You’ve heard about solar, you may know that the cost of solar has come down 70% since 2010 and that there is a 30% tax credit available to help reduce the upfront cost. And you may even be lucky enough to have a Solarize program in your community that can help reduce the costs another 20%.
But what you may not have heard is that now is the best time to go solar. That’s right, now is the time. Policy and market forces are at play that make 2018 and 2019 the sweet spot to get the most bang for your buck and we’ve got three charts that explain why so you don’t miss out. There are three main drivers that affect the cost of solar and value of a solar investment that everyone should know:
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Updated: September 15, 2019
Does solar improve property value? The evidence says, YES!
In our increasingly transient society, property owners are concerned about whether they will stay in their home long enough to recover their investment in solar energy. Luckily for us there are several studies and reports available to shed light on whether solar increases property value. But before diving straight into the reports it is helpful to review what solar is and does for your home.
Solar generates electricity that you would otherwise need to purchase from somewhere else. In fact, solar generates more energy when we need it the most and when electricity from the utility costs the most -- during the hot summer months when air conditioners are blaring in the hot summer sun.
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What is Solarize Dunwoody anyway?
Solarize Dunwoody is a community-based, competitively bid, solar PV bulk-purchasing program that makes going solar easier and more affordable than going it alone.
Community-based: Solarize Dunwoody is a coalition of local area nonprofits and for profits devoted to bring more solar to Dunwoody and neighboring communities. Coalition members include the Dunwoody Homeowners Association, Dunwoody Sustainability Committee, UMC Earth Keepers, Environment Georgia, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, and Solar Crowdsource as well as a few volunteer citizens of the Dunwoody community. We hold several free events throughout the duration of the campaign to educate the public about the benefits of solar and the program.
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Dunwoody City Council Recognizes Solarize Dunwoody
Declares January 31st, the last sign-up day in the program, as Solarize Dunwoody Day
Dunwoody, GA—At their Jan. 8th Council Meeting the Dunwoody City Council voted unanimously to name January 31st, 2018 as Solarize Dunwoody day and applauded the Solarize Dunwoody Coalition which includes local residents, a member of the Dunwoody Sustainability Committee, the Dunwoody Homeowners Association, Environment Georgia, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, Solar Crowdsource and the solar installer Hannah Solar for their work to educate residents and businesses about solar.
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We've said a lot already. Now hear from your community friends and neighbors about their experience with Solarize Dunwoody:
"I had been considering (really, really wanting, actually) solar panels for years. But I didn't know where to start, which company to use, or much of anything about solar (was it reliable? would I still be on the grid? what happens in a power outage?). It was all a mystery to me. Plus it was too expensive. When I heard about Solarize Dunwoody, I was intrigued. I attended a workshop, where I saw familiar faces, neighbors and friends, and I came out of it with a much better understanding and level of comfort. People (particularly Tina) I trusted had done all the work for me, no more guessing or mystery, and I could now feel comfortable about getting solar panels, plus it was very affordable!
My experience with Hannah Energy has been great. From the first phone call I received to schedule an evaluation, to meeting with the salesman, to the installation of the panels and the electric equipment. It was all wonderful. The Hannah folks were very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. They answered all my questions.
I now have 20 panels installed and the Tesla power wall. I check my power wall app on my phone several times a day, and it is so exciting to see the energy I am producing with my panels powering my home and charging my power wall. I get most excited on a sunny day, when I see that all my energy is coming from the sun, and none from the grid. That makes me so happy.
I look forward to getting my Tesla Model 3 and charging it using solar power. That will make my clean energy aspirations complete! "
Sandi Strasberg, 6kW solar, 1 Tesla Powerwall
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"For Jason and myself, our main motivation for going solar is to do our part to help the environment and provide our child the future we were promised as we were growing up. The Solarize Dunwoody campaign has helped accelerate this for us by bringing down the cost and helping us know we are part of a community that is also looking to the future."
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While the solar panels get all the glory, it's the inverter that quietly sits in the background and does all the heavy lifting. The brains of the solar systems, inverters are the key component that converts light from the sun from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) so the energy can be used in your home. It's also at this stage the monitoring of your system takes place. Inverters enable monitoring so installers and owners can see how a system is performing. Inverters can also provide diagnostic information to help O&M crews identify and fix system issues. With the growth of solar+storage, inverters are also taking on responsibility for battery management.
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Source: Dunwoody Crier
Posted: Tuesday, November 21, 2017
With its plentiful sunlight, Georgia is the ideal place for solar power. But until recently, going solar – or solarizing – was beyond the budget of most people. Thanks to Solarize Georgia, affordable solar power has come to Dunwoody. And Tricia and Jason Webster are the first homeowners to go solar through Solarize Dunwoody.
“Actually, we were the fourth to sign up,” said Tricia, “but the first to receive our system.”
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Residential Tiered Pricing (aggregate kW)
Residential pricing is determined by a tiered pricing structure. We use the power of bulk purchasing and economies of scale so the more homeowners that participate in the program, the lower the pricing will be for everyone. Here’s how it works: early adopters who go solar at Tier I pricing will pay $2.90/watt which is already a 10% savings for a comparable quality system outside this program. Then, throughout the course of the campaign, we aggregate the total amount of solar purchased and pass that savings down to the early adopters through a rebate paid at the end of the campaign. Tier VI pricing of $2.65/watt represents a 20% savings for everyone!
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Many of you have already received a free solar evaluation from Hannah Energy but all the others (you know who you are :)), here's what you can expect. Hannah Energy's solar evaluations includes three main components: energy analysis, site/shade analysis, and financial analysis.
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They say timing is everything and nothing could be more true of the solar industry. You may have seen something in the news about the possibility of a new tariff being placed on imported solar panels. Earlier this month, the International Trade Commission (ITC) found domestic solar panel manufacturers were injured by less expensive solar panels from oversees.
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