The Importance of Installing Solar Panels in Every American Home

 Written By: Matthew Lin

ARE Solar, a company which has a documented record of professional installation of top-quality solar systems, “The average American household produces 14,920 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year, assuming an average monthly energy consumption of 957-kilowatt hours.”. If we assume that every American is part of a 4-member nuclear family, and if we consider the population of America is around 330 million, that would mean that we produce approximately 1.2 trillion pounds of carbon dioxide each just from using fossil-fuel generated electricity, however, this is obviously all conjecture. Beyond this, we must keep in mind that these figures of massive amounts of carbon emission are only from fossil-fuel-generated electricity. According to the SEIA, a national non-profit trade association of the solar-energy industry, electricity only contributes to 28% of the greenhouse gas emissions and thus we can see that total emissions should be 3-4 times that value. With this in mind, it is essential to note that solar energy is entirely carbon-emission-free as it is a sustainable and renewable energy source, which shows the possible benefit of installing solar panels in every American home. 

One primary concern for every American in installing solar panels would be the costs to install them, where Adam Gram, a construction industry analyst, states that “the average cost of installing solar panels is around $18,000”. With that in mind, it is essential to note that an average American makes about “$51,168 per year” (Kopestinsky). The idea of having every family install solar panels is impractical, especially if it will take away around 18% of the family income in a household of two full-time working parents. Nevertheless, it is clear that installing solar panels by themselves is expensive; disregarding the production costs for components such as batteries and research and development of these new technologies, the need for maintenance also leaves a sour impression. 

Correspondingly, Unbound Solar, a solar energy company, points out an obscene markup in the installation bill when a turnkey installer gets hired. The turnkey installer is “a company that offers an all-in-one solution to source the equipment and perform the installation,” which naturally leads to the overpricing shown by Adam Gram as they have total control over the entire installation process (“Why”). From this, it is abundantly clear that turnkey installers are the primary reason why installing solar panels to decrease carbon emissions lacks appeal to many Americans Likewise, the evidence that there is a shallow appeal for solar panels is also obvious in that we produce 1.2 trillion pounds of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, each year just from fossil-fuel-generated electricity. According to Unbound, companies have an excellent reason for the inflated price of their installations, as the bill covers the labor, office rent, service vehicles, supply, and insurance (“Why”). With so many factors to consider, it is very logical for the final bill to come out either $10-20k more than the original cost of the solar panel itself (“Why”). Thus, it can be argued that for solar panels to seem more appealing to a more significant portion of Americans, the method of installing solar panels will have to shift more towards DIY.

As stated by PetersenDean, a California-based roofing, solar, and battery company, one possible solution is that “we live in an era of Youtube, do-it-yourself videos.”. Essentially, they are pointing out the plethora of free and high-quality videos for people that would allow the installation of solar panels. In addition, PetersenDean reaffirms the answer to his previous question where he asked, “Can you install solar panels yourself? The short answer is ‘yes’”(“Can”). However, it is essential to note that PetersenDean also states, “there are some serious drawbacks to going it alone,” which is natural since a poorly done set-up could cost a consumer upwards of $10,000(“why”)(“can”). 

In conclusion, the massive amounts of carbon dioxide released into the air each year is an issue that needs to be resolved immediately, with one solution being the installation of as many solar panels as possible. In brief, considering the factors involved in installing solar panels, they are an appealing long-term investment. 

Works Cited:

  1. “Climate Change.” SEIA, www.seia.org/initiatives/climate-change

  2. Gram, Adam. “2021 Solar Panel Installation Cost: Solar Energy Cost.” Fixr.com, 17 Mar. 2021, www.fixr.com/costs/solar-panel-installation.

  3. Kopestinsky, Alex. “What Is the Average American Income in 2021?” PolicyAdvice, 24 July 2021, policyadvice.net/insurance/insights/average-american-income/

  4. Solar, About the Author: ARE. “How Solar Energy Reduces Your Carbon Footprint and Energy Costs.” ARE Solar, 30 Nov. 2020, aresolar.com/the-benefits-of-going-solar-helping-the-environment-while-saving-you-money/

  5. “U.S. and World Population Clock.” United States Census Bureau, 16 Aug. 2021, www.census.gov/popclock/.

  6. “Why Are Solar Panels so Expensive?” Unbound Solar, 23 Dec. 2020, unboundsolar.com/blog/why-are-solar-panels-so-expensive. 

  7. “Can I Install Solar Panels Myself?” PetersenDean, 17 Mar. 2021, petersendean.com/can-i-install-solar-panels-myself/. 

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