Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In addition to being more environmentally friendly in terms of powering homes and businesses, there are financial incentives for incorporating this type of technology and one state in the union seems to be leading the charge in terms of its usage. The following contributed post is entitled, Why More Iowans Are Using Solar Panels in Their Homes and Businesses.
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Thanks to a number of incentives available, more and more Iowans have been adopting the use of solar panels in their home. Whether it’s tax incentives or easement laws, it’s become easier than ever to start using solar as your renewable energy source of choice. Regardless if you’re a homeowner or a business owner, solar can reduce your energy bills by a significant amount and also offer you a number of other benefits depending on your use case.
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/mIlvCv21W1s (CC0)
What are the benefits of solar energy?
Solar panels come with a range of different benefits, but the most important ones are:
● A renewable energy source that reduces your carbon footprint.
● Reduced electricity bills thanks to solar energy powering many devices and electronics in your home.
● Low maintenance costs due to no moving parts and high reliability.
● Low maintenance as a user; all you need to do is clean it occasionally to remove debris and dirt that covers the panels.
● Constant technological improvements to efficiency and power generation.
● Space-saving design; solar panels typically stay on your roof and don’t demand extra space in your home or business.
The average cost of solar panel installations in Iowa
According to Energy Sage, the average cost of installing a solar panel in Iowa ranges from $14,408 to $19,492. This can seem extremely expensive, but it offers a constant return in the form of energy savings and there are many financial options and incentives to help you afford the installation. For many businesses and homes, you can expect to get your investment back in just 8 years. This is also known as the solar payback period. After that 8 year mark, any savings from solar are going to be pure savings that will be helping you save money.
These numbers are a rough estimate so it’s important to get in touch with a local solar company such as Iowa Solar to help you crunch the numbers and give you an accurate estimate based on your use case and location. Although the amount of sunlight that Iowa gets per year is fairly average by U.S. standards, it’s the incentives that have helped push many Iowans to adopt solar in their homes and businesses.
Iowa’s history as a renewable energy leader
Even back in March, Iowa passed important legislation that provided opportunities for solar energy to grow in the state. The bill highlighted the codifying of net metering in Iowa law and the grandfathering of existing customers into their current plans. It also discussed the transition to a Value of Solar rate in the future. Thanks to this legislation, Iowa’s solar industry has become a little more predictable and will continue to focus on low costs for all customers for both residential and commercial uses of solar.
Iowa has been a leader in renewable energy sources for many years now. They’ve constantly been pushing for wind and solar investments and, thanks to many collaborations between different organizations, Iowans have continued to enjoy the benefits of the state’s transition to clean energy at all levels.