Trick or Treat?

Have you heard anything spooky about solar recently? It can be difficult to parse out myth from reality. Is solar the solution to allour problems? Or will it leave you in the dark at night or any time the sun dips behind a cloud?

TRICK or TREAT?

Get paid to go solar!

[TRICK!]

Don’t be tricked by offers that sound too good to be true – unfortunately, solar isn’t free. Prices have dropped drastically, making solar more attainable for many more households and making it pay off in many ways financially, but it is still a big purchase and the decision shouldn’t be made based on vague promises of future returns. Sometimes there are tricky loan terms, and sometimes the company may be using the federal tax credit (see below) to make it sound like you are being paid. These tactics can be used to charge far more than a system is worth.

Get 30% of the cost of your system back with next year’s taxes!

[TREAT!]

We can thank the Inflation Reduction Act for this treat. Any system that was installed starting in January 2022 through 2032 will be eligible for a 30% tax credit when you file your taxes for the year of your installation.

Never pay another utility bill!

[TRICK!]

Unless you are living in an off-grid cabin in the mountains, you will remain tied to the utility grid, which means that you will still have some fixed monthly charges. Also, depending on how the size of your system compares to how much electricity that you use, you may have months where you are buying electricity as well as getting your solar. Double check with your utility to see what monthly charges may remain (for infrastructure and transmission) even if you offset 100% of your usage. This solar calculator is also a good resource to double check how much power you can expect to produce with your equipment at your location.

Does solar work at night and during the winter?

[TREAT!]

You can use the sun to power your home all day, year round. During long, sunny days you may produce more electricity than you use in that time. If it goes back to the grid, most utilities will give you credits. When it’s dark or the sun isn’t shining, you can use those credits to pay for power pulled from the grid. Don’t forget – solar panels can still produce some amount of power on cloudy days, too!