Did you know that the amount of solar energy being produced in the U.S. has been more than doubling over the last few years. The boom for solar energy has finally hit us and while at the end of 2014 it only produced .46% of electricity for the entire U.S. that is a lot compared to where it was just a few short years ago. A number of economic and political changes have made solar power go from seemingly unachievable dream to a very graspable reality. As these changes continue to manifest and technology continues to improve it seems the sky really is the limit.
The economic factor that is making prices cheaper in the solar market is the introduction of Chinese manufacturing. Their ability to produce solar panels at a more affordable rate and on such a large scale has made everything cheaper. In 2005 a home solar system was roughly $40,000-$50,000 which was a lot, but by 2013 the price was roughly $20,000. A far more palatable price tag and one which is easier to pay off in energy savings a lot quicker. The various state governments and federal government have also jumped in by offering tax deductibles and other incentives for people installing solar panels on their building.
A lot of major cities, such as San Francisco, have pushed for more solar power and other methods for becoming greener over the last decade too. The increasing costs of energy and other issues are driving governments and people to find savings while protecting the environment. Solar power happens to be one of the best ways available currently. The technology for solar panels has also been improving with time making them more efficient per square foot. As technology continues to improve at a quadratic scale the question now seems to be when will we have the breakthrough that jumps solar panels to absurd efficiency levels.
If you’re someone who wants to gain more independence from the power company and the slow grinding increase of their electricity costs then solar power may be the right answer for you. The prices don’t keep going up just because the cost of natural gas or other resources do and you get to save the environment in the process. If you’re a business there is the benefit of also using your newly installed solar panels as a marketing technique to attract environmentally conscience customers. Don’t let the power of the sun go to waste, harness it and make it work for you.