Solar Panels
What is the Problem?
To power our homes most people use non-renewable energy sources like fossil fuels. These are limited and once they are used up they are gone. Non-renewable sources include coal, natural gas, and oil. These non-renewables produce harmful carbon emissions and in Massachusetts, in 2018 the residential sector was responsible for 13.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide released.(1) There are other ways to power our homes!
Sources: 1. Massachusetts Solar
What Can You Do in Andover?
Solar energy is a renewable energy source that comes from the sun, and we have a lot of it. The office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy found that the energy coming from the sun in an hour and a half can power the whole world's energy consumption for a year.(2) Solar panels generate a flow of electricity by converting sunlight to electricity. With electric appliances like heat pumps and solar panels homes can eliminate oils gas and propane, fossil fuels with large carbon footprints.
Sources: 2.Energy.gov
It is estimated that between 700 and 800 families in Andover use solar power to power their homes by Anil Navkal. Over half of Andover’s town energy comes from solar power, according to the town sustainability coordinator. In 2015 the select board voted to purchase additional solar energy for the town's grid. It comes from the Palmer, MA Solar Farm. This solar energy is part of the electricity that is used by the Andover schools, other town buildings, town streetlights and the Fish Brook Pumping Station. In 2020, the town used 6.2 million kWh generated from a combination of the Palmer Solar Farm plus additional renewables from the Basic Utility minimums.
ARE SOLAR PANELS FOR YOU?
To know if your home is ready for solar panels you must be sure of a few things. First is your roof. Take into account the space you can give to the solar panels and the amount of sunlight your roof receives. You can check out your SunNumber to see if your home is a good candidate for solar.
Find out if the 26% federal tax credit for solar panels will benefit you.(3) The credit will remain at 26% until the end of 2022, and then step down.
Massachusetts has high energy rates relative to other states so solar can be a bigger benefit on reducing your utility bill. Weather conditions in Andover are definitely sufficient for solar panels! Clear sunny days are ideal and so are moderate temperatures. While every day here isn’t clear and sunny, we often have moderate temps throughout the year.
Sources:3. Paradise Solar
INSTALLATION
Two installers and consultants in Andover to check out are Revision Energy and ACE Solar. Revision Energy is employee-owned and installs solar panels in Massachusetts and Maine. ACE Solar is located in North Andover and does residential installations.
HOW TO CUT ENERGY USAGE
There are easy ways to use less energy in your home! Remember to turn off the lights when you leave a room. And speaking of lights, choose energy-efficient bulbs like LEDs, they use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs (4)! When devices are plugged in but not in use this can be using energy. If chargers feel warm and are not in use, unplug them! Plug strips are a solution against overloading plugs and they can turn off the energy for idle devices. Turning down the heat every so often can also lower the energy you use. And lastly, when buying new appliances check for “Energy Smart” on the label!
Sources: 4.Energy Sage
