The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Santa Cruz
Although the cost of installing solar panels has reduced dramatically over the past few years, most homeowners still find it to be a major expenditure. Several important aspects, such as the following, can affect both the overall cost and any possible savings:
- Whether or not your roof gets a lot of direct sunlight: This, along with your roof configuration, affects affect how much power your solar panels can generate.
- Electricity consumption: The average home in Santa Cruz doesn’t use much energy, and so may not see as many savings on their power bills.
- Incentives: Tax-paying citizens who install a solar energy system this year can save 30% of their installation costs by taking advantage of the federal solar investment tax credit. You can also save about $33,000 on your utility bills over 20 years without incentives.
- The type of solar panels you can purchase: This is dependent on your income and budget.
Even though a solar panel system is expensive up front, you can save a lot of money over time by using it. The amount, however, is dependent on a number of elements, such as the size of your solar panel system and your current electricity costs.
Impact of switching to solar in Santa Cruz
20 -year savings | $24,753.77 |
Estimated cost | $12,850.00 |
Estimated incentives | $3,341.00 |
Payback period | 5.6 years |
CO2 emissions prevented | 94,924 lbs |
Miles driven equivalent | 121,698 mi |
Over the course of 20 years, switching to solar in Santa Cruz can result in savings of $24,753.77. As a result, it would take 5.6 years for your solar array’s average cost of $12,850.00 to pay for itself.
Solar Incentives in Santa Cruz
There are numerous benefits to going solar as an investment. One of them consists of some financial savings-oriented government incentives. You can benefit from the federal tax credit, or ITC, when you install solar panels on your home. Your tax payment will currently be reduced by 30% of the price of your solar panels thanks to this credit. Additionally, you can frequently benefit from various local incentives to make additional savings. See our article on solar incentives for detailed information on Santa Cruz homeowner incentives.
Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Santa Cruz
To lessen their impact on the environment, many homes are considering adopting solar. But how much will going solar actually help? Installing solar panels can reduce part of your carbon dioxide emissions from driving a lot, which is helpful in cities like Santa Cruz where commute times can be rather long. Solar panels are a fantastic alternative to conventional energy sources because they don’t emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere while producing electricity. In fact, you could anticipate a 50-pound annual reduction in your carbon dioxide emissions. The initial cost of solar is a small amount to pay for offsetting your carbon emissions for those who care about the environment.