Blast Your AC All Summer Long with Solar Power

There’s nothing greater than cranking up the air conditioner when it gets hot and sweaty outside. And there’s nothing worse than the sky-high electricity bill that follows. ACs seem to suck up dollars as efficiently as they cool the air. 

That is, if you get your electricity off the grid. If, on the other hand, your house is generating its own power with a photovoltaic (PV) solar system, your energy costs can go down sharply. 

But hold that thought for a minute.

Today, nearly 90 percent of U.S. homes employ air conditioners of some sort. Our ACs burn through about 6% of the electricity produced in the United States, costing homeowners about $29 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. All that cool air also pumps about 117 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year. To give some perspective, a typical car generates about 4.6 metric tons per year. 

All that carbon helps provoke climate change, which is gradually warming the planet. Earth’s 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998, and 9 of the 10 have occurred since 2005. That means our beloved ACs – when they’re connected to conventional electric systems – are part of a vicious cycle that promotes climate change. Global temperatures rise, ACs get used more often, even more carbon dioxide streams into the atmosphere, global temperatures rise, and the cycle continues.

So switching to solar power can help you directly in two ways: It lowers the threat of climate change and it can lower your electric bill in the process.

How much will your solar panels save per year on electricity? Anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 on average over the typical 25-year lifespan of a solar system. Your energy savings will be greatest with a high-efficiency installation like SunPower’s Equinox home solar system. Keep in mind these projections are estimates: home solar savings vary from home to home and region to region. But PV solar can save homeowners a lot of money in several ways. It can:

With solar, you can set your AC on deep freeze without worrying about either the environment or your next electric bill. And with SunPower as your solar provider, you can get the most comprehensive system warranty in the industry for your solar system. Find out how much SunPower can save you on installing PV solar in your home.

Original Source: https://us.sunpower.com/blog/2020/07/28/blast-your-ac-solar-power