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Welcome to our first official blog post here at Jolt Solar! If you stick around and continually check our blog (which we hope you do), you’ll quickly learn that we have a lot to say about solar. We are, after all, a solar company, and we want to inform as many people as possible about the wonderful benefits of making the switch to solar power.

In our blogs, we’ll be talking about just about everything under the sun that relates to solar energy. We’ll talk about how solar energy is affordable and accessible to everyone, contrary to popular belief. We’ll talk about common myths and misconceptions. We’ll talk about what separates Jolt Solar from other companies. We’ll talk about renewable energy, and the science of solar. But, as much as we could talk about these things (and many more), none of it really matters if you have no interest in solar power in our first place.

There is one important question that’s foundational to everything we want to talk about — why switch to solar energy? If this remains unanswered, all that other stuff we want to talk about doesn’t matter a whole lot. And that’s why, for our first post, we’ll be diving into the benefits of solar energy. Here are several things you have to gain from making the switch to solar:

There are plenty of great benefits to solar that are part of this list, but we understand all too well that money talks. It’s hard to blame anyone who sees cost as the biggest barrier to solar power. These are trying times after all, and no one wants to add superfluous expenses to their bills.

If that describes you, then you’ll take some comfort from the information you’re about to read. Did you know, when you order from Jolt Solar, that you can actually be paying less than what you’re paying for power right now? Solar power reduces your power utility bill to much lower levels — sometimes you don’t even need to pay it at all!

The common response to this is “well, yeah, solar saves you money, but not really, because you still have to make payments on your system.” 

The above statement isn’t false, but it is misleading, mainly because people are still getting their information from 15-20 years ago when solar payments were far more costly than they are now. When you partner with Jolt Solar, the amount you pay for your solar system every month can actually be lower than your net power bill. And, best of all, we offer $0 down plans because we know there are countless young homeowners looking to get a fresh start. 

With zero up front and a smaller monthly payment than what you’re currently paying, money shouldn’t be an obstacle for anyone. The best part? Once your system is totally paid off, you’ll have virtually no payment at all. Not bad, if you’re planning on sticking around for the long haul!

Most people have a general understanding that solar energy is “green” or “renewable,” but when you ask them to explain what that means, they often give you a blank face. There’s nothing wrong with that; we don’t expect everyone to be a walking encyclopedia about solar power.

However, understanding is important, and to grasp why renewable energy is such a big deal, it’s important to know how things work under the traditional system.

Without solar power, it’s 99.9999% likely that your home is being powered by the grid (a.k.a. your power company). The grid feeds electricity to your home, day and night, and it’s connected to a massive utility infrastructure that is laced throughout the entire region near you – farms and suburbs and high-rises alike. But that power isn’t magically generated; it has to come from somewhere. That “somewhere” is a power plant. Power plants get most of their energy from burning fossil fuels and converting them into electricity. And, unfortunately, fossil fuels are finite. They create copious amounts of toxic waste continuously, and eventually, we will run out of the few sources. This is why fossil fuels such as coal are referred to as “non-renewable” energy sources.

The problem with fossil fuels and non-renewable energy is two-fold. First of all, there’s the problem of waste. Byproducts from non-renewable energy sources aren’t easy to dispose of and are usually poisonous to all forms of life. Excessive usage of fossil fuels is a key factor in climate change, and if we don’t find an alternative soon, we’ll be in big trouble. Secondly, these resources are, once again, limited. Even if environmental danger wasn’t an issue, we would still run out of them eventually. There’s also all kinds of economics and shady politics around control over fossil fuel resources, because Monopoly is a great game when you’re winning right? Suffice to say, it’s way better to use a source like the Sun that shines equally on everyone.

The beauty of solar energy is that it doesn’t come from a power plant — it comes from the Sun. This is great, because the Sun is basically infinite. Well, not technically, but let’s just say that we’ll be long gone by the time it burns out in several billion years. Solar energy creates no waste after the solar panels are manufactured and installed, and every day, that boundless supply is refreshed as the sun rises over the horizon.

If you’re worried that your solar panels are going to turn away buyers, think again — maybe a few decades ago, people would skeptically scorn your investment, but not today. Solar power, now more than ever, is seen as an asset instead of a liability. New homeowners don’t care how the panels look, good or bad, because they’re prudent enough to understand the financial and environmental benefits.

It’s impossible to say with confidence how much a solar system would increase the value of your home. But on average, it tends to bump the home’s selling value by a few thousand dollars, and in some places as much as $10,000 – $30,000. This, of course, depends greatly on the solar panel system, the size of the house, and the age of the equipment. But here’s one thing you can definitely bet on. Nobody, and we mean nobody, is going to pay less for a house that has solar panels preinstalled. 

People love solar-equipped homes because it means they can reap the benefits without putting in the work. At Jolt Solar, one of our biggest selling points is how easy it is to get started with solar energy, but some people just aren’t convinced, and they’d rather just be able to walk into a home and have it turned on from day one. You can bet they’ll pay a little more for that!

One annoying part about grid power is that you’re, well, reliant on the grid for your power, and that’s reflected in your bill. While the power grid is mostly reliable, this can cause some uncertainty. First off, it guarantees that you’re out of luck when the grid goes down. This doesn’t usually happen, but it’s certainly a possibility, especially when weather or natural disasters come into play.

It’s possible to add a battery to your solar panel system, which can store excess energy. Should your grid power go down, a battery-powered solar system could still create energy for your home. The panels would continue to bring energy throughout the day, and the battery would use stored energy through the night.

And, let’s not ignore the convenience of a predictable monthly bill. Your monthly solar payment will always be the same, which can hardly be said about your utility energy bill. You will sometimes have to pay for energy that your solar power didn’t cover, but it’s usually not much, and for people in a precarious financial situation, every dollar and cent counts — that predictable payment can do wonders for a tight budget.

There’s one more argument for solar on top of all these reasons — it’s just so easy now to get started. In less time than it takes to buy car insurance from a certain amphibious reptile, we can have you signed up for solar with a $0 down payment. At Jolt, our priority is making things as easy, painless, and affordable for you as possible. For many new millennial homeowners, cost and convenience are high priorities — we can deliver both. What are you waiting for? Contact Jolt Solar today to get started.