PV Gap

Aaron Said:

how affordable these days are solar panels for the home ? why arent we as a country doing more for the planet

We Answered:

Solar panels will indeed pay for themselves - eventually. But it will take many years (between 15 and 50) before they do. And its a lot of money to lay out at once.

There are, though, federal tax incentives for installing solar panels. In parts of the country, there are also state incentives and utility rebates that can help. In some places, these incentives will help to drop the payback to less than 10 years.

For information about incentives in the US, go to the first link below. It lists all the federal, state and utility incentives available, state-by-state.

You can also call a local solar installer, who will certainly know about local incentives and who can help you size and cost a system for your home. I'd recommend that you find an installer from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. This will ensure that your installer has some experience with these systems. I've put a link to their web site below.

If you live in a subdivision, you should be aware that some subdivisions do not permit solar panels for aesthetic reasons.

Good luck.