One of the most popular ways for homeowners to cut their energy costs is by investing in solar panels. Not only is it a great way to reduce the charges on your power bill, but also reduce your carbon footprint. Without the right knowledge about solar panels, though, you might not manage to pull off the financial and ecological goals you were hoping to reach.
In this article, we are going to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of solar technology in the hopes that you’ll be able to make a more informed decision if you’re looking to invest in some panels of your own.
The benefits
The beauty of solar energy is that it has an incredibly low impact on the environment, producing neither harmful chemical pollutants nor noise. This makes them a fantastic source of power in any environment with regular exposure to sunlight. They are also generally low-maintenance, with only light dusting needed from time to time.
Depending on your power needs, solar energy can reduce the cost of powering your home a whole lot. Your local power grid can even be fed by your system, in the event that you produce power in excess. As such, the power company you are connected to will be obligated to compensate you financially for the power you provide. This is called the Feed-in-Tariff, which is a government initiative to incentivise the use of solar energy.
In the event that the FIT financial benefits are not enough to cover the costs of the panels, though, you might be eligible to claim compensation to cover the full or partial cost of your solar panels, depending on how you financed your installation.
This eligibility relies on the grounds that you were mis-sold these solar panels, and are therefore eligible for the guarantees. This eligibility remains even if the company is no longer in operation.
The disadvantages
The biggest deterrent to having solar panels installed is the expensive overhead. It is still expensive to have a solar panel system (which includes the panels, inverters, and maybe batteries) installed.
It also takes up quite a bit of space, as the panels are not small and need unobstructed views of the sun. your roof might not be enough to hold the number of panels needed to make this a solid investment.
The climate is also another consideration as solar panels are heavily reliant on sunny weather. This is why most systems still maintain connections to the grid, to account for overcast days and night hours.
Final Verdict: are they worth it?
It is easy to get caught up in the drive to fulfill our responsibilities to the environment and society at large, but at the end of the day, waste can be just as bad for the environment as anything else.
Are solar panels worth it? You will have to examine a few things to that effect. Is the climate sufficiently sunny to provide you with energy? What are the financing plans like when it comes to solar panels? Does your property have the space to host the panels? If all the answers to these questions are positive, go right ahead. You will not only probably make a return on your investment, but you can sleep soundly knowing that you’re doing your part for the environment.
In any other case, it’s important to invest when you’re confident that it’s the right time. After all, the manufacturing and installation of solar panels has an environmental cost too. If you are unable to make the best use of your system, you would have wasted energy and precious resources.
If you’re looking for someone to help you with your mis-sold solar panels, send us at Consumer Reclaim a message. We have the expertise needed to get you your money back.