17 Best Solar Companies in Plainfield, NJ (Aug 2022 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Plainfield

Even though solar panels can save you a decent chunk of change on energy bills over time, it's important to know the startup costs. The cost and possible savings vary depending on some key factors 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 save you more money 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.
• How much sunlight your roof gets: If your roof doesn't get a lot of direct sunlight, your solar panels won't be able to make as much energy, which will give you lower savings on electric bills than someone with a roof that gets a lot of sunlight.
• Incentives: Along with the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a tax credit currently worth 26% of your total installation cost, your state or local government may offer additional tax exemptions, credits or rebates that can help you save even more. Aside from incentives, you can save an average of $15,000 over 20 years with your solar panels, too.
• Energy consumption: Solar may be a high-cost option for homes that don't need too much energy a month.

As a result of the cost of solar panels being lower than before as well as several solar incentives, they are a worthwhile investment for many homeowners.

Solar Incentives in Plainfield

If you're thinking about making the switch to solar power, a number of government incentives and tax credits can greatly reduce the installation costs and expedite the return on your investment. You can qualify for the federal solar investment tax credit (ITC) for the tax year you turn on your solar panels. You can also potentially use the ITC with other state and city rebates and benefits. For comprehensive information about incentives that apply to you, check out the table below.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Plainfield

There are many reasons to switch to solar energy, like saving on electricity bills and helping to lower your carbon footprint. You may be asking yourself — how much does going solar do for the planet anyway? The average person has a considerable carbon footprint. Between their car, which releases over 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year, and powering their home, it can be overwhelming to think about what to do. Using solar power is a practical thing you can do to help. Even though making solar panels emits carbon dioxide, the panels make up for it by considerably reducing the amount of CO2 you would have been responsible for if you still used traditional energy. In Plainfield, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 60 pounds a year with solar panels. For people who want to help the environment, the upfront cost of solar is a small price to pay for reducing your carbon footprint.