What Young New Homeowners Need to Know About Solar Energy

It’s hard to find people who say no to “free”. Especially when it comes to things like reducing your bills. Would you say no to solar if it were offered for no cost? Who wouldn’t?

For most folks, the advantages of solar power are obvious — it saves money in the long run, it creates renewable energy, and it helps to reduce your carbon footprint.

And yet, solar panels have long been associated with the ambitions of those who can afford the “extreme” lifestyle — either extremely rich, up there with luxury cars and inground hot tubs in the list of “things old people can afford, but not me”, or the extremely eco-conscious, i.e. “things those crazy hippies on the West Coast love, but aren’t realistic for most people”.

Indeed, younger homeowners still may have a fear of solar power, even while they wholeheartedly support the idea of green. The reason, of course, is money. For many millennial and gen-z homeowners, the bare minimum is the only option. Property prices are higher than ever, and wages aren’t exactly catching up quickly. Solar seems like an unattainable option — at least, until time and opportunity open up one’s finances.

But what if we told you this was a myth? What if we said that solar power could actually reduce the amount you’re paying in bills every month, even while the system is still being financed? What if we told you you could sign up for solar in less than 15 minutes, with no upfront fees or down payments?

That’s right — at Jolt Solar, we make solar affordable and accessible to everyone. Here’s what you need to know about solar energy if you’re a young and/or new homeowner.

If you didn’t already know, one of the biggest benefits of solar panels is that they reduce your monthly power bill — often down to nothing at all, depending on how much power you use. That’s right, if you play your cards well, you won’t even have to pay a penny in actual power fees.

But it’s not that easy. You still have to cover the cost of the actual solar panel system, which isn’t just any cheap gadget. A solar system is a small construction project for your home. Most people finance over the course of many years so that you’re paying a fixed monthly amount. Even if your power fees have been all but eliminated, a bill is a bill.

This is usually what scares people away from solar. And this is why we need to clarify what we offer here at Jolt — with our solar energy systems, you can save money on your total bills every month, while your system is being financed. Our solar plans are so affordable, that even with the financing, it will be less than what you’re currently paying for power. That doesn’t sound too bad, right?

With solar panels, you’re effectively just replacing your current bill with a different one, until the system is completely paid off and you don’t need to pay anything at all. But that new bill is cheaper, and 100% predictable. You’re paying the same amount every month instead of the fluctuating payments that you pay to your power utility provider. That’s what we offer here at Jolt.

The important thing that new homeowners need to know about solar plans is that they last for quite a long time. Most plans range from 20-25 years, so they’re ideal for homeowners who are committed to the long haul. You did the same mental arithmetic when you compared your rent to taking out a mortgage. It’s theoretically possible to reduce the payment period, but just like mortgages, that would result in higher monthly payments. While this seems like a tremendous period of time, it’s right in the same league as a mortgage, making it an attractive bundle option.

When you buy a new home and set up solar right when you move in, the solar payments essentially just replace what you’d usually be paying in power bills. If done from the beginning, it’ll just feel like a foundational aspect of your home ownership. And once the payment period is over, you’ve got all kinds of lovely benefits — a life that’s free of mortgage payments and power bills.

Think about it like this – when you bought your last car, did they offer a chance to fill up the tank at a low fixed rate that matches your auto loan term? Obviously not, but if they did, it would be hard to say no. (Psst: you should get an electric car if you’re going solar – knock out your gasoline expenses for good too!)

We mentioned earlier that cost is the biggest barrier to adopting solar power. The second biggest one, however, is the “wait and see” mentality. In a nutshell, a lot of folks are hesitant to adopt solar, because they’d rather “wait and see” what’s around the horizon.

Maybe solar prices will be cheaper in a year or two. Maybe there will be some breakthrough that cuts costs. Maybe the government will launch some mandate that provides free solar to everyone (sure, and Canada will pay for it). No matter what is around the corner, there’s always someone pining for it.

20 or 30 years ago, the waiting game was actually a pretty good strategy. This is because solar energy was still relatively new, and was going through a lot of innovation, both in its manufacture and efficiency. But technology always levels out somewhere, and eventually solar did too. The world’s finest engineers have been perfecting the modern solar panel for decades, and at this point, we’ve got them running about as efficiently as possible. In other words, you shouldn’t expect any major changes in solar panels for a while. We’ve reached the point where new innovations and price drops yield diminishing returns, and the price has stabilized at a certain range that’s fairly consistent across the entire solar industry.

With that being said, there’s no good reason to wait around for solar. Will it get cheaper over the years? Yes, but that price drop will be negligible compared to the drops that have happened in the last couple of decades. At this point, it’s more worth it to just invest now and enjoy the benefits right away. So who cares if you can get panels that are 5% more efficient in a couple years? You just spent two years’ worth of power bills waiting!

If you’re a new homeowner, you probably aren’t intending on selling your home anytime soon. In fact, maybe you’re prepared to stay for the long haul — those 15-30 years that correspond to your mortgage. Nevertheless, it’s useful to know that solar panel systems do, in fact, increase the value of your home. A solar system can add anywhere from $9,000 – $30,000 on the selling price, usually scaled to the size of the home and the system.

This is valuable information for anyone who may consider a relocation at some point. Perhaps you’ll land a new job, or your family will grow and you’ll seek to upsize. Whatever the reason for relocation is, a solar system shouldn’t be a deterrent. If you’ve spent some years making payments, the extra value from solar is quite often enough to pay off the rest of your balance of   — and then some. 

This isn’t a temporary trend either. Solar is becoming increasingly more popular, and the demand is only going to rise in the coming years, especially as the issue of curbing climate change and investing in the future of the planet becomes a bigger talking point in public discourse.

At Jolt Solar, we realize that countless homeowners are deterred from solar power for a variety of reasons. Our mission is simple: to spread the word, wide and clear, that solar power is more attainable and affordable than it’s ever been. This technology isn’t reserved for the old or the rich. It’s not some experimental nonsense, and it saves homeowners money instead of adding to their budget. What’s not to like?

Best of all, at Jolt Solar, we make it easy to get started. Ordering a solar panel system with us is quick and easy; in a 15 minute phone call we can have you set up. No joke! We provide solar systems to homeowners in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, and Utah, with more states to come in the following year. If you’re in any of these states, there’s never been a better time to go green. Contact us today to get started!