The Weak Economy makes Solar Energy more Affordable

People are looking for some light at the end of the tunnel of the economic climate. What many are finding is that the light at the end of the tunnel is solar energy. As the competition heats up to win customers, it is also driving prices for Solar Panels to an all time low.

In addition to the competitive market, the federal government is pouring billions into the renewable energy market and much of that is going to the advancement of the technology manufacturing processes of solar panels which is not only increasing the overall efficiency of the end product, but also decreasing the cost of the product because it costs less to produce.

But wait, that’s not all, as those annoying infomercials say. Some of that federal money is going to the solar Energy consumer in the form of Federal Tax Credits which covers 30% of the total purchase and installation of a solar energy system.

So what does this all mean to me, you ask.

The answer is that more than ever the prices of solar energy is brought into the realm of affordability for the average home owner.

While there are many companies that are very competitive in their solar prices, one of the most competitive is a small company in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas called Advancing the Green. They can sell their solar panels to deal-hungry home owners anywhere in the country at $2.84 per Watt and have an excellent selection of other solar, wind and geothermal products. They are also bold enough to offer an additional $500 discount for those customers who purchase a complete solar energy system. They also provide the same solar product to many other dealers and installers (you’ll need to call for that pricing).

The common thought that people have when they see prices that low is that this must be an inferior product of some sort. Well in the case of Advancing the Green, this is not the case. Those solar panels that they sell at $2.84 per Watt have a great 25 year warranty and a full array of certifications including UL, CE TUV and IEC. They are also California CEC approved, which means that they will qualify for the rebate program in California and those many other states and utility companies that rely on the same CEC approval list.

For those people who are still on the fence with the price of solar, you should also check with your State or utility company to see if they also offer any rebates or other incentives that might sweeten the pot any more.

So with all of these rebates, incentives, tax credits and solar panels priced lower then dirt, what does it mean to the bottom line. Now the math will be slightly different for everyone depending on a host of different factors, but for some, the Payback period of a fully installed Solar Energy array could be as low as 3 years, yes that really a 3 (Three), instead of the 10-15 that we typically see and are familiar with. This means that if you only plan on staying in that home for 5-6 years, you could still have a couple years of free energy after the system has completely paid for itself.

There is no question that the industry is continuing to grow and change. If the focus and the exposure continue growing at the current rate, it will be a very interesting picture to see where we are at as a world society in 10-20 years with our use of solar and other renewable energy sources.