With all the new craze about turning more environmentally conscious, many people are looking into alternate energy devices in order to replace their current electricity grid. Installing solar cells can be an expensive undertaking so it is important to evaluate all information carefully to know what to quantitatively expect from your system. In order to determine if installing photovoltaic devices will be beneficial for you, there are three main factors that one should look into. These three factors include insolation, local electricity prices and incentive programs.
Insolation refers to the amount of sunlight that any given area receives. This factor directly affects your decision because the less sunlight in your area gets, the less electricity will be produced. The map of the country below(1) gives a general idea of how much insolation is present in various regions. The higher the numbers are, the more insolation is available. More specific figures for isolation in various cities can be found at www.solarseller.com/solar_insolation_maps_and_chart_.htm
The second factor to consider is the cost of grid electricity in your area. This will help determine the payback time of investing in a photovoltaic system. An investor would have been considered to break even when the initial set up costs for the solar grid equal the amount of money that would have been spent on purchasing electricity on the older system. As shown below, the cost of electricity varies by state. The map shows the cost for electricity in cents per kWh in all fifty states.
The third concept to look into is incentives, including federal tax credit as well as local incentives. The Federal Government can give up to 30% tax credit for anyone that buys an alternative energy device. For example, the Local Rebate Program for installing photovoltaic systems in San Francisco, CA will give about $1000-$2,500 incentive for a residential installation. For a comprehensive list of all the incentives, check out http://www.dsireusa.org/
After taking insolation, cost of grid electricity and incentives into consideration, you will have a clearer idea of what to quantitatively expect when installing solar cells onto your roof. Although installing an alternative energy system will ultimately benefit the environment, installing the current system may not end up being a beneficial investment to the consumer for monetary purposes. In this case, it is up to the consumer's discretion to decide if they feel that a photovoltaic system is still a necessary investment.
Other Sources:
1.)Howard, George S. ""Where Are We Now?"" The Greening of Business: Solar as a Bridge to Our Hydrogen-electricity Future. Notre Dame, Ind.: Academic Publications, 2009. 31-34. Print.
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