Ways Solar Energy Can Be Used in Your Home
Incorporating solar energy into your home isn’t just a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, but it can save you a lot of money too. While the start-up costs can vary when you’re investing in solar energy, the solar energy tax credit can help substantially.
In August of 2022, Congress extended the Solar ITC, providing a 30% tax credit for anyone who installs PV systems between 2022 and 2032. This federal tax credit is the perfect way to offset the initial costs of your solar investment and start your path toward long-term green savings ASAP!
Below, we’ll go over some of the best ways you can use solar energy in your home.
Outdoor Solar Lights
Outdoor solar lights don’t just save you money, but they’re convenient and they give you the perfect excuse to upgrade your outdoor lighting. Outdoor solar lights connect to small solar panels (sometimes found on the light itself) that charge their batteries during the daytime and they turn on during the night. Just ensure that your light’s PV cells are in a sunny area or they might not receive enough power to work properly!
Solar Water Heaters
You probably use hot water every single day, regardless of the season. Solar water heaters are a great alternative to electric and gas-powered water heaters. Solar water heaters work by using PV panels to generate electricity to heat water and then deliver it to a storage tank.
Solar Ovens
Solar ovens are an interesting and fun way to incorporate solar energy into your home. Unlike the other examples mentioned above, solar ovens do not generate electricity but instead use reflecting surfaces to generate heat directly from the sunlight to cook food. Like a crockpot or slow cooker, it can take several hours to finish, but they’re effective and use only the sunlight – no electricity needed!
PV Panels
If you want solar energy to be used for any appliance in the home, then PV panels are a great investment. Depending on how many you want, you can upgrade your home to run completely on solar power and even sell some of your excess electricity back to the grid.
Solar Attic Fans
Solar attic fans are a low-cost and convenient way to incorporate solar energy into your home. Plus, if you don’t already use a quality attic fan, a solar attic fan will help you save additional money on wasteful cooling due to a hot attic.
For a zero-maintenance, automatic, and wiring-free solar attic fan that can be installed directly into your roof, check out the 14” Solar Attic Fan to start saving money today.