Solar is Free
The internet is full of wild claims ranging from “solar is free” to “Elon Musk Is creating a solar program to give everyone solar” to “the government will pay for your panels for you.”
That’s why these claims are neither 100% true nor 100% false. They often play on wording, societal ignorance, or some other sleight of hand in achieving their end goal. We are here to set the record straight and give you the true story behind each of these fallacies.
You will often hear salespeople making the “solar is free” claim to entice you into providing your information for a sales pitch. The fact is, everyone in the Sunshine State of Florida realizes that the sun’s solar energy is free (except at night). Floridians get to enjoy the sun's warming ultraviolet rays daily. As a solar energy system converts the sun’s radiation into usable power, it will save you money - over time. Various lending institutions can finance up to 100% of the project without you, the consumer, needing to pay any money out of pocket. A solar energy system won’t pay for itself on the first day, week, month, or even year. “Solar is free” remains a catchy play on words and semantics, but not entirely true, yet not completely false. But if that ploy effectively delivers additional sales’ leads, then mission accomplished!
Another tidbit from the rumor mill that we’ve come across is the tall tale of “Elon Musk is creating a solar program to give everyone solar.” First, let’s be clear: Elon is an undisputed visionary who has redefined the tech world. Whether that be with his self-driving electric cars, rockets that can return to the launchpads, or envisioning a hyperloop that transports people vast distances in short periods, Elon remains a titan of industry. All pretty neat, but despite all of these contributions to energy, and scientific advancement, there is no program in the works providing everyone with solar energy systems.
The final claim can be one of the most challenging to unpackage so we will do our best with as generalized of an explanation as possible. “The government will pay for your panels for you” is partially true. There are tax incentives, credits, and rebates that MAY be available; however, many of those benefits only account for partial costs coverage of the product. Also, fine print within those offers must be strictly adhered to qualify for particular deals. But no, there are no current scenarios where the government will pay for your entire solar panel system.
The bottom line is that solar energy can provide an abundance of benefits when adequately harnessed and tasked to power our homes, cars, and lives. Despite all the misinformation circulating, solar has still proven to be one of the most economical and worthwhile green energy alternatives to fossil fuels. If you are interested in learning more about how going solar can benefit your household and bottom line, let’s hop on a call.