Step 3- Ready for Renewables
You’ve taken the steps to address your home or building’s envelope, you’ve made the switch wherever possible to electric appliances and heating, you’ve had an energy audit that determines the efficiency of your home and the amount of kilowatts you use on a monthly basis. Your electric supplier can also give you that information based on your monthly utility bill. What’s next?
What is the orientation of your roof? Are there trees blocking the sun from reaching the optimal solar location? How is the condition of your roof? If your roof is old, you may want to upgrade your roof first and have the mounting hardware for solar panels installed at the time of the roof replacement.
Solar can be a big step, but the good news is, you can currently get a a zero interest loan for up to $40,000 with a repayment term of 10 years to help you undertake major home retrofits. The cost of solar panels has decreased by as much as 50% in the last year and the average return can be about 10% with utility savings for an average household of $1,500 annually depending on the location. On average, one 10 kW solar roof eliminates around 4 tons of carbon emissions annually. This is roughly equivalent to planting over 100 trees per year. Larger installations can have 10 times the effect.1
Check with professional, third-party trade organisations like Renewable Association for professionals and resources in the solar industry.
[source: https://roofit.solar/environmental-benefits-of-solar-energy/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20one%2010%20kW,measurable%20effect%20on%20the%20environment.]