Combating Climate Change for a Brighter Future
Written by: Arlo Hoover Illustration by: Ali Teufel
As fossil fuels continue to be consumed daily, electricity bills go up, and the environment gets worse. Many want to attempt to combat these issues, but have no idea where to start. At the same time, others do not how they as an individual could affect climate change, or just simply do not care enough to try.
The National Energy Agency reports, 4.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) were released into the atmosphere due to energy production in 2022 and the same amount has been released so far in 2023. This makes 2023 energy production more harmful to the environment than ever before, so here’s how you can help.
Solar panels are the most common solution to the problem of carbon pollution. However, you do not need huge fields of solar panels, you can actually install these on your home, producing your own green energy. Because of this, you can cut your electricity bill in half, or not even have one at all.
According to EnergyBot, the average energy bill in America is $162 per month. These houses are also using around 30 kilowatt hours (kWh) a day, a kWh is 1000 watts per hour. One solar panel can produce two kWh, so 15 solar panels would be able to sustain a home. It will cost around $300 for one panel, making 15 of these cost $4,500 without installation. These panels can also last more than 25 years, so don't expect to have to repair these any time soon.
Buying solar panels does seem very expensive and you might feel like they won’t benefit you, but you can actually get these at a reduced price. The Solar Tax Credit (STC) gives people who buy panels a 26% tax credit. This in turn will reduce your income tax. Energy Sage also reports that you can save more money by having solar panels, “The average home can save between $20,000 and $96,000 over your solar panel system's lifetime.”
However, even with the STC, many will see the price and are completely turned away from buying panels, and they see no benefit after coughing up a few thousand dollars. The thing is, with the tax credit along with the money saved on your electricity bill you can easily earn back the investment, and help the environment at the same time. MarketWatch says that the pay off for a solar system can give you over $1300 dollars every year, and can last you an extremely long time, adding to the return on investment.
Some factors to consider before jumping right in and buying a solar energy system are as follows: How much sunlight do you get in your area year round? What cardinal direction does your roof face? Is your roof shaded? How big is your roof? What tax benefits would you get in your area? Answering these questions can determine whether you are right for a solar energy system or not. Take into consideration how you could help improve climate change, and be the change we need.
