Today we are going to cover another enticing reason to go solar! In the land of the free and home of the brave, the ability to own something over renting is a huge deal. And with today’s innovations with solar technology, you now have the ability to own your own energy! But as with other area’s of solar, it is important to understand how this works!
How to Define Energy Independence
So when you think of being Energy independence, you probably are thinking of being off grid, self sufficient, with no ties to big energy companies! Well you’d be correct in a sense if that’s your thinking, but there is more to it than that. There are few way’s solar make’s you energy independent, and so I want to touch a bit on each of these so you can see the real benefit.
1. You Produce it, You Own It!
So as I mentioned above one of the may things on this front is that since you produce the energy, you own that energy! Conversely the energy you use without is rented energy. One upside to owning it is you know what’s being produced, how its being reduced, and that your energy source is renewable! There is just a peace of mind that comes from this.
2. Opens the Door for Complete Energy Independence
So one common misconception is that going solar completely separates you from the grid, effectively making your home self sustaining in the energy department. And while this is completely possible, there is a big difference in grid tied system and off grid systems.
So in terms of a grid tied system, which is an extremely common system, there are some things to consider. First you still own the energy you produce! Yet being tied to the system comes with some pro’s and con’s. In terms of the pro’s I would note first that in the event of bad energy production due to less sun exposure, you have the ability to still have electricity! Also the excess produced can often be sold back or credited back to the energy companies to help you break even if you do used energy from the grid. The major downside is what happens on the grid may still impact your home energy usage. In the event of an outage, you may still experience and outage at your home. The truth of the matter is either way you still have the potential for outages.
Now for a completely off grid system the fact is you will be the sole producer of your own electricity. This has the same benefits as a grid tied system, yet comes with it’s own set of difficulties. So with innovation in back-up batteries and generators there is a place for off grid systems, and in some cases these systems may be very practical, with the added bonus of not being at the mercy of the big energy companies. However this comes with the offset risk of power outage in the event of system failure or in times of low production.
A third example of how systems can be independent is a sort of hybrid system, that while still tied to the grid, has it’s own backup batteries and generators. This would be a much more costly solution that would likely reduce the negative effects such as outages, however may not entirely eliminate them.
Your Energy, Your Way
At the end of the day regardless of the type of system you have, the outlying fact remains that with solar you will produce your own energy. And since your produce it, you own it! And that level of independence is a very handy, and not a widely available.
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