Solar power on the march

The speed of the solar revolution is exciting to those who have been touting this renewable energy source. Currently, in America, there are about 2 million homes with solar panels. There are about 90 million single-family homes, so that doesn’t seem like a lot. But we’re now on track to start adding a million new solar-powered systems each year. Solar is increasingly becoming a popular option to power the home of the future. But the truth is, there is really little choice in the matter. Fossil fuels will be gone by the middle of the century and there will be no option for these polluting fuels. It is imperative that the world begins to utilize solar energy as soon as possible. The race against time has already begun. The effects of global warming are being felt all over the planet.

Solar installations increasing at a rapid rate

The number of homes with solar “will tick up pretty quickly,” says Justin Baca, vice president of markets and research for Solar Energies Industries Association. The panels are becoming cheaper, growth is happening at double-digit rates each year, and some key policymakers are finally waking up. California recently passed a requirement that new homes include solar panels. Though solar power is cheaper and becoming increasingly popular, the industry is facing some serious obstacles. The permit and inspection programs are fragmented, explains Baca. Different jurisdictions and local governments have various versions of the building code, and they’re all interpreting them differently. “That makes for a very fragmented and inconsistent process that makes it burdensome for companies to install solar,” he says. For example, they could sell solar to a homeowner who is excited about getting the panels. But the permitting process takes three months, and then sometimes the customer gets frustrated and cancels. So even though California’s legislation was a win for the solar industry, it might be the outlier.

Solar power is becoming the norm

If solar becomes the norm, we’ll likely see it being integrated with smart energy management systems in the home, predicts Bywater. These will regulate the battery and the solar panels. “The real trick is for the system to know how to make someone comfortable and how to be aggressive on conserving energy,” he says. It should know the optimal temperature of the home and how to change it based on utility rates and the time of day to save money.

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save.

Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.