The future of solar energy is so bright that I'm not even going to use any clichés about sun glasses or what have you. I will say, however, that the full brightness can't be appreciated until you factor in the concept of net metering.
There are many environmental and political reasons for going solar. This clean energy also presents us with a platform that is not reliant on coal, foreign oil or fossil fuels. It seems like a natural choice for energy production, but the cost of installing solar systems is not cheap. Fortunately, the tax incentives and favorable loan options have gone a long way to overcoming this problem. The real cherry in the pie for some people, however, is the concept of net metering.
How much did your utility charge you last month for electricity? Go ahead and dig out the bill or just make an estimate. Now, what if you could get that figure eliminated or reduced to next to nothing month after month? Consider how much money you would save over 1 year, 10 years or 30 years. Well, that is what net metering is all about.
What is net metering? It is a glorious thing. At its core, it refers to the reduction of your electrical bill by selling electricity generated by your solar panels back to the utility company. Huh? Think the process through. How much electricity do you use during the day on say Wednesday? The usual answer is not a lot because most of us are at work while the kids are at school. During this time, the energy produced by the solar panels on the house can be fed back into the electrical grid automatically. When this happens, the electric meter on your home actually runs backwards. When you need electricity at night, the meter then runs forward. Each month, you pay for the net meter reading which is the difference between what you use and what you put back in the system. This is often nothing or a few bucks.
Is there any downside to net metering? Yes and no. The only real downside is some states don't offer it, so you need to check before you rush out to buy a system. The second downside is very minor. While you can reduce your bill to nothing, you cannot actually generate money from the utility by selling them more energy than you use. If that occurs, your bill is simply zeroed out.
There are a lot of benefits to going with solar energy. That being said, don't forget the often overlooked cash savings associated with net metering.
Thomas Ajava writes for SolarCompanies.com - learn more about solar energy as an energy solution and application.
