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A Few Reasons Why You Need to Consider Installing Solar Panels

While some may still find the concept a little over-dramatic, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that unless we make some rapid and substantial progress in reducing our reckless burning of fossil fuels, there is little hope for the future survival of our planet and the life on it. While the transition to electric and hybrid vehicles may appear helpful, just how helpful will depend entirely on how we continue to generate electricity. One viable solution to this impending crisis is for businesses and residents to install solar panels.

For those who may be less driven by altruistic concerns than by material interests, there is at least one highly practical reason for considering this option. While energy prices have always been subject to hikes, during the past decade or so, these increases have been both bigger and more frequent, despite the continued threat of load shedding that these very increases were intended to prevent. It seems pretty clear, therefore, that if even a portion of our electric power was obtained from solar panels, those monthly municipal bills could be reduced substantially.

It is reasonable to think of the sun as a near-infinite source of energy and a resource that will last for several billion years. That the photons in its rays are capable of interacting with certain materials to produce an electric current and that humans have learned how to leverage this ability to their benefit seems just short of a miracle, and it is one that we cannot afford to ignore. Each kilowatt of energy generated by solar panels offers the means to help stabilise electricity prices for business and homeowners by reducing the overall demand on the national service provider. It can also lead to fewer of those annoying brownouts and blackouts that disrupt industrial and commercial activities, as well as our home lives.

Some will, of course, maintain that the cost involved in embracing this new technology is prohibitive. While it is true that installing a number of solar panels is not a cheap exercise, governments in many parts of the world are offering incentives to those consumers who are willing to make this transition. Schemes include cash subsidies that help to reduce the initial purchase cost and agreements to buy excess power generated by homes and businesses.

The latter option is known as net metering and, while it is not yet available to all consumers in South Africa, those who are connected to medium and high-voltage lines are already receiving credits for the excess energy they export. It seems that Eskom has some reservations regarding the safety of connecting thousands of residential installations of solar panels to its distribution network. The national power provider does, however, have plans to extend grid-tying and the net metering option to all consumers eventually. In the meantime, some businesses may qualify to purchase their equipment free of VAT.

The reliability of a product can be an important factor with any purchase and, due largely to their complete lack of any moving parts that could otherwise become worn, these devices are exceptionally reliable. This is a quality that is seriously lacking in Eskom’s ailing power generation and distribution network on which we would otherwise be obliged to rely totally. Their simple construction means that solar panels should require very little maintenance beyond keeping their surfaces free of any dirt and detritus that might obstruct the entry of the incoming sunlight needed to produce a current from each of their photovoltaic cells.

Reducing your monthly bills while leveraging a sustainable natural resource could also vastly improve the future of the planet and all living things. These are certainly some compelling reasons to consider the purchase of solar panels as clean energy is good for the economy. When you are ready for change, give PacB Group a call.