Springtime feels extra special this year.  Not only are we shaking off a long winter, but we’re slowly, steadily escaping the clutches of a year+ of isolation and social distancing.  Now that we’re finally starting to reconnect and take on long overdue projects, here are five reasons to give solar energy serious thought:

1. Tis the season… for installing solar!  Just as farmers make hay when the sun shines, the long days of summer are when you really maximize the output and energy savings from a backyard solar Tracker.  Solaflect is currently turning installations around in 4-6 weeks, meaning there’s time, if you reach out soon, to make the most of the sun’s longest daily visits of the year.
   
   
2. Lock in better utility rates… before they go drop again.  The clock is ticking for Vermont homeowners to lock in better rates to “net meter” (sell solar power into the grid).  Vermont net-metering rates will drop by 1₵/kWh on Sept. 1, so homeowners still have time to lock in current, higher net-metering rates if they complete a simple application and submit it to VT by July 31.  (There’s no commitment necessary, we fill out the form for you, and you’ve then locked in 12 months to make a decision.)  Also, Congress just passed an extension of 26% federal solar tax credit for 2021 and 2022, a savings of about $7,000 per Tracker.  Home battery installations that are connected to solar also qualify for this credit.
   
   
3. Plant your stake in solar… in the ground.  Solaflect’s solar Trackers keep solar off your roof, and instead, allow you to make solar energy from the sunniest spot on your property.  Trackers accurately follow the sun all day and generate 40% more power than solar on your roof, with 40% fewer solar panels, meaning a Tracker is usually less expensive than rooftop solar. And you don’t have to worry about losing solar production to snow cover — Trackers are really steep in the winter since the sun is so low in the sky, and they sleep vertical at night, so gravity does the snow clearing for you.  That’s an annual energy production savings of as much as 15% compared to rooftop solar.
   
   
4. Begin your master plan… to go all electric.  Chances are, you’re not just looking at ‘going solar’ anymore.  You may be thinking about switching to electric vehicles to wean off gasoline, or replacing your old oil furnace or propane heater with highly efficient electric heat pumps, which work well even in sub-zero temperatures.  A master plan to go ‘all electric’ may also mean putting in a home battery system so you can run home appliances and electrical devices even when the grid goes down.  A solar Tracker (or two or three) is the ‘clean engine’ to power all that electrification.
   
   
5. Do your part to fight climate change… starting now!   Better still, the benefits of going solar and electrifying your home don’t stop at your property line.  By some estimates, collective community action across the United States can cut our nation’s total energy needs in half, eliminate carbon emissions in the power sector by 2035, and create 5 million permanent jobs over the long term.  (That’s more jobs than our energy sector currently employs.)  And when your children and grandchildren ask what you’re doing to fight climate change and make the world a better place, you’ll have a “bright and sunny” answer that inspires hope, confidence and security in our future by fundamentally ‘changing your relationship with energy.’
   

Solaflect is your home energy management partner.  We help you install clean and affordable solar electricity and home battery systems for a more resilient and climate-friendly future.  Click here to contact us, or email info@solaflect.com, or call (802) 649-3700, or text (802) 308-3018.  Working together, the power is in our hands to make a difference!