Solar energy has been around for quite sometime now, yet it is not being utilized to the degree it should be. Solar panels for homes are a great way to light up your home along with various other current electricity replacements. As with anything, there are the pros and cons to solar panels for homes. Knowing the good bad and ugly will help you make the decision if solar panels are for you and your home.

Let's face it, installing solar panels is not cheap, but in the end, does it recover its cost, plus some? The initial purchase and installation of new solar panels can run anywhere from $20,000.00 to $100.000.00. You can find used ones for less, but locating them can be difficult. Once installed, most do not uninstall them to sell. Say, an estimated monthly electric bill runs $150.00; in one year electricity would have cost you $1,800.00. At a purchase price of $20,000.00 it would take up to 11 years for full recovery if no other traditional electric means were used. After that, your power usage during the day would be free. In the end, it does save you money, but many can be overwhelmed by the initial cost. Keep in mind that tax breaks and rebates are available for installing solar panels in your home. If the upfront cost is more then one can financially bear, there are always smaller levels one can go solar in their home to save money such as in solar powered water heaters.

Pros of solar panels for homes are they cause less global warming, less pollution, less dependence on oil, and solar energy will never be diminished.

Some cons in regards to solar panels for homes other then the initial expense are the amount of panels it requires to produce enough energy to make your money back out of it, can only be used during daylight hours, and certain weather (snow, rain, fog and hazy days) affects their functioning ability. Dependant upon where you live can also play a role in if solar panels for your home are a feasible option for you over traditional electric. Some people do not care for the look of several solar panels on their roof and will opt out for this reason. Lastly, solar panels need regular maintenance and replacing adding an expensive.

Solar power is a viable option for those who want to lower utility bills and be environmentally friendly. The sun produces more energy in one hour then anyone could use in a year, so why not tap into it if it is going to pay itself off overtime. Like anything else, once sales of solar panels for homes increase, manufactures become more efficient in production of them, the price to purchase them will go down. Hopefully then, solar panels will be affordable for all economic levels.