Help the Grid with Your Solar Energy
Solar energy has many benefits, you directly benefit from the financial benefits of reducing your bills and the increase to your property value. The benefits to your community are a cleaner environment and the work opportunities created by solar energy. However, the benefits aren’t just felt on a local level. They can also span nationwide to the entire electrical grid.
Reducing The Overall Energy Demand
When you install solar panels on your property, whether on your home or business, it would often go into two different types of use. If you are off the grid you are consuming all of the power made and storing the excess in batteries. If you’re taking advantage of net metering, the excess power you generate is stored in the grid as credits. The credits generated are used when your panels aren’t producing enough power. Either route means that you aren’t as taxing on the electrical grid. This reduces the demand for electricity that the grid needs to fulfill overall.
The times when solar power has its best impact in reducing demand are during the summer months. Most of the electricity demand throughout the US is during the summer months, also known as “summer-peaking.” The cause for this increased use is generally due to the hotter climate during the season. Many homes and businesses with appliances such as air conditioning, refrigerators, and freezers will be working hard during the hottest days of the year. The hottest day of the year will be when electricity usage and cost peak.
However, if your home and/or business has a solar energy system installed, this time of year will be the most ideal for you. With the sunlight and hotter temperatures, your solar panels will be making the most power they possibly can for the whole year. While most households are worried about their power usage during these months, you can relax knowing that your panels are working at their best. That surplus of energy can help, whether through the net metering that saves up credits for rainy days or charging batteries for a backup power source.
This independence directly benefits the grid, as the power that would have gone to your home or property, is being distributed elsewhere. Meaning that demand has gone down during these peak times, resulting in reduced stress on the grid and electricity prices in your state or region.
Lighten the grid’s load with solar energy.
When you receive your electricity bill for your utility company, it comes in two charges. One charge is for the electricity used by your home/property, and the other is for transmitting the electricity to your home. This transmission charge can be reduced or eliminated by installing a solar energy system. It also reduces the load on the transmission and distribution lines, as the grid wouldn’t need to provide as much power to your home.
Imagine if more people in your neighborhood started installing and using solar energy for their homes and business. This would reduce the amount of electricity being used in the entire area, reducing the load on the electrical grid in the area. The transmission and distribution systems won’t be as stressed, avoiding installing more poles and lines to provide power. Your utility company will save an enormous amount of money, as they won’t need to upgrade the electrical grid. Your community could avoid any large construction projects that can disrupt day-to-day life.
Savings for everyone.
In terms of price reduction, solar power can reduce the price of electricity from the grid. The energy your solar power generates offsets the amount of energy generated and sent by the grid. Less energy used overall means more savings for everyone on the grid. Savings are the most tempting part of making the switch to solar. You can see the trend of switching to solar from the US EIA’s (Energy Information Administration) solar electricity net generation chart. The amount of small-scale solar power generated in commercial and residential sectors keeps increasing.
The increase in solar power being generated nationwide increases year by year. The EIA’s Electric Power Annual for 2020 notes that solar power account for 3% of all electricity generated in the country. Although, the EIA projects this amount to go up to 20% by the year 2050. So you can expect more and more homes, businesses, and companies to make the switch to solar power.
We can help you reduce the stress on the grid
We at Elite Solar Energy can help you get started with your switch to solar energy. Our website has a free online estimate tool that generates a personalized report for you from a simplified questionnaire. That report will contain the potential savings you can net, and the cost of a solar energy system install on your property. You can also contact us directly via phone +1 (602) 363-8919 or via email at Scott@elitesolarenergy.org for more information regarding solar energy for your property.