Having solar panels installed on your roof demonstrates to your community that you're saving money on utility bills in an environmentally friendly way, and that you're also helping to keep energy costs down for your neighbors, too.
A study from the University of Texas at Austin, summarized by Inside Climate News, found that reducing the demand on the electricity grid can have huge benefits for all bill payers.
The research outlined how those with domestic solar panels reduce the stress placed on an electricity network, which deteriorates quicker in periods of high demand. Rooftop solar and community solar, coupled with battery storage, bypasses the wider grid, keeping demand low and extending the life of electrical grid infrastructure.
A simulation conducted by study lead author Nick Laws, which looked at a neighborhood-sized part of the grid over a period of 20 years, found that without alternative energy sources, it would cost $7.2 million a year to provide electricity.
But if households and businesses are incentivized to access clean energy from outside the grid, the costs would only be $4.2 million annually — even accounting for money used on incentive programs.
That means a $3 million reduction, or around 40%, of the costs of maintaining a grid-based electricity system a year, and those savings can be passed on to those who still access energy in that way.
So how can you be a community hero? Well, it starts with finding companies in your area that can provide and install solar panels.
Thankfully, comparison tools exist to make that job a little bit easier. EnergySage, for example, can help you find local suppliers and provide accurate quotes about the cost of installing this money-saving system.
While slashing the cost of your and your neighbors' bills, you'll also be benefiting the planet. According to the Energy Information Administration, the electric power industry was responsible for about 33% of the total U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2022. Making the most of pollution-free energy that solar panels create using light from the sun can significantly reduce the grid's planet-warming impact.
It all adds up to a win for everyone, and your neighbors will probably thank you for making their lives a little more affordable.
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