Solar Panel Offsets

Rather than buy solar panels you could buy a one ton carbon offset each month.

Solar panel offsets.

Solar panels can create big savings. This means 10 800 kwh of your usage has been offset by your solar power system. In other words solar saves you money simply by generating electricity. The number of panels you need for your house depends on factors like location and panel performance.

The amount of energy that solar panels can absorb and then produce is measured in kilowatts kw. Building new solar power plants can be up to 10 per mwh cheaper in some cases than continuing to run existing coal plants. Still solar panel battery storage lowers your utility bills protects you from power outages and reduces your carbon footprint. This means that a 6 kw 6 000 watts solar panel system comfortably offsets the emissions produced by one fossil fuel automobile in a year.

What might only be a 10 percent offset for your home could be a 90 percent offset for another and the dollar savings are the same for each. However solar is also a form of investment. In addition to significant bill savings a solar system comes with the satisfaction of taking a car off the road so to speak. Most solar panels have 20 year warranties but many of the earliest installed panels are still working 40 years.

Now we can better understand what usage offset means. Residential solar panel arrays don t usually require solar batteries. A solar panel system isn t free just as with carbon offsets you have to pay for your environmental benefits. An average homeowner needs 28 to 34 solar panels to fully offset their electricity bill with solar.

If your consumption is 14 600 kwh in one year and your solar power system generates 10 800 kwh it means you are only drawing 3 800 kwh from the utility company and the rest is generated from your solar panels. An average sized residential solar system about 400 square feet of solar panels costs 18 000 according to the solar energy industries association an industry group. Solar panel efficiency has increased from 6 in 1954 to over 40 on high efficiency panels today. Compare solar quotes on the energysage marketplace customized to your property and energy needs.

When you install solar you receive financial benefits in the form of lower electricity costs for 25 to 30 years. Purchasing carbon offsets simply won t save you money like solar can. Thankfully the percentage of energy you offset takes nothing away from the fact that you still produced solar energy.