15 Best Solar Companies in Champaign, IL (Feb 2023 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Champaign

We understand that for lots of homeowners, the choice to invest in solar depends on installation costs. Some important things that affect the upfront cost and potential savings over time include:

• The amount of sunlight your roof gets: If your rooftop doesn't see much direct sunlight, your solar panel system won't be able to produce as much energy, which will leave you with lower savings on power bills than someone with a roof that gets lots of sunlight.
• Incentives: One thing that can save you money on your solar project 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 energy bills, which can give you an average of $13,000 of savings over 20 years.
• How much you spend on energy: The average household in Champaign spends around $890 a year on energy use alone, so you could gain that much in savings.
• Energy consumption: Solar may be too pricey an option for homes that don't consume a lot of energy a month.

Even 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, like the angle of your roof and your energy consumption.

Solar Incentives in Champaign

One of the good things about installing a solar panel system is receiving government incentives. Regardless of where you live, you can take advantage of the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which will let you claim 30% of your project costs on your tax return, lowering the amount of taxes you owe that year. Additionally, there may be some local incentives that can save you some extra money too. For more information about incentives that apply to you, check out our our article on solar incentives.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Champaign

Switching to solar energy can have a positive impact on the environment. You may be trying to figure out — how much do solar panels help the planet anyway? If your household uses a lot of energy, you can impact the environment even more by switching to solar energy. Because solar panels don't release carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere when generating electricity, they're a good trade for traditional energy sources. In fact, you could be looking at reducing your carbon dioxide emissions by about 100 pounds each year. Since solar power is abundant and generates electricity without free from carbon dioxide emissions, making the switch to solar power is one easy step you can take to help preserve the environment.