I was talking to my neighbor the other day and he was telling me that he is going to have solar panels installed on his rooftop in a few months.  He was, in essence,  ”going solar.”   Solar energy is one of the best resources of sustainable energy that is so easily harvested from the sun.  Of course, the initial expenditure is a bit pricey for most, however, if you have the capital to invest long term in solar energy for your home then I say, GO FOR IT!

Most utility companies have incentive programs for customers (residential and commercial) converting to solar power – find your local utility company before making the leap.  PG&E, for instance, has big incentives for those converting to solar power at home and you can save you lots of money in the long run while reducing your carbon footprint in a BIG way.

First, your heating and cooling, both of which are major sources of energy consumption in any home, can automatically be supplied with electricity via the solar energy absorbed in your solar panels to make direct current (DC) which is then converted into alternative current (AC) for powering household appliances.

Second, you might also want to consider changing your gas water heater to an electric tankless water heater, your cooling/heating system to an all electric system, your gas clothes dryer to an electric one, and your gas stove to an electric stove to take advantage of being able to power those appliances by electricity (and save further on your annual energy bills!)

There are plenty of choices available for  heating and cooling units that run off of electricity.  Not only will your energy bill decrease but so will your carbon footprint!  You will easily be able to decrease the amount of air pollution that is generated annually by using electricity to heat water or your home instead of gas.

Have you had any success converting to solar…if so, we’d love to hear your success stories!