The folks at EnergySage took some time to debunk several major myths about going solar.
The scoop
One of the big myths they addressed was that solar panels don't work in the winter.
"Despite the snowstorms and shorter days, solar panels will still generate enough power in the winter to provide savings on your electricity bill," said EnergySage's Kerry Thoubboron. "And if your panels do get covered in snow, they won't be for long. The smooth surface and angled orientation means any accumulated snow typically slides off once the sun comes out."
EnergySage has a free online tool that can connect homeowners to local solar installers. Those installers can provide estimates on solar systems that meet your needs. The tool can even help you compare quotes.
How it's helping
First and foremost, adding solar panels to the home helps cut down on energy costs. It is among the cheapest energy sources available, provided homeowners can get over the hump of the initial investment.
Even then, EnergySage saves homeowners on average $10,000 on installation costs with the help of incentives. Those incentives are under active fire, so it's best to take advantage of them while you can. When paired with an efficient heat pump for home climate control and an electric vehicle, solar panels can power even more money-saving upgrades.
Home energy usage is a major source of pollution. By cutting gas usage in the home and the grid, residents are able to cut harmful carbon pollution that is exacerbating destructive weather, raising sea levels by melting ice caps, and both warming and acidifying oceans, much to the detriment of marine ecosystems. As it turns out, saving a few bucks on home energy with solar also helps mitigate all of that damage.
What everyone's saying
Homesteaders and off-griders alike have shown that solar panels work just fine in the winter, even with reduced efficiency. The Reddit community is largely supportive of solar power in winter as well and offered some good advice.
"For residential rooftop solar in areas with only a few snows per season, it usually does not make sense to try cleaning them off," said one commenter. "You can cause an avalanche onto yourself or damage the surface of the panels without the right equipment. If it's not sunny enough to melt the snow on my panels, I'm not losing much production anyways."
"I've decided not to do anything to clear my panels, though, because the yield in winter is so much lower, and there's a potential of damaging the surface of the panels with most solutions (and I'm not getting on a ladder in the snow/ice)," said another. "I also have panels on two roofs (split level home) and the upper roof has a greater pitch, so snow slides off pretty quickly."
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If you were to install home solar panels, which of these factors would be your primary motivation? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
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