11 Best Solar Companies in Highlands, TX (Feb 2023 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Highlands

Solar panels run off a free energy source — the sun — but to take advantage of this you will need to pay to set up your system. There are quite a few factors you should consider when trying to determine costs and your potential savings, such as:

• Your income and budget: This guides what kind of solar panels you can buy.
• How much sunlight your roof gets: If your roof gets limited direct sunlight, your solar system won't be able to make as much energy, which will leave you with lower savings on energy bills than a house with a roof that gets plenty of sunlight.
• How much energy you use: If your home needs to use a lot of energy, you'll see more savings from installing solar panels.
• Incentives: The federal solar investment tax credit, which everyone in the U.S. is eligible for, lets you deduct 30% of the cost of installing your solar panel system from your federal taxes. In addition, not including incentives, you can save about $19,000 over 20 years on your energy bills.

So is a solar system worth it? Whether you'd like to lower your electricity costs, carbon emissions or both, solar panels are a solid investment for many Highlands homeowners.

Solar Incentives in Highlands

Although solar power is typically a big investment, it can save you much money over time because of smaller utility bills and government incentives. Regardless of what state you live in, you can take advantage of the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which allows you to claim 30% of your project costs when you file taxes, reducing the amount of taxes you owe that year. Plus, there may be some state and city incentives you can benefit from too. For more information about incentives that apply to you, see our our article on solar incentives.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Highlands

If you're planning on adding solar panels to your home, one of the major reasons why may be to lower your greenhouse gas emissions. But you may be wondering — how much exactly can you help the planet by going solar? Regardless of your location, you can help save the environment by switching to solar energy, but homes that consume more energy will have a greater impact. While solar panel manufacturing emits carbon dioxide, the panels make up for it by greatly decreasing the amount of CO2 you would have been responsible for if you still used nonrenewable energy. In Highlands, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 80 pounds a year with solar panels. Since energy from the sun is plentiful and makes electricity without releasing carbon emissions, making the switch to solar power is one easy step you can take to help the planet.