We all know that electricity obtained through solar energy is always considered to be environment friendly, but many people think that it is pretty expensive to install and maintain them. However, with improvement in technology these costs are gradually coming down and it is becoming affordable for most of the households in the USA.

Initial cost of Installation

The initial cost of installation depends upon the location of your house and its surroundings. Depending upon your energy requirement of the household your installation cost may vary between 35,000 to 40,000 dollars. You can also get many tax benefits and financial incentives for installing solar panels. In near future, this cost will also fall down as many new innovations are taking place in this field.

If you compare the cost of solar energy with other traditional methods of generating electricity like coal or oil, then you will find solar energy costs are considerably higher. This cost also depends upon the orientation of your house.

Lower maintenance cost

If the solar panel is properly installed by your vendor then it will need very little amount of maintenance. Also with time this cost will go further lower. Average life of any solar panel is around 30 years, which you can increase it up to 40 years with proper maintenance. However you need to consider the cost of few parts like PV batteries, which needs to be replaced after every 6 to 12 years depending upon their life.

Therefore for the whole life of your system you may have to replace them only twice or maximum thrice. Some of the suppliers may give you batteries under warranty and thus you need not spend any money on these batteries.

Electricity cost

Electricity cost varies from state to state. In some states like Hawaii, the cost of electricity is as high as $0.242 per kwh, while in states like North Dakota the cost is $0.076 per kwh. However, the average cost of electricity in the USA is around $0.115 per kwh and people pay around $115 per month excluding the necessary fees and taxes.

By installing solar panels, you will get utility rebates and also tax incentives. In some areas, you can also sell your additional power that you generate through your solar panel. In addition to that there are many intangible benefits that you can get by installing solar panels. Another benefit of solar panel is that your supply of power is uninterrupted and you never have to suffer total black out.

Due to above reasons many people prefer to bear the initial cost and obtain electricity with minimum maintenance cost. There are list of solar companies you can find in your area, who will also offer you plenty of discount if you are ready to make downtime payment.

Solar systems can be degraded due to the effect of weather condition and its efficiency may go down due to dust in the atmosphere. Therefore, it is necessary that you clean up your system regularly and maintain your inverter properly. You can also get many companies, who will do maintenance at very attractive price.