Solar panels are an increasingly popular option for homeowners, not just in Australia but across the world. With energy prices on what seems to be a never-ending upward trajectory and with people’s awareness of environmental issues increasing, solar energy presents a viable opportunity to address both of these genuine concerns.

Whilst energy prices and the environment might be regarded as the headline makers as to why solar energy’s popularity with homeowners is increasing, we would like to point out that there are many more reasons why installations of solar systems are occurring in ever greater numbers. The benefits that such installations create for homeowners are plentiful, and if you read on, you will discover ten of the most significant benefits of solar panels being installed for your home.

Benefit #1 – Lower Energy Bills: We will start with the benefit which is at the forefront of everyone’s mind when they decide to opt for solar panels at home, and that is reduced electricity bills. By generating your own electricity from solar energy, you can reduce your energy bills by as much as 70%, depending on your usage.

Benefit #2 – Long-Term ROI: Many people erroneously see solar panel installations as a cost. Whilst there is an obvious outlay to have solar panels installed for your home at the outset, in the longer term, due to the aforementioned savings, which will accrue month after month and the potential increase in the value of your property (see below), your return on investment will undoubtedly be positive.

Benefit #3 – Increases Property Value: Whilst many factors will influence the value of your property and how quickly you might be able to sell it, a solar panel installation can do so positively. Given all the benefits of solar systems, and in particular the financial benefits, your home is more than likely to be an extremely attractive option for home buyers and therefore, you are getting the asking price you hoped for.

Benefit #4 – Energy Independence: Thanks to generating your own electricity independently of your local electricity company, you are not impacted by them increasing their prices, nor are you affected negatively if your local electricity supply has an outage due to powerlines being damaged, for example.

Benefit #5 – Reliability: The sun rises every morning, and even if it is cloudy outside, you can rely on your solar panels being operative and generating electricity each day. In addition, with no moving parts, there is very little chance of solar panels failing.

Benefit #6 – Low-Maintenance: One of the key benefits of solar panels is after they are installed, they require very little in the way of maintenance. Cleaning them three or four times per year and removing any debris, such as leaves, as necessary is all that is required. Beyond these, manufacturing and installation warranties will cover most operational or performance issues that might arise.

Benefit #7 – Aesthetic Options: Long gone are the days when solar panels on homes were an unsightly eyesore and drew attention to themselves for all the wrong reasons. Today, solar panels are manufactured in a variety of sizes, colours and even shapes, plus the surrounding frames that hold them in place can also be colour-coordinated to match the home they are installed on.

Benefit #8 – Environment Benefits: We could not list the benefits of solar panels on homes without mentioning one of the most significant, which is the positive environmental impact. Every home which uses solar energy to generate its own electricity is one less home that relies on the electricity power stations which use fossil fuels and are thus negatively impacting the environment in several ways.

Benefit #9 – Options For Government Incentives: We should not overlook the fact that state and federal governments are keen to promote the use of eco-friendly electricity generation, whether that is in residential or commercial settings. Several schemes exist, offering rebates and incentives. However, they vary from state to state, including Western Australia, so research locally what is available at the state and/or national level to incentivise solar panel installation for your home.

Benefit #10 – Community Benefits: This may vary in importance between individual homeowners. However, the fact remains that by you having solar panels on your home it creates benefits beyond the confines of your property. Using solar energy reduces air pollution and demand on the local electricity grid and can even help to stabilise energy prices, whilst not forgetting the significant boost to local jobs and economy solar panel companies provide.