The benefits of solar panels: why go solar?

Why go solar: environmental benefits

The second primary reason people install solar is for the environmental benefits. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the electric sector accounts for 27 percent of America’s carbon emissions. Fossil-fuel fired power plants create carbon emissions, as well as contribute to local air pollution in areas close to power plants.

Going solar helps avoid rising energy costs. ​By installing solar, you can reduce your own personal environmental footprint. When you put a solar panel system on your property, you can avoid purchasing carbon-emitting electricity from the grid, pulling directly from your solar panels instead. And even when you’re not using the solar electricity directly, you’re offsetting the need for carbon-emitting generation by putting your solar energy onto the grid. At the end of the day, a typical residential solar panel system will eliminate three to four tons of carbon emissions each year—the equivalent of planting over 100 trees annually.

For businesses, going solar can demonstrate your commitment to sustainability, increasing employee morale while also demonstrating sustainable values to potential customers.