Energy Conservation for Southern Homes

Energy conservation for southern homes is often higher than in other parts of the country. Why is that? Historically, our area has relied on energy sources that were plentiful, and policies and plans were instituted that kept electric rates low. So while energy bills were relatively low compared to many other states, South Carolinians and North Carolinians in fact tended to use more energy. For a long time this didn’t matter much to family budgets, but that’s no longer the case.

As the energy landscape undergoes changes and rates increase, residents will notice the consequences of using larger amounts of energy. Necessary moves like coal-ash clean up, investments in grid enhancement, and costly new power plants mean proposals for increased utility rates. As regulators approve these proposals customers will notice that even as their energy use remains the same they’ll soon be paying more. Where using a multitude of devices and appliances and cranking the heat or air-conditioning used not to be a big deal to household expenses, that can change unexpectedly. Put another way, when utility rate hikes happen, southern utility customers have options to take charge of their own energy management.

There are solutions and they’re simple. Energy experts can perform an assessment of your home and may recommend:

Adding more attic insulation
Tuning up your HVAC system
Servicing your heat pump
Considering efficient light bulb and energy efficient appliance upgrades for your kitchen and for entertainment
Surge protectors that automatically shut off devices programmed to stay in “standby” mode
Reconsidering your second fridge or deep-freezer – do you actually feel like it’s still valuable to you?
A consultation for solar power and potentially also energy storage to enhance your energy autonomy

By getting ambitious about prioritizing energy efficiency and cutting the energy a home consumes, investing in solar to own your energy source and dramatically reduce reliance on energy from the grid, or both, the power to overcome rate increases and still save money is within your reach. Whether pursuing conservation, rooftop solar installation, energy storage, or a combination, you can outsmart rate increases and help make your community more resilient and greener.

Frequently Asked Questions About Solar for Your Home:

How exactly does going solar and a solar system itself work?

Solar energy begins with sunlight that hits the panels to produce energy that flows into your inverter, which converts the DC energy into Alternating Current (AC) electricity that can be used to power your home. This same energy is then consumed when powering your home’s light, appliances, gizmos, and gadgets. If you feel your home isn’t producing the energy that it needs, the utility will fill in the gaps. If you system produces more energy than needed, that energy will go to the grid and your utility will credit you for the unused power.

How many solar panels do I need for my home?

At Renu Energy Solutions we design our solar panel systems size based on three main factors.

Roof-size/available space: When we look at the size of your roof and the space available, we gather data that tell us the maximum number of solar panels your home or site can hold and we even consider shading. We use a software “Suneye” which takes a 360 picture of your roof and we use this photo to determine if your home is a good candidate for solar.

Energy Usage: When we determine energy usage we look at your past electrical bills from over the course of a year to make sure your system isn’t too big or too small.

Your Budget: We take your budget seriously and most importantly, we want you to be satisfied with our services. We take your feedback on how much you want to spend so that we can size your system appropriately.

What is solar net-metering?

Net-metering is a type of utility policy that controls how your system is connected to the grid and how you are credited for the solar energy you produce.

Does Duke Energy offer net-metering?

Yes! Both Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress territories in NC offer net-metering when your homes goes solar. If you are interested in net-metering, no worries. Our team will guide you through the process as certain utilities have a different application procedure.

Curious about the cost of a home solar system?

When our clients ask this question, we immediately tell Tham about the federal tax credit that comes with going solar. The Federal tax credit for going solar is 26% in 2020. For example, if the total cost of you system was $22,000, when you subtract 26% you are then left with a %16,280 solar system. There is not set price for a home going solar as there are many factors that contribute to the total cost. The price of a solar home can range from $10k to $100k based on the size of your roof, energy usage, aesthetic preferences, and of course, budget.

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Home Solar System

The amount of electricity that a solar energy system will produce will depend on a number of factors, including the location of the home, system design, and much more. Ideally, a home with an unobstructed south-facing view will produce more than enough energy.

Energy Storage

Installing battery backup along with your solar energy system for home or business is a smart move and can increase the value of your clean energy investment as well as peace of mind when a grid outage occur.

EV Chargers

Electric cars – with no gas engine at all – now work for most budgets and lifestyles. With more and more models to choose from, drivers are choosing electric vehicles (or EVs) than ever before!

Ready to Own Your Own Energy?

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