Why Solar Power?
There are a number of reasons why solar power is an excellent energy source and a financially attractive alternative to electricity obtained from utility companies.
Own Your Power
Solar changes in increasing expense into an investment that compounds as the price of electricity escalates. A solar energy system investment is an increase in your equity and not the utility company’s. Both the government and utility companies offer financial incentives to encourage the purchase of a solar electric system. The incentives are available because government and utility companies understand the benefits that solar energy offers our country and our environment. Solar power is an important part of helping to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources.
These financial incentives vary depending on the consumer’s specific situation, but typically include a customer rebate of approximately 1/3 of the system’s total cost, tax credits that directly reduce a tax liability dollar for dollar, and the ability to write-off depreciation deductions and financing interest expenses, if any. Also, California has declared that photovoltaic solar equipment is exempt from property tax assessments.  That makes installation of a photovoltaic system an excellent capital improvement because it significantly increases a buildings resale value without increasing property taxes.
Environmental Advantages
Solar energy is an incredibly “clean” energy source. Compared to power derived from fossil fuels or hydropower, solar has minimal impact on the environment, and is virtually pollution-free. Using a small commercial system as an example. A photovoltaic system avoids discharging into the atmosphere about 2 pounds of nitrogen oxide and almost 4 tons of carbon dioxide that would have been produced using conventional methods. This is the equivalent of driving a car 11,000 miles and the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by 1 acre of trees.
The California Energy Commission provides a helpful tool on their website for calculating a number of aspects related to renewable energy solutions. One of these is measuring the environmental benefits of using solar power as the graph below depics. You can use the “Clean Power Estimator” yourself if you’d like at: http://consumerenergycenter.com/newewable/estimator/
Peace of Mind
No more fluctuating (increasing!) monthly electric bills. Over the last 30 years utility company electricity rates have jumped an average of over 7% per year, a pace that translates into a doubling or even tripling in the next 10-15 years. Solar power protects you from these increases, and at the same time provides the ability to use the utility company infrastructure to “bank” your excess power for use at a later time.
A.M. Sun Power designs photovoltaic installations to be flexible so that the system can be expanded in the future if the energy consumption changes dramatically. Since the solar panels and inverters are intentionally modular, it’s easy to configure those components or add new components to address any upcoming adjustment to the expected energy usage.
Solar installations require very low maintenance. There are no moving parts, and the solar panels themselves are so reliable they carry a warranty of 25 years and will last much longer than that. The only maintenance that’s recommended is a periodic cleaning of the panel surfaces, which can be done by simply spraying down the panels with water.
A.M. Sun Power has excellent partnerships with the major solar industry equipment manufacturers and suppliers, including an especially close relationship with sun Power and Sharp Electronics USA – the world’s largest provider of solar panels. Plus, we like the fact that Sharp manufactures solar panels here in the United States (Memphis, TN), which helps our economy and supports the creation of American jobs.
