Myths, Facts, & Figures
Let’s shed some light on the current state of solar power.Solar Power vs. Solar Hot Water
Many people think a solar hot water system is an easier and more cost efficient way to tap the energy of the sun. Not so. Thanks to improved technology and cash incentives from your utility and the IRS, installing a photovoltaic solar power system is more affordable and easier than ever. Don’t get us wrong, we love solar hot water, but you’ll get a much faster return on your investment through supplying 100% of your home or building’s energy needs through photovoltaic solar panels before you consider heating your water from the sun.
Thin Films vs. Silicon-based Solar Panels
The newest technology in solar power are thin films—flexible sheets of solar cells, less than an 1/16th of an inch thick that can be wrapped around or draped onto almost anything. But they do have a downside: It takes roughly three times the surface area to generate the same amount of power from an inch-thick silicon photovoltaic panel, and thin films' reliability is questionable whereas silicon has been proven to last as long as 50 years.
Myth: Solar is Ugly
Fact: InPower solutions are sleek and beautiful. We install solar panels on luxury homes throughout the Roaring Fork valley designed by the area’s top architects and builders.
Fact: Xcel Energy plans to raise Colorado electric rates 11% in 2007. A solar energy system providing your entire home or building’s power needs means never worrying about your electric bill for the life of the installation.
Myth: Solar is Expensive
Fact: Holy Cross, Core, or Xcel utilities will pay you cash for up to half the cost of your solar electric system. If you’re installing a solar power on your business, the deal is even better: Up to 80% of the costs are covered by cash incentives from these utilities and the IRS.
Myth: Solar energy is a poor investment.
Fact: A home powered by solar panels and connected to the power grid will return in excess of 15% per year over the lifetime of the installation (anywhere from 35-40 years).
Myth: Solar panels will only get cheaper
Fact: The price of solar panels has held steady for years despite the increase in demand. But the current cash incentives offered by utilities and the IRS have made solar power more affordable than ever and in the foreseeable future.
Myth: Solar power is unreliable.
Fact: The panels and hardware used by InPower often last for 40 years with little or no maintenance. They’ll outlast every appliance in your home and generally triple the life of the roof beneath them.
Myth: Solar is only for living off the grid
Fact: Connect to the grid and you’ll receive cash incentives from your utility company, plus watch your utility meter spin backwards. When it spins backwards, the utility company is buying your excess electricity at market rates.
Figures: In 1985, worldwide solar installations supplied 85mW of electricity. In 2005, solar arrays produced 1,460mW of juice. One year later, the number jumped to 1,766mW.
Figures: The United States solar energy market grew 45% in 2007, up from 33% in 2006.
Figures: On average, a solar hot water system can replace 11.4 barrels of heating oil per year or enough fuel burned by a medium sized sedan driven 12,000 miles.
Figures: Electricity generated from fossil fuels is the single largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. Solar power generates zero carbon emissions.
Figures: Over 200,000 homes in the U.S. use photovoltaic panels in some capacity.
Figures: Sand is a major component of the silicon cells used in a photovoltaic panel. One ton of sand used in making a solar panel can produce as much electricity as 500,000 tons of coal.
Figures: Solar panels covering 0.3% of U.S.—equivalent to one-fourth the land currently used by railroads—can provide all the U.S.’s electricity needs.
Figures: The desert southwest is one of the world’s top locations for capturing solar energy, and western Colorado is in the top 10% of locations on the planet.