18 Best Solar Companies in Olympia Fields, IL (2023 Reviews)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Olympia Fields

Although solar panels can save you money on power bills over time, it's important to consider the upfront costs. The installation cost is just one important factor you should keep in mind when looking into getting solar panels. How much it'll cost and how much you can save depend on things such as:

• Choice of solar panels: The type of solar panels you choose 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 you don't need to maximize efficiency, you can go with a higher number of more affordable panels.
• Incentives: The federal solar investment tax credit currently allows you to lower your taxes by 30% of the project cost. Your state and even local utility companies may also have incentives and rebates that you can benefit from. Plus, you can save about $13,000 over 20 years on your utility bills, without incentives.
• Whether or not your roof gets a lot of direct sunlight: This, and your roof configuration, affects affect how much power your solar panels can make.
• Your energy consumption: If your family regularly uses a lot of energy, you'll see more savings from installing solar panels.

So is buying solar panels worth it? Whether you'd like to reduce your electricity costs, carbon emissions or both, solar panels are a solid investment for many Olympia Fields homeowners.

Solar Incentives in Olympia Fields

To increase the adoption of solar power, incentives are offered by the government — and even some utility companies — to help make switching to solar power more economical and accessible. In addition to the federal solar investment tax credit, there are also some local programs, which in the majority of cases, can be claimed in addition to the federal incentive, so you get to save even more. For more information about incentives that apply to you, see our our article on solar incentives.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Olympia Fields

Replacing nonrenewable energy with solar power is a compelling way to do your part for a more sustainable future. But you may be wondering — how much exactly can you help the environment by using solar power? One thing to consider is your overall carbon footprint. For example, if you have a long commute time and have an electric vehicle, you can install solar panels on your home to power your EV and therefore help offset your carbon emissions. Though making solar panels emits carbon dioxide, the panels make up for it by greatly lowering the amount of CO2 you would have produced if you still used traditional energy. In Olympia Fields, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 90 pounds a year with solar panels. For people who are concerned about the environment, the upfront cost of solar is a small price to pay for offsetting your carbon emissions.