Humans have celebrated and harnessed the incredible power of the sun in one form or another for thousands of years.
This astonishing resource continuously strikes the earth with 173,000 terawatts of energy1. To put it another way, this amounts to more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use at any one moment in time.
Given this abundant free energy, it’s no surprise that solar is being used by a growing number of people around the world to power their homes. Developments in photovoltaic panel technology and reduction in installation costs have made solar energy more accessible than ever before. Free from pollution and kinder to the environment than traditional power sources solar is a great choice for the planet.
In this post, we trace the rise of solar energy and look at why so many people are gravitating towards this clean, renewable power source. If you’re considering making the switch to solar, read on to find out how you can be part of this exciting solar movement.
Solar in New Zealand
Solar energy has been taking off around the world for some time and New Zealand is part of the trend, with an ever-growing number of Kiwis turning to solar.
Huge potential power bill savings are a key motivator, but there are also several other personal and environmental benefits of solar energy that make it a great choice.
As a result, solar is fast becoming a mainstream energy option. Most consumers choose to stay connected to the main electricity grid, allowing them to be as self-sufficient as they wish, while enjoying lower power costs and looking after the environment.
As supporting evidence of solar’s increasing popularity, to date the World Solar team have completed more than 9,000 Solar PV installations on residential, commercial and farm buildings throughout Australasia. That’s over 100,000 individual panels!
Why go solar?
Solar means more money in your pocket each month due to reduced power bills. If you’re savvy, and use some of the tips and tricks that we like to recommend, you could enjoy savings of more than 50% on your monthly power bills.
As an example, after installing solar, one Otago family saved $271.46 (or 22%) on their power bill just in the first month.
Why not try our Solar Savings Calculator here to estimate how much your monthly power bill savings could be?
Plus, if your solar panels generate more power than you need, you can actually make a profit by selling this extra power back to the grid.
Solar can even help to increase your property value and give your home a sought-after point of difference if you’re considering selling. It also has some more far-reaching benefits for the environment, which you may not be aware of. By switching to solar, you’re protecting the planet by reducing your carbon footprint and greenhouse gas output.
If you’re considering retrofitting solar to your home and think it will be out of your budget, you might be surprised. Installing a solar system is a cost effective and straightforward process which works for almost all New Zealand homes. Panels are integrated to match the existing style of your roof, so it also looks great.
The best of both worlds
Solar energy gives you the ability to harness the pure, free power of the sun while keeping your connection to the grid for back-up. That means you have control over how much of your household power is supplemented by solar.
You’ll be looking after your wallet for years to come, while also looking after the environment. Given its ability to transform families, communities and the planet, solar is the power source of the future.
The sun is here to stay for another four billion years, so get on board with solar to tap into this incredible energy source. If you still have questions about solar as an energy provider, why not download our new eBook? It will answer all your questions, and help you consider becoming part of the solar movement.
- https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/energy-on-a-sphere/
