Renewable Roofing: Save Yourself, Go Solar
With the cost of living increasing year after year, Americans everywhere are constantly looking for ways to cut back and stay within a budget, so they can enjoy a comfortable life for years to come. Once you cut back on leisurely spending, you’re left with the task of finding ways to save on necessities, such as housing, transportation, and utilities.
According to EnergySage.com, it’s not unusual for a family to pay about $1,856 annually for their electricity needs. Many households are offsetting this unavoidable cost with the help of solar power. Read on to find out how solar panels can affect your life and cash flow.
Going Solar Saves
Solar panels have become more accessible to residential homeowners in recent years due to technological advancements and lower costs. This renewable source of energy can reduce monthly bills without environmental impact, but it’s not for everyone.
Depending on your local electricity rates, it could be years before you see the savings from your investment; however, more often than not, you’ll begin saving as soon as the installation is complete. For example, one month after installation, homeowners in San Jose, California, can save about $123.17 on average. After 25 years, homeowners will have saved nearly $40,000.
The environmental conservation resulting from most solar system installations overshadows the financial savings. Before the homeowner is San Jose saves $40,000 at the end of 25 years, he will have cut out more than 100,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the environment. That’s quite a feat for making no change to your life.
In fact, the impact is so great that the Federal Housing Administration helps homeowners and buyers purchase energy-efficient homes or improve an existing home’s efficiency with the Energy Efficient Mortgage program and Energy Improvement Mortgage programs. These programs are designed to give borrowers higher loan amounts to cover the cost of solar panels and other updates, without increasing their down payments.
The government is backing energy efficiency at the residential level, so there must be something to it. Besides, there are other benefits to owning a home with solar panels.
Solar Specific to Your Home
No matter the type of home you live in or the amount of power you’re hoping to achieve, there’s an option that will work for you. If you’re lucky enough to own or purchase a home with a metal roof, things just got much easier.
Aside from the durability and eco-friendliness that already comes from a metal roof, installing solar panels is easiest with metal roofing. Any other roof does just fine, especially if it’s south-facing, but poses a set of challenges that bump up installation costs.
Tile roofing can be fragile and break under the weight of workers. These roofs also tend to take more time to work on and aren’t cheap. Wooden roofing materials raise fire hazard concerns and are not an option for solar panels in some areas. There are many types of roofing materials and methods, but metal roofs are the most conducive, cost-effective option.
Another benefit of metal roofing is that solar panels can easily be incorporated into the building’s design, making it blend seamlessly with the roof. You’ll notice this during and after installation.
Installing Solar on Metal Roofing
The easy installation of solar panels on a metal roof doesn’t mean it’s a DIY project you can tackle on your own. There are a lot of steps that have to happen before you’re reaping all the savings you can from a new solar roof. Some you can help, others you cannot.
First, an assessment and design, request for any necessary permits, the installation itself, inspection. Once the proper authorities have verified the installation was correct, you can start saving. The entire process can last between two and three months, but the installation itself is one of the quickest parts, lasting only a few days.
You’ll spend more time trying to gain an understanding of solar panels and their possible outcomes than is necessary to get them up and running. If you’re moving into a home with solar panels or planning on investing in them, then cash in on federal and state incentives. Do something for yourself and feel good about it.
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