Why You Should Get a Solar Installation
Over the past years, energy costs have risen due to the increasing prices of fossil fuels. Powerplants that rely on coal and natural gas have been affected the most as the cost of generation and the growing scarcity of non-renewables forced them to increase their prices. This led to many of their customers looking for either new sources of energy, or ways to supplement their current energy needs.
It has gone to the point where homeowners and businessowners must make significant adjustments to their budget to accommodate the high costs of energy and fuel. Due to this, many people have had to make sacrifices and big changes in their daily lives while some businesses had to make up for the increased utility cost by increasing their prices or reallocating their budget.
Conversely, interest in renewable energy has also increased over the same period. this is mostly attributed to people searching for alternative sources of energy either because of the growing energy prices or the sustainability initiative that they just started.
Among the alternative and renewable energy options, solar is the most accessible and readily available for residential, commercial, and industrial application. Other options such as hydroelectric dams or geothermal powerplants are best for actual and large-scale power generation. However, for smaller scale power generation-- from houses to industrial factories, solar is still the go-to-option.
Solar is the most accessible renewable energy source that homeowners and businessowners can choose to supplement their energy needs. But what does this mean? What does a solar installation provide that makes it worth investing in and installing to your home? This is what we will be discuss on the first part of this article.
Solar will help you save on your electricity bill
The top purpose for homeowners and businesses to get a solar installation is because they want to save in their electricity bills in the long-term. That being said, solar needs a significant financial investment to have it started-- the cost of which will be covered by the solar installation's power generation capabilities. A right-sized solar installation should be able to cover up to half of your electricity bill, particularly the one that correlates to daytime consumption.
With the daytime consumption accounted for, the only thing that people must manage is their nighttime consumption. Even when the energy rate is the same, most people would usually have lesser consumption at night because that's when people are asleep or resting at the end of the day.
For those within the Meralco franchise area, they can also apply for the Net Metering program and the Peak/Off-peak program. These can provide the owner of a solar installation special perks to further optimize their solar system.
The net metering program lets those with solar installations of 99kWp or below to export any excess energy that their system generates to the grid. The Distribution Utility (DU), in turn will credit an amount based on the current generation charge.
The peak/off-peak program is an alternative pricing scheme that sets up peak and off-peak hours. Fortunately, the peak hours considered here coincide with the peak hours of a solar system's generation. Thus, the POP program and solar system supplements each other to ensure that your home optimizes its electricity consumption.
Solar helps you achieve your sustainability goals
The second reason why people and companies a solar installation is to contribute to their sustainability goals. As an initiative, getting a solar installation is one of the most attractive activities to promote sustainability as it also brings potential reductions in the operational expenses.
The effect that a solar installation does to a company can be very significant as well. It can help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by a large number. Thus adding to, or potentially helping achieve their long-term sustainability goals.
These are the two most prominent reasons why homeowners and businesses go solar. it's all about the financial savings that they can achieve and the contribution it can give towards their sustainability goal.
Now let us take a look at the Pros and Cons of getting a solar installation. This is to give you a 360 degree look as to what you are getting and what you have to invest as part of getting a solar installation.
PROS
Solar is a renewable energy source
As mentioned above, solar energy is a type of renewable energy. it is energy that is clean and infinite, unlike the fossil fuels that we rely on. it won't be running out anytime soon.
The way in which solar energy is harvested is also one of the cleanest of energy generation. additionally, solar energy harvesting systems are the most accessible type of alterantive power generation technology there is.
Reduces your electricity bill
To reiterate, one of the main purposes of getting a solar installation is to reduce the electricity bill of the home or the company. Ideally, it covers up to half of the consumers' electricity bill, paired with adequate planning and strategic use of appliances, reductions in the electricity bill is all but guaranteed.
Return of Investment (ROI)
With the reduction of your electricity bill, people would be able to calculate how long it would take for them to get back the amount you invested in to the solar system thanks to all the savings that have been accrued. In recent years, and with the latest technology, the average ROI of investing in a right-sized solar installation is approximately 6 years.
Low Maintenance Costs
One of the biggest advantages of getting a solar installation is how seldom it needs maintenance. for the average residential solar installation, an annual checkup for panel cleaning, screw tightening, and system checking should suffice. For bigger installations, twice a year should be enough to keep the solar installation functioning at maximum capacity for the duration of the system's lifespan.
Contribution to grid stability
Having your solar installation connected to the grid will contribute to the power grid's stability as it serves as an additional source of power. Keep in mind, however, that this only happens when your solar system has been connected to the grid properly through talking with your DU.
Net Metering and Peak/Off-peak program
Those with solar installation within the Meralco Franchise Area have the privilege to apply to these two programs. Both of which provides you with perks through special pricing schemes or credits on your next billing cycle.
Increase in Property Value
The effect that solar has on real estate is that it increases property value by a percentage. this is because the house will have a sustainability aspect to it-- not to mention how it can generate its own power thus guaranteeing a smaller electricity bill compared to houses without solar.
Affordability of Solar Technology
Along with the increasing interest with solar is the decrease of the prices of solar components. As solar technology advances through continuously improving solar panels, safer and more durable inverters, and more efficient DC/AC conversion its viability as an alternative sources of power also rises.
CONS
Weather Dependent
Solar is a common investment in many countries outside of the Philippines. Because these countries are farther away from the equator, they have less sunlight hours which equates to shorter time when their solar installation can generate power.
This is not as influential in the Philippines, however, as we are very close to the equator, we have some of the longest days which means bigger solar power generation.
Space Dependent
The size of a solar installation that can be installed in a building is dependent on the roof space that they have. this concern is more apparent for homeowners as not all houses have enough roof space for the right-sized solar installations.
Potential Wastage of Exported Energy
for grid-tied solar installations, it is vital that they have their DU take a look at the solar system. Solar systems that are not correctly connected may negatively affect the power grid. Power risks include grid instability, electrical fires, and potential electrocution hazards/safety risks for linemen and field personnel, and property damage.
Large Upfront Cost
Solar requires a significant investment. although the individual components of solar installation cost less over the years, proper installation, safety and risk mitigation devices, correct connection to the grid, and government documentation can increase the cost of solar.
These are all required to make sure that each solar installation is as optimized and safe as it can be for the end user and the power grid.
There you have it. Getting a solar installation has its own pros and cons. Many of which we have to consider before we start designing the blueprints for the system. The great thing here is that many of the cons of solar is less of a problem because of us simply being in the Philippines.
In conclusion, many of the reasons that people have to get a solar installation only boils down to two: To save on electricity costs and to contribute to a sustainability agenda. For homeowners and businesses that have these in mind, solar is a great option to take as it satisfies the above. To help you with that, please take a look at the infographic we prepared for you below!
If your interested in getting a solar installation, be sure to consider all the points we provided above. If you're still on the fence, be sure to contact your trusted solar provider backed with Meralco's 117+ years of energy expertise, Spectrum!
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