Anyone who has been paying attention over the last year or so is sure to have noticed all of the solar panels going up all over the valley! Why are so many people deciding to go solar, and why the big rush?

Why go solar?

There are many advantages of using a solar energy system to power your home! Let’s look at a few:

1. Saving the world! – It’s no secret that solar is a much cleaner way to produce electricity. By utilizing renewable energy, many homes are reducing their carbon footprint and helping the atmosphere stay clean. The average solar energy system can impact the environment by having the same effect as planting 3600 trees, removing 30 cars from the road, and preventing 154,500 lbs of coal from being burned. Utilizing a renewable energy source like solar is the environmentally responsible thing to do!
2. Saving some moolah! – Not only is going solar environmentally responsible, it can also save you some money on those monthly power bills. With Air Conditioning, TVs, video game consoles, computers, appliances, lights, and all of the other electricity-sucking necessities of life, those kilowatt hours (kWh) can really start to add up! Many people in Las Vegas are paying anywhere between $300 and $600 on their summertime energy bills. That can be more than some car payments! With a solar energy system, you use free sunlight to generate your power instead of limited, costly, and dirty fossil fuels. Some homes can save as much as 50% on their energy bills by switching to solar! Why spend more than you need to when there is a better way?
3. Stability & peace of mind! – NV Energy has been providing power to Las Vegas for decades, and they have done a great job at serving their customers. One thing, however, that most homeowners in the valley aren’t in love with is their ever-increasing rates! Since 2002, their rates have increased by 4.6% annually. With solar, you can eliminate your power bill altogether by purchasing a system outright OR lock in a low rate with a solar company and start saving day 1!

If utilizing a renewable energy source like solar can help save the world, save you money, and give you predictable energy bills, I guess the real question is: Why not go solar?

 

Why go solar right now?

There will never be a better time to go solar in Las Vegas than right now! Why is that, you ask? Well, to understand that, it is important to understand NV Energy’s Net Metering Tiers.

Essentially, Net Metering is how a solar home covers the cost of electricity they use during times when their solar energy system cannot produce power due to lack of sunlight; nighttime, extremely cloudy/rainy days, etc.

When a home’s solar system produces more electricity than the home needs, that excess energy goes back into NV Energy’s power grid. The homeowner is then compensated in the form of credits into their NV Energy account. Those credits go towards paying for electricity pulled from NV Energy’s grid during times when the solar system cannot produce electricity. That way, the homeowner doesn’t have to come out-of-pocket to pay for the electricity they use at night or on cloudy days; their solar system pays that for them!

Let’s break it down:

Let’s say your home’s Solar Energy System generates 1500 kWh during the day. During that day, your home only needs 1000 kWh to power everything. 1000 kWh goes from your system into your home to power all of your electronic goodies, but the excess 500 kWh goes back into the power grid and you are paid credits by NVE for that power. Then, since your system cannot produce power without sunlight, your home uses 500 kWh from the power grid at night that is paid for by the credits you earned through the overproduction during the day.

How much do you get paid for your overproduced electricity? That depends on which Net Metering Tier you get placed in. There are 4 tiers and each one gets a lesser percentage of compensation for their overproduced energy.

The first 80 megawatts (about 20,000 homes) installed get the highest rate of return at 95% of the retail value. The second tier gets 88%, and the percentage gets lower and lower with each lower tier. That’s why people are jumping on the solar train sooner rather than later, because everyone wants the highest percent return and the biggest bang for their buck!

For more information on Net Metering, check out these links!

NV Energy’s Net Metering

Public Utilities Commission – Net Metering

Right now, there is a program available to Las Vegas homeowners that allows the installation and operation of a solar energy system on qualified homes for NO OUT-OF-POCKET COST! That’s right, NO COST SOLAR!

Want more information or interested in finding out if your home qualifies for cheaper, cleaner energy at no cost to you? Click Here! Or speak with a professional solar consultant by calling (725) 201-8419 or emailing ContactLasVegasSolar@gmail.com!