What First-Time Home Buyers Should Know About the Long-Term Benefits of Solar.

If you’re a first-time home buyer, you may be wondering about whether you should invest in solar roofing. After all, it can carry a hefty price tag, running into the tens of thousands of dollars. How and when will that initial investment pay off? Here’s what first-time home buyers should know about the long-term benefits of solar roofing.

What is solar roofing?

When you think about solar roofing, you may imagine large, ugly solar panels attached to the top of the roof. That doesn’t have to be the case. Solar shingles are increasing in popularity and decreasing in cost. Solar shingles replace regular roofing shingles for a sleeker look that protects your roof as well as regular shingles.

Since solar shingles sit flush on your roof, they look better than traditional solar panels, but they also have their drawbacks. Traditional solar panels can be mounted at an angle to get the maximum amount of sun exposure, whereas with solar shingles, the angle of your roof is the only angle where the solar shingles will get sunlight.

Solar roofing leads to reduced or eliminated energy bills

The obvious benefit of solar roofing is that it can reduce or eliminate your energy bills. Solar roofing can reduce your energy bill by 40-70% or more. Results vary based on a variety of factors, including the amount of space you have for solar roofing, how much sunlight your roof and location receives, how expensive energy is in your area, and how much electricity you use.

If you live in a sunny location and you have minimal energy usage, you may be able to sell the excess energy produced by your solar roofing back to the electric company. This solar calculator can help you estimate how much money you could save with solar roofing.

Solar roofing increases property value

According to the US Green Building Council, “Most homeowners see a $5,911 resale value increase per installed kilowatt. That means if you install a 3.1 kilowatt system, you could improve your home’s resale value by nearly $18,000.” That means you could make back most of the upfront cost of adding solar roofing when you go to sell your home down the road.

Tax rebates help offset the initial costs of solar roofing

There are a variety of tax rebates available to help offset the initial costs of solar roofing. At the federal level, the Solar Investment Tax Credit gives a 30% tax credit to homeowners who purchase solar roofing. A solar roofing system that costs $25,000 would mean a $7,500 tax credit. Add in state and local tax credits along with the opportunity to sell back extra electricity, and you can see an impressive return on the investment of your solar roofing.

Solar roofing resists rising utility costs

As non-renewable resources like oil, gas, and coal are used up and become more valuable, energy costs will continue to rise. The sun shines for free, so solar roofing resists rising utility costs.

Solar roofing is better for the environment

Solar roofing is an investment in the future of the planet. Current methods of producing energy are creating toxic waste and greenhouse gases that negatively impact the planet. Going solar is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and leave a cleaner planet for future generations.

As you can see, there are plenty of long-term benefits of solar roofing. If you can’t afford the upfront cost of solar roofing, you can find installers to put in solar roofing for free, then sell you electricity at a reduced rate. In essence, the solar roofing company leases your roof space. With this option, there’s no reason not to consider adding solar roofing to your new home.

Are you ready to take advantage of the long-term benefits of solar roofing? Whether you’re looking to finance a purchase of solar roofing or you’d rather lease a solar roofing system (and maybe get a free roof replacement, too), Secure Roofing & Solar has the options you’re looking for. Contact us today!