Solar Panel Grants
There is no denying that going solar is one of the best long-term investments one can ever have. Not only is it helping Mother Earth by lessening our carbon footprint into the atmosphere, but we can also save money the longer we use it. Who wouldn’t want to earn few hundred bucks by just opting for a cleaner energy source? Solar energy is absolutely free and sustainable, but let’s face it – solar power systems do not come cheap.
Just like any other investment, you will initially have to shell out a significant amount of money before you can reap the rewards. So what if you want it but there’s just not enough budget for purchasing the panels and installation or maintenance fees? This is where solar panel grants come into play. But what is it exactly and how can you get one? If you’re interested, let us provide you with information you can definitely use in case you have plans of acquiring solar for your home or business establishment.
Solar Panel Grant Funding
Solar panels are among the numerous eco-friendly products that have great contribution to the initiative of achieving a cleaner and healthier environment. These photovoltaic cells absorb energy that the sun freely provides and they can help us generate our own electric power without hurting Mother Earth any further.
As of this year, it has been documented that there are now thirty seven countries which make good use of solar and to date have generated at least one gigawatt of power worldwide. Isn’t that incredible? What if all countries utilize this same power everywhere? As awesome as that may be, sadly not everyone can afford the cost for solar power systems as it can be quite pricey in the beginning.
One will have to shoulder the price of the panels plus installation, and that’s not easy money. The good news is that the government has a program that can provide financial assistance to those who truly need to acquire this system. This assistance it what’s popularly known as solar panel grants.
These grants are usually provided to individuals or communities that are in desperate need of sustainable yet affordable electricity source such as people who live in rural areas that are off the grid and receive lower income rates compared to those who live in big city or central business districts. By enabling people to generate their own electric power, the government doesn’t only promote clean energy, but they’re also helping them save money for the future. What an excellent example of a win-win situation, right?
Popular Grants for Solar Panels
There are several government solar programs and other local organizations who give financial aid to people or communities for the acquisition of solar power. In fact, there are at least more than ten types of solar grants that people can apply for. Here we enumerate some of the most popular solar energy grants to give you an idea or to help you decide which one suits your needs best.
- Green Retrofit Solar Grants – This program which is financed by the U.S. Department of House and Urban Development has a budget of at least $250 million that are usually given or distributed to people who own houses in known lower-income areas within the U.S. The main goal of the grant is to help establish and sustain electricity supply to those who cannot afford fossil fuel-generated electric power.
- Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Solar Panel Grants – Those who live in rural areas and have small businesses can benefit from this grant. The U.S. Department of Agriculture allocates at least $20,000 to small business owners specifically in the agricultural sector. The only requirement is that one must be able to prove that 50% of their business’ income is generated from agricultural produce and that the applicant is able to shoulder 75% of the total cost for the solar panels and installation fees.
- High Energy Cost Grants – This type of solar power grants is one which people from rural communities that generate an energy usage of more than 275% can apply for. This program is spearheaded by the U.S Department of Agriculture and it was created to help improve the energy generation within rural areas.
- Renewable Energy Grants – Also known as the 1603 Program, this grant offers reimbursement incentives instead of tax credits to those who already acquired and shouldered the cost for solar panels and their installation or maintenance. The fund from this program comes from the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Benefits for Solar Grants That You Can Receive
Going solar is truly beneficial not only to the individuals who have the system installed but to the community as a whole. Having solar panels that work continuously up to 25 years of its lifespan or even longer, everyone can expect great rewards in the future. Let us tell you the exactly what kind of benefits these PV cells can provide both now and in the long run.
- Low electric utility bills – By using solar cells, one is able to generate power that’s free and can supply one’s needs for years to come. This means that it is possible to use electricity even off the grid with low or even zero costs.
- Home value – Since solar panel installations are not cheap to begin with, those who opt to have this system can expect the value of their home to go up. This is especially helpful if one has plans to sell their house for any particular reason. A house with a fully established solar power system has a greater market value than those without it in place.
- Better environment – This benefit surely has the most impact to people. If we lessen the use of fossil fuels and replace it with a harmless energy source, we can all expect to have brighter future and a better life quality
- Incentives, rebates, and tax credits – Aside from all the three awesome benefits that come from solar power usage, there are solar panel programs in place that can provide rebates or incentives for opting to go solar. Some of these are federal solar tax credits, solar renewable energy credits, and solar tax exemptions, just to name a few.
Conclusion
More and more people are becoming eco warriors by supporting and utilizing eco-friendly products that can drastically reduce non-biodegradable waste worldwide. It is good to know that we are now more aware of the damage we have inflicted to the environment and we’re doing all we can to help repair the eco-system.
Utilizing solar energy is perhaps one of the greatest things that we can do to salvage whatever good that’s left on our planet and nurture it so we can continue to live better lives now and look forward to a future that’s even brighter. So if you share the same vision and would like a head start, why not consider getting a solar energy system for your home or business? Who knows, you might be qualified for several grants and keep a couple hundreds of bucks in your pocket for future use? Also, wouldn’t it be nice to know that you helped save the planet?
