12 Best Solar Companies in Bern, PA (Mar 2023 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Bern

Solar panels are powered by a free energy source — the sun — but before you can take advantage of this you will need to pay to set up your panels. Some key things that determine the cost and possible savings include:

• The type of solar panels you're thinking of getting: More high-tech panels cost more, so that will influence your budget for your solar project.
• Incentives: Along with the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which gives you a tax credit currently worth 30% 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. Excluding incentives, you can save an average of $14,000 over the first 20 years with your solar system, too.
• Typical energy usage: The more power your household uses on average and the greater your current power bills are, the more benefits you'll see from switching to solar.
• Your power bills: This will influence how much you can save. In Bern, the average resident can save about $1,000 a year on their electricity bills.

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

Solar Incentives in Bern

If you're considering switching to solar energy, a variety of government incentives and subsidies can greatly reduce the cost of the project and speed up the return on your investment. No matter what state you live in, you can take advantage of the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which lets you claim 30% of how much you paid for your solar installation when you file taxes, lowering the amount of taxes you owe that year. In addition, there may be some state and city incentives that can save you some extra money too. In our article on solar incentives, you can read about the incentives you qualify for in Bern.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Bern

There are a few primary reasons why many people are interested in solar energy: to put more money in their bank account and to help the planet. But how much can installing solar panels actually help the environment? The more power your house uses, the the more the environment will benefit from you switching to solar as you won't have to rely on traditional energy sources as much. Because solar panels don't release CO2 emissions into the atmosphere when generating electricity, they're a good substitute for traditional energy sources. In fact, you could expect to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by about 50 pounds each year. If you want to do your part for the environment, you'll likely find that there are many good things about adopting solar power other than just saving money on bills. You can also help preserve the environment, which some would argue is worth more.