Sunny Skies Ahead: Should You Install Rooftop Solar?

It’s a dreary early spring day in North Carolina today, which means I am extra eager to write about the warm, sunny days ahead. For many people, this is the perfect time to start looking at solar panels to put on their roofs before the long summer days arrive. Unfortunately for me, I currently live in an old college house that’s falling apart at the seams, so I will be working on my suntan and not on any residential solar implementation. However, for those with sturdier roofs than mine, solar panels present a potential avenue to save money on electricity and make a home more energy efficient.

It’s important to know how solar panels work for a residential home compared to utility-scale solar (aka those big fields of solar panels) ahead of installation. Live Science explains that solar panels contain many photovoltaic cells, which take in light particles (photons) from the sun and cause electrons to separate from atoms, generating electricity. The process is a bit more intricate than this, but that’s the basic overview of how electricity becomes available for a household to use. These solar panels will usually be connected to the grid, which is how households typically lower or eliminate their energy bills.

This graphic from Energy Sage shows how residential solar systems typically plug into the grid.

Surprise, surprise: There are pros and cons to recent residential solar installation trends. An immediate pro is that solar panels are a clean and renewable source of energy for homes. However, how much electricity they actually produce is dependent on a household’s geography, positioning, and access to direct sunlight. Not all roofs can support solar panels. Past this initial barrier, the central deterrent for many homeowners considering going solar is the hefty upfront cost.

This photo from Getty Images shows sunlight hitting solar panels on a residential roof.

The North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) walked through an example of the typical cost for NC residents in their consumer guide. They estimated a cost of $14,000 for a 4kW system. After federal tax credits, the homeowner pays almost $10,000 dollars upfront. NCSEA also estimates that it would take almost 14 years for this system to break even on that investment and begin making money. With an average solar system lifespan of 30 years, the decision still presents the opportunity to save a lot of money in the long run. Many people are just unwilling (or more often unable) to afford the initial investment.

If you can afford the investment, solar panels are a great option to be more sustainable and save money in the long run. Especially as battery storage continues to develop, more and more homes will be able to power their homes with solar energy even when the sun isn’t out. Still, these benefits shouldn’t cover up the fact that there are still major equity issues at play. Next week, we will talk about how these inequities affect the entire energy sector. In the meantime, if you have some sunlight in your area, crank up the volume on Solar Power by Lorde and enjoy it! Thanks for reading.