11 Best Solar Companies in Riverside, IL (Mar 2023 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Riverside

Solar panels are powered by a free energy source — the sun — but to take advantage of this you will first need to pay to install your system. Some important things that determine the upfront cost and potential savings over time include:

• Incentives: Along with the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which lets you receive a tax credit curretnly worth 30% of your overall 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 $13,000 over the first 20 years with your solar panels, too.
• Choice of solar panels: The kind of solar panels you get will affect your total cost. High-efficiency monocrystalline panels will cost more upfront but can also lead to more savings over the lifetime of your system. If you don't need to maximize efficiency, you can opt for a higher number of more affordable panels.
• Electricity consumption: The average home in Riverside uses a decent amount of, and as a result may save on their energy bills.
• Your city: This affects how much sunlight your roof receives, which helps determine how many panels you need.

There are lots of great benefits of solar despite the upfront cost of installation. It can help the planet and your bank account. Additionally, it can increase the value of your home, giving you even more benefits if you want to sell your home later.

Solar Incentives in Riverside

Adopting solar power has a lot of great benefits. Not only can it help protect the environment, but you can also save a good amount of money on your installation with various government incentives. When you install solar panels, you become eligible to claim the federal tax credit, or ITC. This credit currently reduces your tax bill by 30% of the cost of your solar panels. Plus, there are often some local incentives that you can benefit from to further save. Our article on solar incentives goes over more in-depth information on the incentives you can find in Riverside.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Riverside

One of the best reasons to switch to solar energy is to reduce your dependence on nonrenewable energy sources like burning fossil fuels, which are hazardous for the environment. You may be trying to figure out — how much does going solar help the environment anyway? In a city like Riverside where energy use is rather high, making the switch to solar power is a great idea for homeowners who are worried about the state of the planet. After you go solar, your carbon emissions can be lowered by about 90 pounds every year. If you want to do what you can for the environment, you'll most likely understand that there are many benefits of adopting solar power other than just saving money on bills. You can also help preserve the environment, which some would argue is more valuable.