Despite our reputation for snow and winter weather, Denver ranks 30th amongst large cities in the United States for the number of sunny days. If this doesn’t seem that high, think about it this way; we rank above Kahului, Hawaii and San Juan Puerto Rico. This number of sunny days gives us an advantage when it comes to utilizing solar power for the production of electricity. You can be part of a growing movement toward increased solar energy use. Rooftop solar panels can lower your utility bills, lower your carbon footprint which in turn helps reduce air pollution. If you are interested in solar panel installation for your home, call us, and we will set up a consultation appointment. To learn more about why solar is the wave of the future, keep reading.
Why Switch to Solar?
In the last decade or so, the amount of solar energy that is being produced and consumed in the United States has skyrocketed. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the amount of electricity created from solar went from 500 megawatts in 2004, to 20,000 megawatts in 2014. This includes both residents and commercial facilities with rooftop solar arrays and community arrays. Solar energy is growing, and there are significant advantages to joining in this trend.
Solar is Great for the Environment
Because solar energy lessens our dependence on fossil fuels for the generation of electricity, it also lowers our greenhouse gas output. This translates to cleaner air and a reduced contribution to climate change.
Since the sunshine is essentially boundless, we don’t have to worry about running out of it. Because it is renewable, the prices will stay low, unlike fossil fuels, which will get more expensive as they This means that while other people are paying increased prices for energy created from increasingly fossil fuels, you will have a steady, reliable source of energy.
The price of natural gas goes up and down, but the sun always shines.
Solar Saves You Money
- When you have solar panels on your roof, you lower your electricity bills. You will produce energy that you can consumer without having to pay for it, and you can return energy to the grid, to help compensate for electricity you use when the sun is down.
- Once your solar panels are installed, they require minimal maintenance. They run silently and can last between 20 and 30 years.
Independence
- The American character is known for having a large streak of independence and many people enjoy knowing that they are not tied to the electric company 24 hours a day.
How Does it Work?
- The solar panels on your roof get hit by the sunshine. The solar energy from the sun activates the semiconductor material in the photovoltaic panels.
- This activation sets electrons moving, and this creates DC electricity.
- This DC electricity travels to the solar inverter that converts the electricity from DC to the type used in your home: 240V AC electricity.
- You use some of this AC electricity in your home. It can be used to run appliances, such as your water heater.
- Any surplus electricity is fed into the power grid.
- The power company keeps track of this energy and will credit you with this.
We are the leading Denver Solar Panel System installer. Call Planet Roofing and Solar, and we’ll get together and talk about going solar!