13 Best Solar Companies in South Portland, ME (Jun 2022 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in South Portland

Solar panels are powered by a free energy source — the sun — but before you can take advantage of this you must first pay to set up your panels. Some main factors that influence how much it will cost to install solar panels on your home and how much money you could save over time include:

• System size and type: Some models are more expensive than others, so the one you get can raise or lower your upfront cost. Plus, the more solar panels you need to get, the more it'll cost.
• Incentives: The federal solar investment tax credit currently lets you reduce your taxes by 26% of the project cost. Your state and city may also have various incentives that you can benefit from. Plus, you can save about $16,000 over 20 years on your utility bills, before factoring in incentives.
• The amount of sunlight your roof gets: If your rooftop doesn't get a lot of direct sunlight, your solar panels won't be able to generate as much energy, which will give you lower savings on energy bills than a roof that gets plenty of sunlight.
• How much energy you use: If your home regularly uses a lot of energy, you'll see more savings from going solar.

Because of solar panels decreasing in cost as well as various solar incentives, they are a worthwhile investment for many homeowners.

Solar Incentives in South Portland

Since solar power is more sustainable than burning fossil fuels, there are various government incentives in place to encourage people to make the switch. Regardless of where you live, you can take advantage of the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which lets you claim 26% of how much your solar project cost on your tax return, lowering the amount of taxes you owe that year. Plus, there may be some local incentives you can benefit from too. You can find out about the incentives you can use in the table below.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in South Portland

One reason so many people consider switching to solar power is to help lower their environmental impact. You may be wondering — how much do solar panels help the environment anyway? In a city like South Portland where energy use is rather high, making the switch to solar power is a fantastic idea for homeowners who care about the planet. Because solar panels don't release greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere when creating electricity, they're a good swap for traditional energy sources. In fact, you could be looking at reducing your carbon dioxide emissions by about 40 pounds each year. If you care about the environment, you'll most likely find that there are many advantages to adopting solar power other than just saving money on electricity. You can also help protect the environment, which some would argue is more valuable.