16 Best Solar Companies in Watertown, WI (Mar 2023 Review)

The Cost and Benefits of Solar in Watertown

Solar panels are powered by a free energy source — the sun — but to take advantage of this you will need to pay to install your panels. The installation cost is just one important factor you should consider when looking into getting solar panels. How much it'll cost and how much you can save depend on things including:

• Energy consumption: Installing a solar system may be too steep of an option for households that don't use a lot of energy a month.
• The type of solar panels you want to get: Some are more expensive, so that will affect your budget for your solar project.
• How much energy costs for you: The typical household in Watertown shells out around $1,600 a year on home energy use alone, so you could be looking at that much in savings.
• Incentives: Tax-paying citizens who buy and install a solar energy system this year can save 30% of their installation costs by taking advantage of the federal solar investment tax credit. You can also save about $20,000 on your electricity bills over 20 years excluding incentives.

There are many great benefits of solar despite the upfront cost of installation. It can help the Earth and your wallet. Additionally, it can boost the value of your home, resulting in even more benefits if you choose to sell your home later.

Solar Incentives in Watertown

In order to increase solar panel installation and usage, federal and local governments — and even some utility companies — offer incentives to help make solar more economically viable and accessible. On top of the federal solar investment tax credit, there are also some state- and city-level benefits, which in most cases, stack with the federal incentive, so you can save even more. Our article on solar incentives has more information on the incentives you can benefit from in Watertown.

Environmental Impact of Switching to Solar in Watertown

Making the switch to solar power is a powerful way to do your part for a cleaner and more sustainable future. But you may be curious — how much exactly can you help the environment by making the switch to solar? According to the EPA, electricity production is the second greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions and about 62% of our electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels. Installing solar panels and switching to renewable energy can help reduce that statistic in a city like Watertown that produces a sizable amount of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Since solar panels don't release carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere when producing electricity, they're a good substitute for traditional energy sources. In fact, you could lower your carbon dioxide emissions by about 80 pounds each year. Since solar energy is abundant and makes electricity without releasing carbon emissions, making the switch to solar power is one easy step you can take to help protect the environment.