Solar Power Means Energy Security For Your Family's Future!

Paying bills is not fun. And paying your electricity tab is something you look forward to as much as going to a dentist. 

To add salt to the wound, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), energy prices have continually increased over the last decade, and that trend is expected to continue. In fact, EIA “ forecasts that U.S. residential electricity prices will average 13.4 cents/kWh during the summer cooling season, about 2% higher than last summer. The higher forecast prices primarily reflect higher actual generation fuel costs from 2018 that affect retail rates with a time lag, as well as rising electric transmission and distribution costs.”

Part of the reason for the increase is that fossil fuels - coal and natural gas, particularly, which are used to generate a large majority of electricity currently - are decreasing in supply. And as demand increases (we all want to charge our cell phones), the price naturally goes up.

There’s also the issue of climate change.

Longer and hotter summers mean more people using air conditioning, which is a major energy draw. Climate change also brings about worst and more natural disasters, and the damage to the power infrastructure is very cost intensive. 

All of this means that the financial security of your family is directly tied to your energy security. The easiest way to achieve this security is with renewable energy so that you're not  dependent on the decisions of the electric company.

The installation of solar panels on your roof can insulate you from this predicament. 

There is no doubt the initial cost of a solar power system is an issue for most families. A 5 kW system - the standard for an average U.S. home - goes from $11,000 to $16,000.
To find out how much it would be to cover the equipment and installation of a solar system for your home, you can get a fast, easy quote through the Hahasmart price checker that gives you this information in seconds by simply using your address and average monthly utility bill.

Do remember that there are government incentives, credits and even utility programs that help you offset this cost. 

Also, you have to put things in perspective. Let's say, for example, that you pay $150 a month in electricity, that $1,800 a year. In 10 years, that amounts to $18,000. And that’s at the current price of energy.

Meanwhile, the lifespan of a solar power system is of between 20-25 years and the average payback period is of between 6-8 years. That means for nearly two decades, the system will be essentially free, while it continues to reduce your energy bills.

The Benefits

These are not the only benefits. Your solar panels are supposed to produce the majority of power during the mid and early afternoon, when the sun is highest in the sky and electricity prices are also the most expensive. So even when you’re still tied to the electric grid and with new rate structures, you will be offsetting some of the additional costs.

Also, through net metering, many utilities allow you to sell the extra electricity you produce to them, as credit for when you need it at night, when the panels aren’t working.

Depending on the size of your solar power system and your energy needs, you could be producing more power than what you need, and thus, your margins will be higher. 
All of this without even thinking about the upsides for the planet.

The installation of solar panels on your home allows you to do your part in fighting the threat that global warming poses. The burning of fossil fuels increases air pollution and the release of greenhouse gases.

When you generate your own energy, you’re reducing the demand for other forms of electricity. And you’re doing it by tapping into an almost infinite source, the sun. 

Solar power is so tied to energy security that even the U.S. military is going against the Commander in Chief in this regard. Despite President’s Trump efforts to rescue the country’s ailing coal industry, “a new report from the Association of Defense Communities and Converge Strategies details how military bases are turning to renewables to guard against blackouts in the wake of floods, storms or cyber attack,” reports Cleantechnica.com

According to the report, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are developing the ability to launch cyberattacks on critical infrastructure — Russian hackers have already proven capable for breaking into the power grid. In response, bases are developing microgrids, installing wind turbines, solar panels, batteries and diesel generators that can supply power in the event the grid fails.

For instance, visitors entering Fort Benning, Georgia, are greeted by a large mechanical flower facing into the sun.

The "Smartflower," installed by the Directorate of Public Works at the Environmental Learning Center is a solar array that opens up at sunrise, mechanically tracks the sun throughout the day, generates electricity as the photovoltaic panels convert the light to electricity, and closes at sunset. The electricity it produces is enough to power the Environmental Learning Center - all except the building's climate control. 

The Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Mississippi hosts a 29,000-panel solar array that feeds into the power grid. There is also battery storage on site. In the event of a blackout, the generators, battery and solar panels will power the base.

The Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California also features a solar array and battery storage.

These are just examples of what you might call solar “military intelligence.”

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