5 Reasons To Go Solar In South Carolina This Summer

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So, you’ve been researching generating your own electricity with a solar panel installation for the past months, you understand that going solar is a smart financial decision, and you know it’s great for the environment, too.

Still, you aren’t quite sure when you should pull the trigger and take the next step towards joining the solar power revolution…

Here Are 5 Good Reasons To GO SOLAR In South Carolina THIS SUMMER

#1 Solar costs are at all-time lows

According to research by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the national average for residential solar costs fell to an all-time low in Q1 2017, decreasing to under $3 dollar per Watt ($3/W) since 2016.

SEIA reports that average pricing for residential rooftop solar energy systems landed at $2.84/Wdc, driven by efforts by national and regional installers to lower operational costs and optimize on-site installation labor.

Additional data from GTM Research shows the cost of solar modules (solar panels) fell to an all-time low of $0.40/watt at the end of 2016, with expectations to continue falling through 2020.

The total cost of a home solar panel installation is made up of on-site labor, engineering, and permitting, plus physical hardware costs like solar modules, racking, inverters, etc.

#2 Available solar rebates will not last forever

Residents who go solar in South Carolina have access to some of the best rebates and incentives available in America – no lie! A 30% Federal tax credit is available for solar panel installations, a 25% South Carolina tax credit is also available, and local electric utilities like SCE&G, Santee Cooper, and Duke Energy Progress/Duke Energy Carolinas offer additional solar rebate & incentive programs in South Carolina!

However, these utility solar programs have a limited amount of capacity. As time goes by and more people apply for these programs, incentive levels will decrease until they eventually run out.

Going solar this summer will ensure you reserve your rebate at the highest level available, and will also contribute to a quicker return on investment.

Related Reading: How Long Does It Take For Solar To Pay Off In South Carolina?

#3 You OWN your home – Why RENT your power?!

Every day that goes by is a day that you give away your hard earned money to the local power utility. That is, unless you produce your own power with solar, in which case you essentially pay yourself.

A standard roof-mounted 8 kW solar energy system will produce approximately $1,400 dollars in energy each year according to our own calculations.

If you installed solar 5 years ago, you could have produced the equivalent of over $7,000 dollars of solar electricity! That’s money you DON’T pay to the local utility.

#4 Offset your highest electricity bills of the year

Summer weather brings with it the hottest temperatures in South Carolina. If you are like most homeowners, when you get home from work you immediately click on the air conditioner to cool down your house.

Unfortunately, the more you run your air conditioning the more electricity you use, and the higher your energy bill grows.

When you produce your own energy with a residential solar power installation, you have the ability to offset these bills by 25%, 50%, or more. Believe it or not, we actually have customers that produce 100% of their electricity needs through solar!

Residential Solar

Hypothetically, let’s say your new solar panel installation produces 50% of your power needs, and your summer power bills are $300 bucks due to higher use of air conditioning.

With solar, that $300 dollar bill gets cut down to just $150! And since solar panel are warrantied for 25 years, you get a lifetime of savings and lower monthly bills!

#5 Finance & leasing options make solar available for everyone

Finally, and probably most important, EVERYONE can go solar thanks to innovative finance options and ownership models.

If you don’t have the savings (or if you are planning on spending your savings on something else) you can still own a solar power system through financing.

When you finance your solar power system you can also take advantage of available tax credits, rebates, and incentives. You pick the length of time you want to finance your solar purchase, generally for 5, 10, 15, 20 or more years. The longer period of time you finance, the lower your monthly payment will be, but you will pay more in total interest.  

Plus, you may be able to take advantage of $0 Down financing arrangements which allow you to own solar and get a 1-month head-start on energy savings before your first finance payment is due.

Learn more about solar power in South Carolina

Southern Current is proud to be one of the leading solar companies in South Carolina, with services available throughout the Southeast. Contact us TODAY to schedule a FREE consultation, and find out how much you could be saving with solar!

Primed For Savings: How Amazon Is Going Big With Solar And Wind Power

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We’ve previously reported about the huge amounts of renewable power being used by large corporations across America, including Apple, Walmart, and Target, and today we’d like to turn the attention to pledges made by a prominent online retailer and cloud computing company: Amazon.

Founded in 1994 as an online bookstore, Amazon has grown tremendously to become the largest Internet-based retailer in the world. Unfortunately, so too have their energy appetite and electricity bills, so Amazon is making some BIG energy moves to save even BIGGER amounts of money!

Here’s What Amazon Can Teach You About Solar Power

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a subsidiary of the parent company, Amazon Inc., and is primarily involved in the business side of things related to “the cloud,” like data storage and content delivery (think processing power to deliver all of those Amazon Kindle downloads, etc.).

According to the AWS website, the company has a long-term commitment to achieve 100% renewable energy usage for its global infrastructure footprint, including a goal of being powered by 50% renewable energy by the end of 2017.

As of April 2015, the latest data available from their website, approximately 25% of the power consumed by the AWS global infrastructure comes from renewable energy sources. Current and future renewable energy projects include:

Amazon Wind Farms – US Central

Expected to launch in May 2017, the Amazon Wind Farm US Central-1 is a 100 megawatt wind farm under construction in Paulding County, Ohio. Once completed, it will be large enough to power the equivalent of over 29,000 US homes in a year.

Amazon Wind Farm US Central-2 is a 189 megawatt wind farm in Hardin County, Ohio that will have the capacity to generate as much energy used by 53,000 US homes in a year.

Amazon Wind Farm – US East

Amazon Wind Farm US East is a 208 megawatt wind farm. When completed, it will be the first utility-scale wind farm in the state of North Carolina and will produce the equivalent energy used by more than 61,000 US homes in a year.

Amazon Wind Farm – Fowler Ridge

Amazon Wind Farm Fowler Ridge is a 150 megawatt wind farm in Benton County, Indiana with the capacity to generate as much energy used by 46,000 US homes in a year.

Amazon Solar Farm – US East

Amazon currently uses an 80 megawatt solar farm that operates in Accomack County, Virginia. Comprised across roughly 1,000 acres, Amazon’s US East Solar Farm can generate approximately 170,000 megawatt hours of solar power annually, or enough to power 15,000 US homes in a year.

In November 2016, Amazon announced it would develop five additional solar farms with a total capacity of 120 megawatts. The new projects include four 20 MW solar farms and a 100 MW facility, all to be located in Virginia.

These new solar farms are expected to start generating by the end of 2017, with the capacity for over 400,000 megawatt hours of solar power annually, the equivalent to power over 36,000 US homes in a year.

The Takeaway On Amazon’s Commitment To Clean Energy

In total, these ten renewable energy projects will deliver approximately 2.6 million megawatt hours (MWh) of energy annually. 1 megawatt hour is equivalent to 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh).

*Assuming a retail rate of $0.10/kWh, Amazon’s wind and solar installations have the ability to produce $260 million dollars* worth of electricity each year!

When they reach their 100% renewables goal in future years to come, they will be saving over half a BILLION dollars* on energy costs, and doing so in a manner that produces ZERO carbon emissions!

Decrease Costs, Increase Profits

While it may seem extraordinary that Amazon is going to such measures, remember that they, like many other businesses, are motivated to cut costs in attempt to increase profits.

Since their products are largely digital (there is no physical shipment or transfer of a book when you purchase a digital download for your Kindle), they have very little ability to find a cheaper substitute.

But when it comes to operational costs, specifically energy, they have a tremendous opportunity for savings by producing their own energy and/or procuring it from solar panels and wind turbines.

Learn How To Save Money With Solar Power In South Carolina

Whether you’re interested in lowering home energy costs with a solar install on your roof, or increasing profits like Amazon by producing the power required for your commercial organization, Southern Current has a solar solution that can help you save money!

Costs have dropped dramatically over recent years — Down more than 45% since 2012 according to the Solar Energy Industries Association — which means now more than ever is a great time to consider going solar on your home or business!

Contact Southern Current for a free solar consultation and learn more about saving money with a solar power investment! And if you’re a land owner, read about making money with a Solar Farm.

Santee Cooper’s Solar Rebate Program Pays YOU To Install Solar Panels In South Carolina

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Santee Cooper is paying South Carolina home and business owners to install solar panels. In fact, Santee Cooper’s updated 2017 solar rebate program, combined with state and federal tax credits for solar installations worth up to 55%, gives South Carolina residents access to one of the best deals in the nation for going solar!

Santee Cooper’s $9,600 Dollar Solar Rebate Program

South Carolina residents in the Santee Cooper service territory can receive up to $9,600 dollars worth of rebates toward the cost of installing solar panels on a home or business! Under their updated Customer Solar Programs, a rebate of $1.60 per watt-AC is available for residential customers in South Carolina who install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on their homes. The maximum residential solar installation eligible is a 6 kW system, or a $9,600 dollar solar rebate!

Santee Cooper Businesses Customers Are Eligible For A  Solar Rebate, Too

The rebate is also available for qualified business customers who install systems on their property. This means a small commercial solar installation of 6 kW would be eligible for a rebate of $9,600 dollars as well.

“With good feedback from our customers, we’ve made the programs even better. These new incentives cut in half, approximately, the time it takes the solar investment to pay for itself.” – Santee Cooper President and CEO Lonnie Carter

Thanks to the Santee Cooper solar rebate and other incredible solar incentives available in South Carolina, you may be able to go solar and pay less for power than you currently pay each month! That is, the cost of your new power bill + the monthly solar finance cost could be less than your current power bill! It’s a no-brainer! 

In addition to the Santee Cooper incentive, a 30% federal tax credit and a 25% South Carolina state tax credit are both available. It’s no wonder South Carolina is a hot bed for solar panel installations!

Want more information?

Speak with a Southern Current solar representative for details. Click here to request a free consultation about going solar in South Carolina to learn how much lower your power bill could be. Don’t wait! The Santee Cooper solar rebate is available on a limited basis and will run out!

Turn Your Roof Into A Profit Center With Solar Panels

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Instead of writing an angry check to the local power company the next 12 months of the coming new year, we at Southern Current encourage you to turn your roof – home or business – into a profit center that MAKES YOU MONEY each month. Below are some compelling examples of just how incredible solar power truly is.

Net Zero Home In Charleston, South Carolina

The term ‘net zero home’ refers to a house that produces all or more of the energy it requires to operate. This 6.72 kW solar panel install in Charleston, South Carolina is just one of many net zero homes we’ve developed throughout the state. The solar energy system uses 24 280-watt LG solar panels. 100% of the customer’s power bill will be offset by solar, with approximately $1,300 dollars in cumulative energy savings delivered each year!

Solar Powered Beach House On Isle Of Palms, South Carolina

We all know South Carolina has some of the best beaches, some of the best sunshine in America. But have you ever thought about putting the sunshine to work for your benefit (other than a golden bronze tan)?

This 13.20 kW solar powered beach house designed by Southern Current is located on Isle of Palms, South Carolina. The system uses 300W LG solar panels and will offset approximately 60% of our customer’s annual power costs. The solar roofs will deliver approximately $112,000 dollars in electricity over the 30 year system lifetime!!

Rooftop Solar Deck In Charleston, South Carolina

This 7.13 kW solar panel install in Charleston, South Carolina is just one of many homes we’ve helped go solar around the Palmetto State. The solar energy system uses 25 285-watt Suniva solar panels, an American solar manufacturer, installed on three separate solar arrays. 70% of the customer’s power bill will be offset by solar.

Here’s a more detailed look at the rooftop solar deck we completed on the home:

 

If you have an unused rooftop deck at your property, what’s stopping you from doing the same?!

Learn More About Solar Power In South Carolina

Southern Current is proud to be one of the top solar installers throughout the state of South Carolina. Thanks to the numerous solar rebates & incentives that are currently available, there’s never been a more affordable time to create your own energy! Contact us to request information about a solar panel installation for your home or business and see how much you can save with solar.

Get Paid For Going Solar In South Carolina With SCE&G Net Metering

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Are you interested in installing solar panels on your South Carolina home? Do you get your electricity from SCE&G? You’re in luck if so, because SCE&G’s Net Metering offer PAYS YOU when you go solar at home!

SCE&G’s Solar Power Net Metering Offer

Local homeowners have access to one of the best solar programs in the state! Under SCE&G’s Solar Power Net Metering Program homeowners can receive FULL RETAIL RATE for all of the energy that is produced by a solar panel system. The process is called “net metering” and allows homeowners who produce their own power from renewable sources to be fairly compensated, including a credit that can be rolled over to the next month

  • Here’s how it works:
    • For every kWh generated, you offset your current month’s energy usage.
    • Any excess energy is carried forward to the next billing period to offset future usage.
    • Solar credits are given at the same cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for which you are currently charged.
    • Example 1: An average usage of 800 kWh per month, at a cost of $0.139 per kWh. Average electricity bill $111.20
    • If you produce 401 kWh with solar, you would only be charged for 399 kWh, at a cost of $0.139 per kWh. Example 1 electricity bill $55.46.
    • Example 2: If you produce 801 kWh with solar, you would not be charged for power. You would have a credit of 1 kWh or $0.139 which would carry forward to the next month’s bill.

Locations eligible for the SCE&G Solar Net Metering Program

SCE&G’s electric territory covers the metropolitan Charleston area and beyond including the largest cities of Columbia, Aiken, and Beaufort. The map below shows locations within the SCE&G service area eligible for the solar offer (tan color):

 

Additional Solar Incentives Available In South Carolina

In addition to the SCE&G Solar Power Net Metering Offer, individuals who go solar have the opportunity to take advantage of some remarkable federal and state incentives which decrease the overall cost of installing a solar power system.

30% Federal Solar Tax Credit

The US federal government offers a tax credit to both home and business owners who install solar power. A tax credit worth 30% of the total system cost and installation is available. If the federal tax credit exceeds tax liability, the excess amount may be carried forward to the succeeding taxable year.

25% South Carolina Tax Credit

The state of South Carolina offers an additional tax credit for home and business owners who go solar. The South Carolina solar tax credit is worth 25% of the total cost including installation. The maximum incentive for the SC state tax credit is $3,500, or 50% of taxpayer’s tax liability for that taxable year, whichever is less. This credit has no expiration date and any excess credit may be carried forward up to 10 years.

There’s never been a better time to lower your energy costs with a solar panel installation on your property! Click here to request a free consultation about going solar in South Carolina to learn how much lower your power bill could be.

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