You may have seen residential solar panelspopping up on roofs all around your neighborhood and started to wonder if it would be a good investment for your home. Solar is becoming more and more popular as people are looking for ways to reduce their energy bills and become more environmentally friendly. But is it the right choice for you? In this blog post from Ikon Electricin Loves Park, we will discuss how to know if your electrical system can handle running solar, as well as the benefits of becoming energy independent. Read on to learn more.
Consider Your Electrical Panel
When deciding whether solar is right for your home, you’ll want to consider the capacity of your electrical panel. Many older houses were originally fitted with 100 amp electrical panels, while now homes are typically built with 200 amp electrical panels. The size of your electrical panel will dictate the size of the solar system that can be installed on your home. If you have an older electrical panel, you will likely want to upgrade it before switching to solar energy.
The Benefits of Solar Ene
There are a number of benefits to installing solar panels on your home, including:
- Reducing your energy bills
- Becoming more environmentally friendly
- Generating your own renewable energy
- Protection against rising energy costs
The Benefits of Energy Independence
When you generate your own energy with residential solar panels, you are becoming more energy independent. This means that you are no longer reliant on the grid for your power needs. If there is an outage or a price hike on the grid, you will still have power thanks to your solar system*. Additionally, generating your own energy allows you to take control of your electricity costs — you will no longer be at the mercy of the ever-fluctuating and increasing prices of electricity from local utility providers.
*The sun must be shining in order to receive power.
How to Determine If Solar Is Right for You
Now that you know the basics of solar energy, how do you know if it’s right for your home? The best way to start is by speaking with a professional. An Ikon Electric residential electrician can come out to your home and assess your energy needs, as well as the capacity of your electrical panel. We can help you determine if your home’s energy system requires an upgrade or is sufficient for a new solar panel system.