Salem, Oregon is a pretty progressive place, though perhaps not as progressive as Portland. That said, residents are often very cognizant of their carbon footprints and seek out more sustainable energy sources for their homes and cars. There are many pros to having solar panels on your roof, but have you considered the cons? Let’s take a look into the exciting world of solar energy on roof tops.
Pros
- It is good for the environment. Solar panels harness the natural energy of the sun to provide power for your home or business.
- There are certain tax credits and other incentives from the government to install and utilize solar panels.
- Batteries from Tesla (Tesla Powerwall) can feed solar energy to your home during the peak hours (higher prices) to save you money.
- You will save money on your monthly electricity payments. There are certain areas in the U.S. where a fully-financed solar grid will cost less per month than your monthly savings!
Cons
- It is expensive to install solar panels up-front. The technology is still fairly young and solar panel manufacturing is quite expensive. There’s no getting around that fact.
- If you don’t like the look of solar panels on your roof, the aesthetics can be considered a con.
- Cloudy weather and shaded areas reduce the effectiveness of solar panels
- Batteries to store excess solar power during the day can be quite costly.
Source: NRG Upgrade.
At this time, Slate & Slate Roofing does not install solar panels. However, Understand Solar reports that many homeowners are already starting to save big money from professionally installed rooftop solar panels. If you are interested in learning more about solar roofing systems or want an estimate from a professional Salem roofer, give us a call today at (503) 585-2338.