Solar Panels Are a Solid Investment for Sacramento Homeowners
Will switching to solar really save you money? For Sacramento homeowners, the simple answer is yes. Many factors determine how much any homeowner will save with solar, but there are at least three reasons why solar and Sacramento are a particularly good fit.
- Although solar panels can absorb energy even on cloudy days, direct sunlight offers the highest rates of absorption and, as a result, produces the most electricity. Sacramento is the 10th sunniest city in the United States, with more sunny days on average than Los Angeles, Miami and even Albuquerque. Of course, we do have our cloudy days. But when compared to most of the U.S., our generally hot, clear and dry weather makes Sacramento a great place for solar.
- At the end of 2018, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) introduced “Time-of-Day” rates. Under the new pricing system, SMUD customers pay more to use electricity at peak times. In the summer months, SMUD splits the day three ways: off-peak, mid-peak and peak. Both the mid-peak and peak rates of summer are higher than pre-2018 rates. When you opt in to solar, you opt out of those high summer peak rates. By producing your own energy in the summer, you avoid paying a rate that’s more than double the pre-2018 rates.
- You may be able to further reduce your energy bill by participating in net metering, which is the process of sending surplus energy to the utility company in exchange for credit. Some sources have identified Sacramento as the sunniest place on the planet in the months of July, August and September. Whether or not this is precisely true, net metering allows homeowners to benefit from our long, clear summer days, as their solar panels produce energy to power the rest of the sweltering city.
Solar panels do require an upfront investment, but if you’re a Sacramento homeowner, chances are good that solar will help you save money in the long run.
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