by Karen Dougherty
September 18, 2024
Solar energy is growing at a head-spinning pace in the United States and around the world. Utility-scale solar farms, also known as photovoltaic arrays, are cropping up everywhere – fields, farms, parking lots, and bodies of water. Fueling this growth is the fact that the cost of solar has dropped by an astounding 90% in the last decade.
This is welcome news in the quest to solve climate change, because sunshine is the ultimate carbon-free, renewable energy source. Anything we can do as individuals to move solar forward helps our collective transition away from fossil fuels. The bonus is, when we incorporate solar into our lives, we can also save money on energy costs. Sounds like a win-win.
How can individuals be a part of the change?
1. Investigate rooftop solar
When you think of solar, you probably think about rooftop panels. The big benefit of installing them on your home is they reduce or eliminate home energy costs. If you pair home panels with a battery, you also have backup power in the event of an outage. Although tax incentives can help, the main downside is significant upfront cost.
Before you even start down the rabbit hole of researching solar for your home, check out Project Sunroof. Using Google Maps technology, this site allows you to enter your address to find out instantly whether your home might be suited for rooftop solar. Certainly, having a few different providers come to your home would give you more comprehensive information, but this site is an effortless place to start.
As for tax incentives, they are available at the federal, state, and local levels. The caveat is they vary greatly based on where you live. Solar providers can help explain these benefits, but it’s always best to confirm with a tax advisor.
Rooftop solar can be a good option for many homeowners, but it’s not for everyone. Luckily, there are other ways to take part in the action, even for renters.
2. Explore community solar
Community solar helps people to take advantage of the benefits of solar energy if they don’t own a home or don’t want to put panels on their roofs. Signing up for one of these programs is like joining a health club instead of investing in a home gym, or becoming a member of a neighborhood pool instead of digging up your yard.
Here’s how it works: individuals typically pay a subscription fee to join in on a large solar array owned by a utility, corporation, or other organization. The array feeds energy to the grid, and members get a credit from their utility. Because the cost of solar energy is low, customers typically save money on their monthly power bills.
Some benefits of community solar:
- Gives renters, or owners in multi-tenant buildings, a chance to participate
- Provides an option for homeowners when rooftop solar isn’t optimal
- No upfront investment
- Typically saves customers on their energy costs
Some downsides of community solar:
- Not available everywhere
- Some programs have waiting lists
- Typically requires a contract or subscription
A quick online search will tell you whether you have access to a community solar program based on where you live.
3. Ask your energy provider about solar options
Call your energy provider and ask to speak about renewable energy, or take a look at their website. Some utilities offer customers the option to get their energy from solar or other renewable sources. By asking about – and by signing up for these programs – consumers signal to the market that there is demand. This will in turn create more renewable options.
4. Contact your elected officials
If you are interested in seeing more solar projects in your area, voice your interest to elected officials – local, state, and federal. They are more likely to support clean energy policies and projects if their constituents support them. For example, there is a bipartisan bill working its way through Congress aimed at easing permitting for things like solar projects and improving the transmission of clean energy.
5. Advocate for solar in your community
Do you have influence at a school, business, church, or other organization? Why not advocate there for exploring solar options? Many organizations have found they can reduce their reliance on oil and gas while saving money in the process.
Schools are ideal settings for solar. Financial help is often available through grants, donations, and tax incentives. The energy cost savings can go a long way to help with tight budgets. If you are connected to a school (or school system) in some way, ask if they are considering solar. If so, tell them about Generation 180, a non-profit offering free guidance for schools interested in adopting solar.
A quick word about the future of solar
As solar costs continue to plunge and new technologies emerge, individual access to solar energy will become even easier. Countless technological advances are working their way to the market including ultra-thin solar cells, solar paint, and solar windows. These should offer some lighter and cheaper alternatives down the road. But for now, there is a lot we can do as individuals to be part of the solar swap. With an energy source as boundless as the sun, it only makes sense for us to lean in and be a part of the solar transition.
Karen Dougherty left her full-time career in 2022 to focus on her passion – climate change. A trained climate leader, she started a website and writes a weekly blog to share information that is not alarmist or partisan, but is simple, pragmatic, and solutions-focused. You can follow her work at unheating.com.
