Solar panels are becoming a go-to power source for America and the world. The capabilities of solar are rising while costs keep falling. Solar power is going to play a major role in America's energy future, but many people wonder how going green with helping them in their daily lives. Here are six major benefits of using solar power. 

Higher Property Values

Adding solar panels to your home will typically increase its value. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found in a study that homes nationwide gain an average of $15,000 in value from photovoltaic (PV) cell installation. Of course, the cost of installation varies by location and company, but the price can largely be offset by the gain in home value. Bottom line: While you're considering home purchasing issues like the closing costs for buyer, consider the money-saving power of solar energy investment. 

Tax Incentives

Speaking of incentives, installing solar power comes with a variety of financial incentives. The most notable of these is the federal solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). It's currently a 26% credit for systems installed through 2022. Additionally, there are a wide array of incentives available at the state and municipality levels for installation. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) is a good place to start looking for where your local government stands on helping homeowners go solar. 

Energy Bill Reductions

Solar power is far more economically efficient than it was only a few years ago. Solar panels can be an expensive investment, costing an average of $16,000 per home. The massive upshot to this is that the house is now largely off the grid, meaning those costs start being recouped almost immediately. The average household saves between $10,000 and $30,000 over the lifetime of the solar panels. Again, this varies by locality, so check out the government and private programs designed to keep consumers informed. 

Fewer Greenhouse Gases

The most important benefit of solar energy is that it reduces the number of greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere by traditional power sources. This is important because the visible effects of climate change are starting to turn even hardened skeptics around. A single six-kilowatt solar power system offsets about 6.3 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. This is more than the amount emitted annually by the average car. In other words, solar lets you reduce your carbon footprint while retaining the same quality of life. That's the power of innovation, and it's getting more effective every year. 

Greater Energy Security

Solar panels are a locally produced, decentralized form of power. This means that disruption to the national energy grid has minimal effect on a solar-powered home. With infrastructure aging and increasingly vulnerable to severe weather, solar energy can be a game-changer for keeping homes and businesses operating in a disaster.

Solar can be subject to disruption, but that's mainly due to physics. A stretch of cloudy weather or damage to the panels can cause a power reduction. They're basically immune to disruptions caused by geopolitical turmoil, however. That level of energy security is something every consumer could use. 

Cleaner Land and Water

Using renewable energy like solar doesn't just curtail global warming. It spares our soil and water from the deadly effects of industrial power generation. For decades, the contaminating effects of coal-fired power plants on the land have been well-documented. The devastating loss of fish and drinking water from oil spills has gained equal notoriety. Solar panels don't even need water to make electricity. A new generation of solar panels is being developed that can actually distill pure drinking water from the air while generating electricity. No one renewable energy source can do everything, but solar power is becoming more versatile all the time. 

Solar is clearly here to stay. These are just some of the positive impacts being made by renewable energy, so do some research and learn how you (and the world) can benefit from going solar.