15 Best Solar Companies in Benton, IL (Mar 2023 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Benton

Solar panels are powered by a free energy source — the sun — but before you can take advantage of this you will need to pay to install your panels. There are a few factors you should consider when trying to figure out costs and your potential savings, such as:

• How much energy your home consumes: Homes that need plenty of power each month may require more solar panels and, therefore, more upfront cost, but will also save more on their energy bills over time.
• Incentives: One thing that can make your solar project cost less is the solar investment tax credit (ITC), which is a tax credit that's equal to a percentage of the project cost. You can also save on your utility bills, which can generate an average of $14,000 of savings over 20 years.
• Your income and budget: This affects what kind of solar panels you can afford.
• Average daily sunlight: Since Benton gets a decent amount of average daily sunlight, your solar panels can generally produce enough energy to power your whole home, which impacts how much you can save on your energy bills.

Though a solar panel system costs a decent chunk of money upfront, it can save you a considerable amount over time. The question of how much, though, depends on several factors, such as the angle of your roof and your local electricity rates.

Solar Incentives in Benton

If you're planning on making the switch to solar power, various government incentives and tax credits can immensely bring down your project costs and speed up the return on your investment. These incentives typically include cash rebates, tax breaks and/or performance-based incentives. They can cut how much you end up spending on installing solar panels by 30%, upwards of 50% depending on your location. For comprehensive information about incentives that apply to you, check out our our article on solar incentives.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Benton

Lots of people want to do what they can to help save the planet, which often is the main reason they're interested in installing solar panels. You may be wondering — how much does making the switch do for the planet anyway? In a city like Benton where energy use is rather high, installing solar panels is a good idea for people who are eco-conscious. In fact, if you make the switch to solar power, you could be looking at reducing your carbon dioxide emissions by about 90 pounds each year. As you can see, trading traditional energy for solar has so many other benefits apart from saving money. One of the most important ones is that you can help save the environment too.