17 Best Solar Companies in Ottumwa, IA (Mar 2023 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Ottumwa

Solar panels run off a free energy source — the sun — but to take advantage of this you first need to pay to set up your system. Some significant things that impact the upfront cost and potential savings over time include:

• Energy consumption: Solar may be an expensive investment for homes that don't consume a good amount of energy a month.
• Incentives: The federal solar investment tax credit, which everyone qualifies for, allows you to deduct 30% of the cost of installing your solar panel system from your taxes. In addition, not including incentives, you can save about $19,000 over 20 years on your energy bills.
• The amount of sunlight your roof gets: If your roof doesn't see much direct sunlight, your solar system won't be able to produce as much energy, which will give you lower savings on electric bills than a roof that gets a lot of sunlight.
• The type and model of solar panels you're planning on getting: More high-tech panels are more highly priced, so that will affect your budget for your solar project.

Though a solar panel system costs a decent chunk of money upfront, it can save you much more in the long term. The question of how much, though, depends on a number of factors, such as the angle of your roof and your energy consumption.

Solar Incentives in Ottumwa

Since solar power is a cleaner source of energy than traditional energy sources, there are several government incentives available to encourage its adoption. No matter what state you live in, you can take advantage of the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which will let you claim 30% of how much you paid for your solar installation on your tax return, reducing the amount of taxes you owe that year. Additionally, there may be some state and city incentives you can benefit from too. For comprehensive information about incentives that apply to you, check out our our article on solar incentives.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Ottumwa

If you want to add solar panels to your home, one of the primary reasons why may be to lower your reliance on nonrenewable energy. A question many people might have in mind is how much can they really help protect the environment by switching to solar power anyway? If your family uses a lot of energy, you can have an even greater impact on the planet by switching to solar power. In fact, if you adopt solar power, you could expect to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by about 100 pounds each year. The perks of solar power are abundant — just like solar power is! That's why so many people have been happy with making the switch to solar.