As Chris Farley said in Tommy Boy, “I can get a good look at a T-Bone by sticking my head up a bull's (ya know), but I'd rather take the butcher's word for it".
Honestly, when it comes to solar energy systems, I might have to go with the FIRST OPTION. - No sir, I cannot just take your word that a solar energy system is going to save me money without showing me the facts. I don't think ChatGPT wrote that part.
Before I tell the full story, you need to know who helped guide me to the truth when it comes to solar: Brian Decker, Kelly Pickerel, and Vikram Aggarwal. I'll tell you more about them later.
I'm not from California. Solar energy is just starting to become popular in my area. When I first started looking into getting a solar energy system for my house in Peoria, Illinois this year, I met in person with 2-3 solar salesmen from mulitple companies, and left the meetings even more confused than before I met them.
Keep in mind, for my day job, I am a mortgage lender and I've purchased a dozen rental properties. I look at numbers literally all day, every day. If I can see a clear breakdown on my costs and expected savings, it should only only take about 60 seconds to decide if it's a good investment decision.
I didn't just call the first people I saw on Google. I was talking to well reccomended, top solar salesmen in my area. When it came to presenting my options for purchasing solar, or doing a solar lease, it seemed like the solar company left out so many variables.
I still had so many questions, and really needed someone to explain tell me: "What it cost, and what do I save?!"
Hallelujah! I found a solution......there are actually solar energy experts out there, who don't sell solar panels. That made it so much easier to trust the information I was getting. On top of that, I was specifcially looking for solar experts who were also experts in personal finance, since that was my main reason for going solar.
Here 's who helped me the most:
Brian Decker - Brian runs one of the top mortgage lenders in the United States. Naturally, as a mortgage lender I turned to one of my comrades to explain the financial side of solar energy to me. Brian saw so much value and potential in solar energy, that he dedicates a signifant amount of time too teaching people the TRUTH about solar. Check out his solar energy website (SOAR) and contact him if you want to learn more just like I did.
Vikram Aggarwal - Vikram founded EnergySage. This is one of the best resources on the internet for learning about solar energy. If you go check ouot their website, you can find out answers to literally every question you could have about solar energy.
Kelly Pickerel - Kelly is right there with Vikram when it comes to MASSIVE amounts of solar content. She is the Editor and Chief with Solar Power World. This is another favorite resource I found while researching solar energy and whether I should do it or not.
Once I started reading content producted by these awesome solar industry experts, I actually found my answer on whether a solar energy system was worth it or not for me in Central Illinois.
Yeah, solar energy is actually financially worth it in Illinois. I am not going to blow you away and say I am getting 20% ROI, or doubling my money, but I definitely expect to save around $1,500 per year on my utility bills.
EcoWatch estimates you could save $1,423 per year on your electric bills by switching to solar based on a 6kW Solar Panel System and average electricity rates across the U.S.
The average monthly electricity bill in the United States $139.06 according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's data from November 2023.
About the Author:
Jonathan Scheeler with Solar Improve. Jonathan is a professional in real estate, mortgage, and solar industry. As a Mortgage lender, he has financed around $100,000,000 in residential properties, consulted hundreds of home buyers on the topic of solar energy, and owns 10 rental properties in Central Illinois. Jonathan Scheeler is an alumni of Truman State University.
contact: Contact@SolarImprove.com - Visit SolarImprove.com to learn more about solar energy, including the solar education hub.
Sources:
NMLS 1825706 - Not an adverisement for mortgage services. No legal advice services, this article is simply my opinion on how to find out relevant information to make your own decision on choosing solar energy systems.