Climate change is a very real concern, and very much one that sits on our doorstep. As the seasons grow ever-more erratic in the UK, we are reminded with each passing month that the climate crisis continues, and continues to threaten our future livelihoods in the process.
This ever-present anxiety around climate change and carbon footprints has enabled a surge in technological innovation on the green front, and effectively fast-tracked the commercial availability of many alternative power and heating solutions – solar panels, or photovoltaic panels, amongst them. Installing solar panels can be a costly endeavour, but one with positive long-term impacts even beyond the environmental. What are those positive impacts, and why should you consider adding solar panels to your home?
Saving Money
Firstly, solar panels are an excellent choice for saving money. Energy bills are higher than they once were, and will only climb higher as geopolitical tensions heighten and fossil fuels grow rarer. Installing solar panels enables you to vastly reduce your reliance on supplied gas and electricity, lowering your monthly energy bill.
With the right set-up for your solar panels, you can even exceed your daily electricity needs – with the potential to make money as opposed to spending it. This is because you can return electricity to the National Grid and get paid for it, via the Smart Export Guarantee.
Saving You Maintenance
Solar panels are an excellent choice maintenance-wise too, on account of their relatively low-maintenance design. The most you will need to do to keep your solar panels working at maximum efficiency is to clean them at least twice a year, but even this can be mitigated if your panels are slanted and hence can be washed by rain. Other energy alternatives can be much more high-maintenance, particularly where additional appliances are concerned; going electric overall makes repairs and maintenance simpler across your whole house.
Adding Value to Your Home
Given the above benefits to owning solar panels, it is easy to understand how desirable they are as domestic installations. The relatively steep initial cost associated with purchase and installation is less desirable, of course. As such, homes with solar panel infrastructure pre-installed are figuratively ‘hot property’, being ready to go and easy to upgrade as technology improves. This translates to higher asking prices and higher successful offers when it comes time to sell.
Saving the Environment
Of course, it bears repeating that solar panels are a hugely effective option for environmentally-friendly home alterations. While the National Grid receives its electricity from a plurality of sources, many of which are renewable, there are still non-renewable energy sources – as well as the matter of natural gas.
Solar panels are a completely self-sufficient alternative to the changeable eco-efficiency of the National Grid. With battery arrays, they can store energy for future use and completely reduce a household’s reliance on fossil fuels as a result – with positive impacts both locally and globally.
