solar Renewable Energy Credits as an incentive for switching to clean energy like solar panels.

How Net Metering Works

During the day, your solar panels will be producing more electricity than what you need.  That extra electricity produced by the solar panels must go somewhere. The extra electricity that you do not consume is going back to the utility company to the grid.

Once the solar panels are installed, your utility company will switch out your current meter to what is called a bi-directional meter, which goes forward and backward.  When you send the extra electricity back to your utility company, which is called kilowatt hours, it will make the meter go backward, giving you credits. Consider your utility company is storing your extra electricity produced. When the panels are not producing electricity for you, like at night or on cloudy days, you will pull that stored electricity from your utility company, but not being charged for it as you have credits built up.

Net metering is the difference of what your system produces and what you consume. It’s not uncommon for homeowners who export enough power to the grid to eliminate from 50%, 75% or even 100% off their electric bill. Learn more here.

Once you combine net metering with tax credits and other clean energy incentives, you can see how cost-effective it becomes to switch to solar. However, these incentives won’t be around forever. Every year, federal and states curtail incentives on a first come first serve basis. So if you are looking to switch to solar, make an appointment with us so we can determine the amount you can save!

Roof Replacement + Solar = More Savings!

If you’re thinking about replacing your roof—like millions of other homeowners every year in America—you may also be considering adding solar at the same time. In fact, an average of 2.3 million single-family homes per year will require a roof replacement over the next decade. If just a fraction of those homes go solar at the same time, it would represent significant progress toward U.S. decarbonization goals. Here’s what you need to know.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established the investment tax credit, or ITC. It is also referred to as the federal solar tax credit. The credit was initially set to last through 2007, but it has been extended several times. It allows homeowners a federal solar tax credit for roof replacement. This equals 30 percent of the cost of installing a solar energy system on their home.

In combining your roof replacement with a solar panel installation, we have many financing options with no up front costs.  In most cases, your monthly payment for owning your solar system and roof replacement is less than you are currently paying for electricity.  Instead of throwing that money away renting your electric, you will be putting it toward an ownership payment and increasing the value of your home!

Some states have additional incentives for switching to solar. In New Jersey they offer a program called Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SREC).  Currently for every 1000 kilowatt hours of electricity produced from your solar system, you will receive a check for $90 for 15 years. This homeowner will receive an additional $17,100 which increases their savings!

 Solar Increases Your Home’s Value

 By putting the sun to work, you will also be increasing the value of your home. Whether you plan to stay in your house forever or you want to upgrade it for a future sale, installing solar is a great investment. There is really no other home improvement that reduces your cost of living with no up-front cost and increases your home value.

More and more home buyers are looking for eco-friendly powered homes, and it is shown that homes with solar installed are selling quicker and at a premium over those without solar.

If you are purchasing your solar panels, make sure you have the latest technology with a strong company and a extended warranty.  At Clean Energy Advisor 4 U we work with all the top Tier 1 solar manufacturers, have a proven track record of installations in over 20 states, and are ranked 43 of the Inc. 500 list. We are A+ accredited with the Better Business Bureau and offer an extended 30 year warranty, the longest in the industry, with Solar Insure.

We also offer a 30 Year Extended Warranty is the first comprehensive protection plan on the market targeted towards you, the residential system owner. The Extended Warranty supplements standard solar manufacturer warranties and is backed by an A-rated 3rd party company. In the event, the original warranty cannot be supported, or it expires, the Extended Warranty protection goes into effect immediately.

Become Independent  From The Grid

There are two ways to store electricity for your needs in the future. The first is Net Energy Metering (NEM), which we discussed a few paragraphs back. While Net Metering has advantages and cash savings, it will not help when the grid power goes down.

Your solar system is wired into your electric company’s grid, giving you the ability to take advantage of net metering. When the power goes out from your electric company due to a natural disaster, an overload, or even just routine maintenance, your panels will also stop producing energy. This is for the safety of the utility workers fixing the lines.

THE SOLUTION: SOLAR BATTERY STORAGE

When you add a solar battery backup to your solar PV system, your lights stay on even when your neighbors are out. There are many benefits of a solar battery like the Enphase Encharge but one major benefit is that it can power your home during power outages. We offer battery storage from Enphase, SolarEdge, Franklin Storage and Tesla.

What to Consider Before You Make The Solar Switch

One of the biggest hesitations homeowners have about installing solar panel systems is the cost. The truth is that your monthly payment for switching to solar will be less than your current electric bill.

There are a few different ways to switch to solar.  You can own your own system, whether it be outright purchase or financed.  Another option to consider is a power purchase agreement.  Here the homeowner doesn’t own the panels outright, the solar company owns and maintains the system.  You are just purchasing the electricity produced by the solar panels at a cheaper rate than your utility company, without the rate increases of the future.  You are able to lock in a rate over a period of time and only pay for the electricity produced.

Another option is to lease the solar system from the solar company.  The monthly payments are fixed for the length of the lease.  The solar company maintains the system for the lease term.

With several options to consider, we recommend that you discuss your plans with us so we can offer you the best solution for your needs.  Knowing what government incentives are available for you, we can structure a plan that offers you the most benefit. 

Financing Options For Going Solar

Solar energy is the fastest growing and most affordable source of new electricity in America. Over 3 million installations have been built across the country. The government and the solar industry have worked hard to make solar affordable for all Americans. Installing an affordable high grade solar system for all homes is the goal. There are four options for payment that reduce your monthly cost to suit every type of household.

1.            Solar Loan

2.            Solar Lease

3.            Solar Power Purchase Agreement

4.            Outright Purchase of Solar

Let’s check out each option and see what it means for you.

Solar Loan

The most flexible option for homeowners is a solar loan. With a solar loan the homeowner still owns their solar system and produces their own energy. They are able to reap the government tax incentives which helps lower their monthly payment even further. What makes solar loans favorable is the payment terms. Powur Energy works with many different financial institutions offering flexible rates from .99% to 7.99% interest and terms from 5 years to 25 years.

Solar loans are secured by the solar system itself and do not put a lean on you home.  Also the loan can be fully transferable to the new homeowners if you decide to sell your home.

Solar Lease

Leasing solar panels is just like leasing a car. The solar company owns the equipment and maintains them for the term of the lease, usually 25 years.  The monthly payments are fixed and you benefit from receiving the electricity produced from the panels instead of buying it from your utility company.

Benefits

Leasing solar panels makes the switch to solar energy more attainable for customers who may not have the cash reserves required for the upfront investment in solar panels.

A lease may be a better option if the homeowner has no tax liability and can't benefit from the tax incentives.

Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)

Solar Power Purchase Agreement is a very popular choice to get panels onto your roof, with a PPA the solar company owns and maintains the system and you are just purchasing the electricity produced from the panels on a monthly basis, at a lower rate than your utility company.

With a PPA, a homeowner does not have to pay for the upfront costs of a solar system. Instead, they enter a contract with a third-party owner or solar developer who will take care of the design, permitting, and installation of their solar panel system. 

Outright Purchase of Solar

If you have the cash available, an outright payment for the solar panels is for you. 

Benefits

The single most economical way to go solar is a cash purchase.

It's paid for upfront. That means the homeowner will typically spend less money overall factoring in interest payments and any potential loan fees. And there's no monthly payment or interest.

There are no costs or financing fees and the homeowner does not have to worry about running credit.

They will own the system outright.

Generally solar can be installed on a cash system at 6 to 8 cents per kWh

While every home and every market is different, the average timeframe for a customer to get a return on investment for a cash purchase is 5-7 years.

Any way you finance your solar project, you will see the savings over your current utility company.

The Mission of  Clean Energy Advisor 4 U partnering with Powur PBC

So how does Powur give back? That's the entire purpose of our company. When our founder, Jonathan Budd was 26 years old, he went to the Amazon rainforest, because he wanted to change his life and find a career that had meaning and purpose, to really do something different. After his eye-opening rainforest experience, Jonathan came back and decided to dedicate his life to solar energy and sustainable energy.

The very origins of our company are rooted in how we make a difference on this Earth. Powur incorporated as a public benefit corporation, which means we have a legal initiative in our corporate bylaws to actually do good for the environment and for society.

One of the ways we back that up is we created a company-wide carbon offset program. You can visit our carbon offset page and look at all of the projects that we fund and all the things that we do to offset the emissions our team creates. But we took it one step further. We became the first solar company in history to also offset the emissions from all the manufacturing of solar equipment.

Solar is an amazing thing. Each installation produces clean energy for 30-40 years. But the industrial process is kind of messy, and a lot of dirty energy is used to make all of this equipment. So we decided to put up the money out of our own profits, basically, to eliminate all that.

We accomplish that by planting new forests all over the world. We do carbon capture projects in Colorado and Brazil. We purchase cookstoves in Uganda - instead of people using old dirty fuels like kerosene, we give them new types of technology.

You can go to our carbon offset ledger and see all of our initiatives. Plus we decided to crowd-fund our business so it could also be owned by the people. So we're owned by almost 1000 of our homeowners, energy consultants, and employees, making this a company owned by the people. It's for the people, and really, with a purpose to make a difference.

 What is Involved In Going Solar with Us

So what happens when you sign an agreement to go solar with us? Actually, the agreement is the hardest part! Once you sign your agreement, we do the rest. We will assign you a dedicated project manager that will keep you posted through every step of your project.

First, we will schedule your site survey. Next, we create the design that gets submitted to the City to receive a construction permit. Once the permit is received, we schedule your installation, which typically takes 1-3 days depending on the size of your system. After we finish installing the solar system on your house, we schedule the city inspector and/or your utility company to approve the installation and give you what is called “permission to operate”, or PTO. Once you have PTO, we power on your system and you can enjoy clean power for your home from sunshine. The whole process typically takes 30-60 days. Although much of that time is simply waiting for permits, inspectors and the like.

Two Options for Purchasing Energy

So let's talk about your options. Really, when it comes to your future with energy, you only have two options.

Number one is you go solar, you choose to actually take control of your power, take your power back, spend less for solar energy and the energy you need for your home than it currently costs you to get that from your utility, increase the value of your home, be energy independent, and do the right thing for our environment. For goodness sakes, the sunshine doesn't cause pollution, right? So let's stop polluting our air, our land, our water, and let's start powering our lives in a way that as Americans we can really be proud of. We're doing the right thing. We're taking care of future generations. And when history looks back on the actions we took, they're going to know we did the right thing. So that's option number one.

With us, we make that incredibly simple for you. Zero down financing, handling the entire project from start to finish. There's really nothing you need to worry about, we're going to take care of it for you.

Option number two is you don't do anything. You just stay with your utility. You already know what that is. Yeah, your lights are probably going to turn on unless there's a big power outage or something. But you're going to spend a lot more for that energy. You're going to keep paying your utility every single month, month after month after month till the day you die.

Just think about it. Are you ever not going to need energy? Unless you're planning on moving to a hut in the woods, you're going to be spending money with your utility company. So why not go solar, do it for less and produce your own energy? And by the way, once that loan payment is paid off, if you do use a zero down option, there's no more payment, you just have free energy. Imagine if you weren't spending anything on a monthly basis for energy.

That's where you can get to with solar versus being stuck in a life long, expensive contract forever with a company that you probably don't even really like, be honest. Do you like your utility company? Do you feel like they're taking care of you? Do they have your back? Well, I can tell you that our sincere aim is to serve you.

We want to be a better energy provider. We want to save you money. We want to help you feel proud of how you power your home. And we want to get you all the best equipment, the best technology to set you up for the future. So those are your two options. And I leave it to you to choose. But I truly and sincerely hope that you go solar with Powur. Let us help you save money and accelerate a sustainable energy future for mankind.

My goal is to help every homeowner make an educated decision to see if switching to solar is the right choice for them.

We are in an age of change…

Over 100 years ago we switched from horse and buggy to the automobile.

We switched from gaslight to electric lighting

And many more changes we have seen over the years that have improved our lives.  Switching to solar and owning your own electricity is one of those changes.

You bought your home to stop throwing money away with renting… why keep renting your electricity?