Solar power has become a hot topic in recent years. More and more homeowners are installing panels on their houses. The panels absorb sunlight and convert it into energy that can then be used to power everything in your house, including your lights, appliances, HVAC system, electronics, and more. Solar is a 100% pure energy source and very renewable. Best of all, sunlight is completely free. If you’re thinking about going solar in 2020, here are seven reasons to do so.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Unlike traditional energy, which requires burning fossil fuels, solar energy is a completely clean energy source. It produces no greenhouse gases or other pollution. While there is some energy required to build the panels and transport them, the energy required for solar is far less than the energy we typically use to power our homes. Whether you’re looking for San Jose solar or solar in New York, the sun can provide your home with completely clean energy.

Lower Your Energy Bills

Taking steps to improve the energy-efficiency of your home can help to reduce your monthly energy bills. Rising energy prices, however, can make all of your efforts feel obsolete. You may change the temperature on your thermostat, redo your insulation, seal your doors, change your windows, and shut off your lights when you’re not using them, but your bills still seem to climb.

Along with reducing your carbon footprint, going solar helps to reduce (and can even completely knock out) your energy bills. The solar energy you create allows you to power your home, meaning that your reliance on traditional energy is greatly reduced. If your home produces enough solar power, you might not need to use traditional energy at all.

Sell Back What You Don’t Use

If your solar energy system creates more energy than your home needs, you may be able to sell back the power you don’t use to the grid. Many states and municipalities have net metering and/or solar renewable energy credits. These benefits either earn you bill credits or extra cash.

Gain Energy Independence

Power outages are a major inconvenience. If you have a battery installed with your solar energy system, however, you can store the excess energy that your system generates. In the event of a power outage, your home (and everything inside) can run as normal. In the past, many homes with solar didn’t have batteries. Now that prices are dropping, though, they’re becoming more affordable to homeowners.

Take Advantage of Tax Incentives

Installing solar comes with a tax incentive. The solar investment tax credit allows you to deduct a percentage of the cost of installing solar from your federal taxes. Up until 2019, the credit allowed homeowners to deduct 30% of the total cost. Now, however, the tax credit is decreasing and will soon disappear. Systems installed in 2020 are eligible for a 26% tax credit. In 2021, the tax credit decreases to 22%. After that, the credit disappears for residential systems (the credit for commercial systems will remain at 10%).

Use Solar for Multiple Applications

Solar power isn’t just used to power homes. It has many applications. You can use solar to heat your pool or hot tub, power generators, charge electric vehicles, and more. Solar can also be a great option for remote homes where running power lines might be more difficult.

Maintenance is Easy

Solar panels are made to be easy to maintain and can last up to 25 years or more. In general, rain is enough to keep them clean, but you can also clean them yourself using your garden hose a few times a year. Or, if you choose, you can hire a professional company to manage the maintenance for you.

Going solar provides a multitude of amazing benefits. Whether you’re looking to reduce what you pay each month on your utilities or you want to decrease your carbon footprint, going solar allows you to take advantage of so much more.