Starting off with some numbers, the average US household uses about 10,000 kWh of electricity annually. This could be improved from a home improvement standpoint with better windows, better appliances, and better insulation. These cost saving improvements alone would save hundreds of dollars a year. Replacing incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones is another cost saving opportunity that many people are using (and it is a fairly cheap upgrade now as well).
Little things such as turning the TV off at night and turning lights off when you aren’t using them can also have an impact. However, the only way to finally break your ties to the power grid is through residential solar power. While costly at first, rest assured that the savings will quickly add up.
Finding the Right Size
There are a variety of residential solar power systems available for residential use. They range, for residential purposes, from 1,000 to 25,000 watt systems, rated for 50 to 1600 square feet homes. Over 25 years, a 10,000 watt system will save a homeowner nearly $ 50,000 while using 10,000 kWh a year. The savings scale with the size of the system and household energy consumption, so your own savings might be larger or smaller with residential solar power.
Many people choose to supplement rather than replace their reliance on the power grid with residential solar power as solar power systems powerful enough to supply enough electricity for the average home are still a little expensive. $ 75,000 is a bit much for the average homeowner to get off the grid, even though those savings will help the system pay for itself in a decade or so.
However, you also need to take into account the tax credits that can be applied at both the state and federal level. For a variety of home improvements that make your house green, you can get valuable tax credits. That $ 75,000 solar power system listed above could get nearly a $ 35,000 tax credit, effectively lowering its cost to $ 40,000. Tax credits greatly decrease the cost of residential solar power, spurring the market with monetary incentives.
As our cars make the transition from gasoline engines to electric motors, our power grid will be taxed even further. By beginning to upgrade our power grid with smart technologies and making our homes energy independent with residential solar power, we can ensure the safety of our energy grid for years to come, all while saving ourselves money and protecting the environment.
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