18 Best Solar Companies in Elma, NY (Mar 2023 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Elma

Although solar panels can help save you a decent chunk of change on energy bills over time, it's important to know the startup costs. There are quite a few factors you should take into consideration when trying to figure out costs and your potential savings, including:

• Incentives: The federal solar investment tax credit, which everyone in the U.S. is eligible for, lets you deduct 30% of the cost of your solar system installation from your federal taxes. In addition, not including incentives, you can save about $12,000 over 20 years on your energy bills.
• The amount of sunlight your city gets: Because of Elma's relatively low amount of average daily sunlight, you might not see as many savings on your electric bills.
• The make and model of solar panels you're planning on getting: More high-tech panels are more highly priced, so that will determine your budget for your solar project.
• The cost of energy for you: If your local utility rates are high, there's a good chance you'll see a higher return on your investment in solar panels. In Elma, you can save an average of $50 a month on your electricity bills.

Because of solar panels decreasing in cost as well as several solar incentives, they are a solid investment for most homeowners.

Solar Incentives in Elma

One of the good things about installing a solar panel system is receiving federal and potentially state incentives. When you install a solar panel system on your home, you can claim the federal tax credit, or ITC. This credit currently reduces your tax bill by 30% of the cost of your solar panels. In addition, there are often some state and city incentives that you can use to further save. Our article on solar incentives goes over more information on the incentives you can take advantage of in Elma.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Elma

Lots of people want to do what they can to help protect the planet, which often is the prime reason they're interested in installing a solar system. Something many people might have in mind is how much can they really help protect the environment by switching to solar power anyway? The average person has a sizable carbon footprint. Between their car, which releases over 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions every year, and electricity for their home, it can be overwhelming to think about what to do. Installing solar panels is one of the easiest things you can do to help. In fact, if you adopt solar power, you could be looking at reducing your carbon dioxide emissions by about 20 pounds each year. For homeowners who are concerned about the environment, the upfront cost of solar is a small price to pay for reducing your carbon footprint.