16 Best Solar Companies in Oakley, CA (Oct 2022 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Oakley

We get that for many homeowners, the choice to invest in solar comes down to installation costs. There are several factors you should take into consideration when trying to figure out how much it will cost and how much you can save, including:

• Average daily sunlight: Since Oakley gets lots of sunlight, your solar panel system will most likely be able to generate enough energy to power your whole home, which impacts how much your electricity bills will be.
• How much energy costs for you: The typical family in Oakley spends around $1,100 a year on energy use alone, so you could be looking at that much in savings.
• Incentives: Along with the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which lets you receive a tax credit curretnly worth 30% of your overall installation cost, your state or local government may offer additional tax exemptions, credits or rebates that can help you save even more. Aside from incentives, you can save an average of $33,000 over the first 20 years with your system, too.
• Your income and budget: This guides what model of solar panels you can get.

Although a solar panel system costs a decent chunk of money upfront, it can save you much more over time. The question of how much, though, depends on a number of factors, like the kind of solar panels you get and your current power bills.

Solar Incentives in Oakley

Because solar power is a cleaner source of energy than traditional energy sources, there are a number of government incentives available to encourage people to make the switch. On top of the federal solar investment tax credit, there are also some local benefits, which in almost all cases, stack with the federal incentive, so you can save even more. You can learn about the incentives you can use in the table below.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Oakley

One of the reasons so many homeowners consider going solar is to help lower their environmental impact. Many homeowners might be wondering how much exactly they can impact the environment by switching to solar in Oakley, though. One thing to consider is your overall carbon footprint. For example, if you spend a lot of time on the road and have an electric vehicle, you can use solar energy for your home to power your EV and therefore help offset your carbon emissions. Because solar panels don't release carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere when creating electricity, they're a good alternative to nonrenewable energy sources. In fact, you could lower your carbon dioxide emissions by about 50 pounds each year. Since energy from the sun is plentiful and generates electricity without CO2 emissions, making the switch to solar power is one easy step you can take to help the environment.