With changing energy codes favoring all-electric homes and the impact of utility costs on household budgets, homeowners are seeking out ways to save on energy bills.
That glowing orb in the sky, seen most frequently during the summer in the Pacific Northwest, can save you a lot of money on energy bills. The advancements in technology and availability of manufactured solar cells and battery storage make it relatively easy to add solar power to your home.
Yes, even the Pacific Northwest with its cold and rainy winters is ideal for collecting energy from the sun and storing it to save on electricity costs in your home. Several local providers of solar panels and battery storage systems are happy to provide you with the best option. Here are the factors to consider:
Electricity usage:
- What is your average use (in kwH – kilowatt hours) per month? Download 12 months of bills from your local utility provider to get an idea.
- Do you have a hot tub or other large appliances that use a lot of electricity? This factor, along with your annual power usage, will determine what size system you may need.
Outages:
- Do you live in an area that has frequent power outages due to stormy weather?
- Are there appliances or other equipment that cannot have interruptions in power? This could be refrigerators, freezers, or crucial medical equipment.
Location:
- Was the home built “solar-ready” with sufficient unimpeded space on the roof for solar panels?
- Is the roof ideally facing the right direction to capture the majority of the sun’s direct rays?
A representative from a solar power equipment company can assist you in determining what is the best system for your home. Basic solar panels may be costly initially, but with state and federal tax incentives, they can pay for themselves over several years (depending on the cost and electricity usage). Solar equipment is exempt from sales tax in Washington State, and there is a 30% Federal tax credit.
Solar panels will save you money on your monthly utility bills, but if you want to prevent downtime from power outages, you can invest in various battery storage systems so that you never lose power.
Evergreen Homes builds our new homes “solar ready”, which means we take two steps to reduce the cost and increase the effectiveness of adding solar panels in the future. We build the roof so that large areas are clear of vents and other obstructions to make it easy to add solar panels in the best location for your particular home. We also run conduit from the garage near the electrical panel to the roof to connect to future solar panels, eliminating the need for a costly electrical retrofit. Talk to us about building you a new home that is energy efficient and future ready!
