How to Get Free Solar Panels (Yes, You Read that Correctly)

Solar Power technology has been in development since that late 1800s and has been available commercially since the 1950s. As a sustainable form of power, many people believe that although solar panels are an excellent investment in both home value as well as in the environment, they are also too expensive and unattainable for the standard middle-class family. The truth of the matter–you can get solar panels for free!

Here’s how:

• The Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) makes it completely free for households to have solar panels installed and maintained.
• Solar Panels dramatically lower energy costs of a household, and solar panel developers receive tax credit for contributions to environmental conservation.
• Solar power in the home is sold to the customer as a means of financing the panels themselves.

The Logistics Behind Solar Power Purchase Agreements

How it Works and What You Need to Know.

Getting free solar panels is so much easier than you would imagine. With zero money down, developers arrange the design, permitting, financing, and installation of a customer’s panels. The electricity generated from the household’s panels is sold to the customer at a rate lower than traditional electricity. The developer uses the income of these panels in conjunction with tax credits and other incentives to pay off the panels. After the PPA agreement is over (typically 10-25 years), the customer can either extend the agreement, buy the solar panels, or have them removed from the property. Cool, right?

Benefits of Going Solar

Saving money while saving the planet, what could be better?

• There’s Nothing Wrong with Going Green: Solar Power is a renewable resource that – unlike oil – we cannot exhaust. Traditional electricity is responsible for more than one third of CO2 emissions within the United States, while solar energy creates zero pollution. Plus, your neighbors will be stoked that you’re doing your part to help the Earth and the community.
  
• Solar Power Helps Improve Public Health: Natural gas and coal plants pollute both the air and water supply with carcinogenic pollution that can learn to not only cancer, but heart attacks, neurological damage, and breathing difficulties. With solar power’s zero carbon emissions and inability to pollute the water supply, we not only create a happier, healthier Earth, but happier and healthier people.
• Solar Energy Creates Jobs in a Growing Industry: Unlike the fossil fuel industry, careers within solar energy are labor intensive and involve steps of manufacturing and sales. That’s where the people come in. If you can’t tell by now, the use of solar panels is beneficial not only to you, but everyone around you.
• Solar Panels Save You Money: After an initial investment (that with PPA is often no money down), solar energy costs its users practically nothing. An annual energy expenditure is about $3,000 a year, but with solar energy most families save more than $1,000 a year, and that’s enough money for quite the weekend getaway. Over time, most households using solar panel eliminate their electricity bill completely.
• Solar Panels Increase Property Value: Home buyers understand the value of solar power, and are willing to pay money while buying a home to reap the benefits of solar panels for decades to come. On average, homeowners will see a $6,000 increase in home value per installed kilowatt of solar power – many times homes see up to an $18,000 increase in resale value by switching to solar power.
• Solar Panels Can Make YOU Money: Not only are solar households eligible for tax credits and incentives, but if your panels provide more energy to the grid than you are consuming, utility providers often pay you for the electricity you produce in a “net metering” plan. In other words – you are being paid for letting some solar panels chill on your roof.

By now we’re sure you’re convinced that solar energy is a great choice for you, your community, and your wallet.

Benefits and Challenges of Your Solar Power Purchase Agreement

Laying it all out on the Table.

The Benefits

Your PPA comes at you at no upfront cost, and provides your household with continuous, predictable energy costs. There are no performance or operating risks, and installation of panels show immediate results on your electric spending. Not only will these panels be a visible display of your dedication to environmental conservation, but you will significantly decrease your family’s carbon footprint while stimulating a portion of your local economy that does the same.

Challenges You May Encounter

Although your solar panels will be free of cost, your PPA may involve complex negotiations and long-term transaction costs than buying your panels outright. If your panels do not power your entire household, there is the hassle of paying for electricity from a traditional source and your solar developer. Due to an increase in home value, it is likely that property taxes will increase if you reassess your property value. These tradeoffs, however, seem minimal when considering the financial and environmental benefits your panels will lead to.

Are you ready to go solar yet? Your first step is contacting your local solar power provider and talking about their Power Purchase Agreements that are available in your area. From there, you’ll work with them on negotiations, planning out your system, and installing your panels. Once all is said and done, you’ll see immediate savings on your energy costs, and your carbon footprint will immediately shrink. Thanks to PPA and government initiatives towards cleaner, renewable energy, going green has never been easier.