16 Best Solar Companies in Dekalb, IL (Mar 2023 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Dekalb

Although solar panels can help save you a decent chunk of change on electricity bills over time, it's important to know the upfront costs. Some key things that determine the upfront cost and potential savings over time include:

• How much you spend on energy: The average family in Dekalb spends around $900 a year on electricity alone, so you could end up with that much in savings.
• Choice of solar panels: The type of solar panels you buy will affect your total cost. High-efficiency monocrystalline panels will cost more upfront but can also save you more money 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.
• Incentives: The federal solar investment tax credit currently lets you lower your taxes by 30% of the project cost. Your state may also have incentives and rebates that you can benefit from. Additionally, you can save about $13,000 over 20 years on your utility bills, without incentives.
• Your home's orientation toward the sun: This, plus the configuration of your roof, affects affect how much electricity your solar panels can make.

So are solar panels worth it? Whether you're trying to reduce your electric bills, carbon emissions or both, solar panels are a great investment for many Dekalb homeowners.

Solar Incentives in Dekalb

Switching to solar power has lots of great benefits. Not only can it help preserve the planet, but you can also save some money on your installation with various government incentives. Regardless of where you live, you can take advantage of the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which will allow you to claim 30% of how much you paid for your solar installation on your tax return, lowering the amount of taxes you owe that year. Plus, there may be some local incentives that can save you some extra money too. For more information about local incentives, check out our our article on solar incentives.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Dekalb

One of the best reasons to adopt solar power is to reduce your reliance on nonrenewable energy sources like burning fossil fuels, which are harmful for the environment. Many homeowners might be wondering how much exactly they can impact the environment by switching to solar in Dekalb, though. If your family uses lots of energy, you can have an even greater impact on the planet by switching to solar energy. Once you go solar, your carbon dioxide emissions can be cut by about 90 pounds a year. For people who are worried about the environment, the upfront cost of solar is a small price to pay for the offset carbon emissions.