Think adding solar panels to your home is out of your reach? Think again!
A recent article published on Bloomberg.com spelled out how solar panels are fast becoming the “new granite countertops” – or the amenity for new homes that is both highly coveted and more and more available.
At least six of 10 largest U.S. homebuilders led by KB Home include solar devices in new construction and demand for the systems that generate electricity at home will jump 56 percent nationwide this year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Find out what's happening in Midtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Solar energy has become one of the fastest growing industries in the nation, according to a report by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and much of this is due to rapidly declining costs.
The average cost of a completed PV system dropped by 24 percent over the past year to $3.37/W.The average cost of a PV module has fallen a whopping 80% over the last 5 years (source: SEIA/GTM Research). The main factors that led to a drop in solar costs include the decrease in system prices such as inverters, mounting hardware, permitting and fees.
Find out what's happening in Midtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The solar industry currently provides about 120,000 jobs at more than 5,600 companies nationally, the report said. Solar job growth has doubled in the last three years, particularly among small businesses.
In the first quarter of this year, solar energy installations accounted for more than 48 percent of new electric capacity installed throughout the country. The U.S. now has over 8,500 MW of cumulative installed solar electric capacity, enough to power more than 1.3 million average American homes.