A solar panel owner has used their YouTube channel to dispel some myths surrounding the technology, especially noting its benefits in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
Rowow (@Rowow) detailed that when the extreme weather event brought high winds to their area, the power grid was unavailable for most of their neighbors.
"Everyone around here is running generators. But I got my solar panels," they said in the video.
Rowow detailed that the belief that solar panels are expensive isn't true. The YouTuber bought used panels for around $1,000 over five years ago, and they've been working great since. While they might not be as efficient as panels bought new, they still provide plenty of power and kept the lights on during the hurricane while other local residents had no power.
What's more, they didn't have to use a generator, which would create noise, be expensive to run, and rely on fuel that was difficult to access in such a period of high demand.
Rowow also observed that costs for solar panels are going down all the time, which can allow you to boost your power generation with panels you can buy for cheap on the used market.
But even when bought new, solar technology is becoming more affordable thanks to incentives and tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act, allowing you to rely less on a grid that still heavily relies on dirty fuels and reduce your energy bills.
Rowow also wanted to point out that concerns about reliability shouldn't be so severe. Thanks to battery storage, they can generate power when the sun is shining and store it for later, which is especially important during and after a hurricane.
"The one thing that everyone knows about a storm is that it's always calm right after a storm," the YouTuber said, noting how periods of sunshine after the event allowed their panels to produce power easily and further boost what they had stored in the batteries.
🗣️ If you were to install home solar panels, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
🔘 Energy independence ⚡
🔘 Lower power bills 💰
🔘 Helping the planet 🌎
🔘 No chance I ever go solar 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
While Rowow may not be fully off-grid all the time, they have done a previous video discussing how they have their home set up to be independent of the grid, which is vital when extreme weather causes outages.
Interestingly, investing in solar energy can also reduce the risk of extreme weather events, as warming global temperatures make extreme weather conditions more intense and long-lasting.
Going solar can help to reduce the planet-warming pollution produced by energy companies as they work to keep up with demand — which further exacerbates these weather issues.
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