14 Best Solar Companies in Athens, NY (Mar 2023 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Athens

For lots of homeowners, whether or not you should invest in a solar energy system comes down to the cost. Some significant things that affect the cost and possible savings include:

• System size and type: Some models are more pricy than others, so the one you get can raise or lower your upfront cost. Plus, the more solar panels you need, the more it'll cost.
• How much electricity your home consumes: Homes that consume a lot of energy each month may need more solar panels and, therefore, be more expensive, but will also enjoy more savings over time.
• Incentives: Along with the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which lets you deduct 30% of your total installation cost, your state or local government may offer additional tax exemptions, credits or rebates that will help you save even more. Not including incentives, you can save an average of $17,000 over 20 years with your solar panels, too.
• Your power bills: This will influence how much you can save. In Athens, the average resident can save about $800 a year on their electricity bills.

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

Solar Incentives in Athens

Although solar power is typically a large investment, it can save you much money over time because of lower energy bills and government incentives. When you install solar panels on your house, you become eligible to claim the federal tax credit, or ITC. This credit currently lets you lower your tax bill by 30% of the cost of your solar panels. Plus, there are often some regional incentives that you can take advantage of to further cut back on the cost of solar of solar panels. Our article on solar incentives has more information on the incentives you can take advantage of in Athens.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Athens

An important reason so many people are considering installing solar panels is to help lower their environmental impact. You may be wondering — how much does making the switch help the planet anyway? One thing that can severely shape your carbon footprint is your commute time and how much you drive in general. If you switch to solar power and drive an electric car, you can significantly reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by charging your car at home. In Athens, the average homeowner can reduce their carbon footprint by 20 pounds a year once they go solar. As you can see, using solar power has so many other rewards apart from saving money. One of the main ones is that you can help save the planet too.