10 reasons to go solar

We know change can be hard, but choosing to go solar with Vivint Solar can be incredibly easy because we’ll guide you through your solar journey every step of the way, so you’ll always know what’s happening and how we take ownership of any situation(s) that may arise.

Not sure if you’re ready to commit just yet? Here are ten reasons why you might want to consider going solar.

#10: It can save you money.

We’re putting this first because, currently, the idea of potentially saving money is the reason most people get solar. Something like 80% of all solar homeowners signed up for solar to reduce their energy costs. It’s a boring fact but none-the-less true, so, we thought we’d mention it. We don’t think saving money should be the only reason you go solar, but we understand that it can be a potential benefit.

#9: It can help your neighbors.

Though grid-tied systems (such as those we offer) must be connected to the utility, going solar can reduce your reliance on the utility company (we’ll talk about that a little later) by powering your home through another source. Reduced dependence on the utility grid frees up “electrical bandwidth” your neighbors can tap into.

And because solar is a rapidly growing industry, the jobs available for solar are also expanding. For example, though Vivint Solar is a national company, we support small, local offices all around the country. Going solar creates jobs for your neighbors and shows that you support growing industries on a local level.

#8: It can improve your finances.

Among other myths about solar, a lot of people believe that going solar means never having to pay another utility bill ever again. That’s incorrect. A solar energy system works in conjunction with your utility to potentially reduce the amount you pay for power.

That’s why it’s vital you understand how you consume power and how going solar can affect your reliance on your utility. In some instances, going solar can cause you to reevaluate how you currently consume energy, how you can improve your energy use, and how going can solar offset your monthly utility budget.

Once you see how the scrutinization of your utility and solar budget can benefit your bottom line, it may lead you to start reevaluating other areas of your finances in an effort to improve them.

It may also help you identify the potential savings that can come as a result of going solar and assess where and how you would like to apply them.

#7: It can protect your future.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the cost of electricity is expected to continue trending upward, just as it has continued to do for the past ten years.

In choosing to go solar today, you may reduce the impact of the rise in utility costs with the potential offset of your solar energy system.

It also reduces your dependence on nonrenewable resources that can be harmful to the environment.

#6: It can make you look good.

We think solar panels look fantastic. If you signed up with Vivint Solar, your panels would look like high-tech structures neatly arranged on your roof in a clean and sleek design. Panels can give the impression that you are a technologically savvy person.

Most people understand the notion that solar panels can reduce your dependency on your utility company, which means that—by nature of having solar panels on your roof—you also come across as a financially responsible person.

And even if the net metering options aren’t as beneficial in your area as they may be in others, having a solar energy system could show other people that you are a supporter of clean energy and reducing fossil fuel emissions.

#5: It can make you feel good.

Mental health accounts for a lot. According to the CDC, your mental well being can have a direct impact on your physical health, and vice versa. In this era of technology, change, stress, and reinvention, it can be helpful to cling to the things that you’re doing to improve—not only yourself—but your environment and the environment of those around you.

Going solar can make you feel good because—as a homeowner with a solar energy system—you are throwing your support behind clean, renewable energy.

#4: It can make you smarter.

We’re reasonably sure someone from our legal department will have a problem with this statement, but here’s our justification.

In 2011, Scientific American—the longest continuously published magazine in the U.S.—published a blog by Andrea Kuszewski called “5 Ways to Maximize Your Cognitive Potential.”

In it, Kuszewski (Behavior Therapist and Consultant for children on the autism spectrum) discusses her research on various studies and reports that measure the ability to increase intelligence through cognitive training.

She believes that implementing five simple things to your day-to-day life will increase your intelligence:

1. Seek Novelty
2. Challenge Yourself
3. Think Creatively
4. Do Things The Hard Way
5. Network

Based on results 1, 2, and 5, we posit that the process of going solar has the potential to increase your intelligence. Here’s a quick breakdown of where we’re coming from with this concept:

1. Seek Novelty: the act of getting a solar energy system is still you experiencing something new, which, by definition, is novel. It’s also challenging to universalize solar because it is so specific to your utility company, the regulations in your area, the layout of your home, etc. Even if you study every potential aspect of the impact going solar will have on you, there will always be something new to identify because your home, the local regulations, your utility company, the weather, are regularly in flux. If something is periodically changing, it’s logical to assume there is always something new to discover. Something novel.

2. Challenge Yourself: once you’ve activated your solar energy system, we’ll encourage you to use our online resources to monitor your solar production online. We’ll also encourage you to review your utility bill and assess your solar production. Doing so will help you anticipate your solar production, your utility consumption, and determine how one can effectively offset the other. In assessing your two statements, you may organically begin to challenge the way you consume energy to support your solar production, and how it offsets your utility consumption.

3. Network: unless you’re doing it yourself, the process of going solar requires people (sales associates, field technicians, electricians, local inspectors, etc.) to visit your home and sometimes interact with you. Interacting with another person is the foundation of basic networking. The potential to build your knowledge base can be stronger when subject matter experts are involved. In visiting your home, you have the opportunity to ask clarifying questions and gain knowledge about the layout of your home, the structure of your roof, the process of wiring an electrical system, etc.

Also, going solar can create an indirect opportunity for you to network in your local community. For example, if you live in an area where you have the option of buying a solar energy system, and you choose to, you may want to understand the potential tax incentives available to you as the system owner. Tax incentives are set on a federal level and can be set on a state/local level as well. It’s also possible that you live in an area where solar energy requirements are established by local legislation. If that’s the case, getting involved in community affairs that impact changes in solar policy can build your network and conceivably increase your intelligence regarding those issues.

All of this is not a guarantee, of course, but it is possible.

#3: It can give you confidence.

When you make choices that imply you are an intelligent, financially, and technologically savvy person, living a life powered by clean energy, you have confidence in yourself and your choices. That’s just math. No, it’s not, it’s probably emotional psychology, but you get what we’re saying.

#2: It can give you power.

Not like superpowers (though that would be cool). No, going solar literally gives you power in the form of energy that you'll use to power your home. It also gives you figurative power, like the power to choose how you want to use your energy once you go solar. Or the power you find in having the potential to improve your financial situation by checking to see if solar will benefit you. That's a lot of power.

#1: It can make you better.

Okay, we'll admit to a little exaggeration here. When we say you, we really mean your home, which—as the owner—is an extension of you. One of the coolest things about going solar is the potential to reevaluate and improve your home, so it’s the ideal place for you. Solar is a super competitive industry right now, and everyone (Vivint Solar included) is vying for your attention as a potential consumer.

If you're waiting for that one thing to tip you over the edge, we recommend that you evaluate your home and determine what you want to improve. Ask yourself, "What's realistic?" or “What might Vivint Solar be able to do in exchange for me signing up for solar?” For example, if you’re thinking about putting solar panels on your roof, but you know that your roof is leaking, talk about it with your solar rep and see if we can work something out. All we’re saying is, keep an open mind. As a potential consumer, you have more to bargain with than you might think.