It seems more and more people are embracing solar energy as a way to offset their monthly electrical costs. More houses are adding solar panels to their roofs and more businesses are utilizing tax incentives for switching to this efficient energy source. Many people say solar is the future of energy, but what makes it so great? Why is solar better than electricity? Aside from costing less and being a renewable resource, switching to solar also has a wide array of positive effects on the environment. Scientists continually put out research showing why and how solar could be part of the answer to global warming.

Benefits of Solar Energy

You might be wondering if it's really worth it to buy solar panels, and the answer is yes! First and foremost, using solar energy can greatly help the environment by reducing the emissions of harmful greenhouse gases that come with using electricity and fossil fuels. Many people don't realize that even electricity contributes to global warming because fossil fuels are burned to create it, which means the earth needs an alternative to even this cheaper source of power. Solar power is clean energy that can be harvested and converted everywhere and even stored for cloudy or rainy days. It even reduces the risk of exposing humans to harmful chemicals such as happens in coal mines or on oil rigs and can have dangerous health effects.

Aside from the environmental benefits, there are also a plethora of financial benefits for you if you switch over to solar. Depending on how many panels you install and how much sun your house sees each day, you could greatly reduce or even eliminate your entire energy bill. Solar power can take over everything that runs on electricity in your home without you relying on the power company to supply it. This means the energy you get from the grid will be increasingly diminished and your bills will continue to shrink. In fact, it's easy to leave the burden of the grid all together if you build a home with solar energy in the right spot so it soaks up enough light to power your entire home every day.

There are also plenty of tax credits, both federal and in most states, you can take advantage of if you're going solar. The first is a federal credit that refunds you 30 percent of the total cost of equipment and installation for solar panels. In addition to this rebate, there are Solar Renewable Energy Credits you can accrue as you use solar and sell to your energy company. Combine both of these options and you could save up to half the cost of your entire system just by utilizing government incentives to go solar!

A Bright Future

The solar industry is growing at a rate of almost 20 percent each year, showing its rising popularity and the increased demand. With technological advances coming in rapid succession, there seems to be no end to how scientists and engineers can capitalize on this clean energy solution and make it more and more efficient and capable of meeting people's everyday needs. All of these advances have also been making solar less expensive with every new invention, which means they're out pricing fossil fuels by leaps and bounds. Trends are looking at the slow trade of fossil fuels for clean energy as an inevitable end in this race to develop new energy options.

Conclusion

Switching to solar is becoming more popular today than ever before because it's affordable and saves money. It also helps the environment and could be our answer to global warming.