13 Best Solar Companies in Decatur, IL (Sep 2022 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Decatur

For a lot of homeowners, the decision to invest in solar panels comes down to the cost. Some key things that determine the cost and possible savings include:

• Incentives: Along with the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a tax credit currently worth 30% of your total installation cost, your local government may offer additional tax exemptions, credits or rebates that can help you save even more. Not including incentives, you can save an average of $16,000 over the first 20 years with your solar system, too.
• Average daily sunlight: Since Decatur gets a decent amount of average daily sunlight, your solar panels can generally produce enough energy to power your whole home, which affects how much your electricity bills will be.
• Choice of solar panels: The kind of solar panels you get will affect your total cost. High-efficiency monocrystalline panels are more expensive upfront but can also lead to more savings over the lifetime of your system. If space isn't a constraint for your project, you can go with a higher number of more affordable panels.
• Energy consumption: Installing a solar system may be too pricey an option for homes that don't consume too much energy per month.

Though a solar panel system costs a sizable chunk of money upfront, it can save you a considerable amount over the lifespan of your panels. The question of how much, though, depends on several factors, including the size of your solar panel system and your energy consumption.

Solar Incentives in Decatur

Because solar power is a cleaner source of energy than traditional energy sources, there are various government incentives available to encourage its adoption. Everyone can take advantage of the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which lets you claim 30% of how much you paid for your solar installation when you file taxes, lowering the amount of taxes you owe that year. Plus, there may be some local incentives that can save you some extra money too. You can learn about the incentives you can take advantage of in the table below.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Decatur

Lots of people want to do what they can for the environment, which in many cases is the chief motivation to install solar panels. You may be asking yourself — how much does going solar help the planet anyway? The more power your household uses, the the more the environment will benefit from you switching to solar since you won't have to rely on traditional energy sources as much. While making solar panels releases carbon dioxide emissions, the panels make up for it by significantly reducing the amount of CO2 you would have produced if you still used nonrenewable energy. In Decatur, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 100 pounds a year with solar panels. For homeowners who are worried about the environment, the upfront cost of solar is a small price to pay for the offset carbon emissions.