If you’re looking for the best solar companies in Stockton, CA, you’ve likely spent at least a little time thinking about the benefits of switching to renewable energy. The debate over solar power and other renewable energy sources has been a hot topic for many years. Some people are staunch believers in renewable energy, while others think that it is not worth the investment. However, there are many reasons why Californians should make the switch to solar power. In this article, we will discuss some of those reasons and also explore where solar power is being harnessed around the world and within the United States.
What Is the Best Renewable Energy Source?
It’s no secret that renewable energy is the future of the power sector. In fact, it is the fastest growing source of energy in the United States, with a 90% increase from 2000 to the year 2020. There are a number of different kinds of renewable energy technologies currently available to us today, ranging from harnessing energy from the earth’s core in the form of geothermal energy to capturing the kinetic energy or heat from an ever-moving ocean. However, of the five or so different types of renewable energy currently being explored, none of them is growing faster than the solar power industry. What’s more, it is expected to continue to grow exponentially, producing nearly 50% of energy generation by 2030 and 100% by 2033 in tandem with wind power.
But why is the solar industry growing so quickly? Well, there are a number of crucial factors influencing this rapid growth. Perhaps the most obvious answer to this is that the cost of installation, operation, and maintenance of renewable energies has gone down as the technology continues to improve in efficiency and the infrastructure for those technologies continues to grow. In fact, since 2010, the cost of installing photovoltaic solar panels has been reduced by roughly 90%! Solar jobs have increased by nearly 170%.
This drop in cost means solar power is now more accessible than ever before for the average homeowner hoping to lower the cost of their energy bill (or even turn a profit!) but that further investments in the success of solar power infrastructure are impending as well. And while investors are more likely to see a Return on Investment when they buy into solar, homeowners are as well—to the degree that solar panels spread throughout neighborhoods at a rate likened to a “contagion.” When one house invests in solar, their neighbors are more likely to as well—as it increases the value of the home and the whole neighborhood.
As the future of energy continues to develop along with improving technologies, it’s hard to say which renewable energy source is better than the next—but with the potential to turn a profit after 6-10 years and zero greenhouse gas emissions to boot, solar power makes a strong argument.
Top Areas Where Solar Power Is Harnessed
The top five leading producers of solar power in the world are the United States, China, the EU, Vietnam, and Japan. The United States alone produces over 97 gigawatts (GW)—enough to power 18 million homes with average power use!
However, as you may have guessed, solar panels are only effective at harnessing energy when they are actively exposed to sunlight—making them a less viable option in particularly cloudy climates or additionally less productive during the winter months. This is due to a phenomenon called “insolation,” or sun exposure, and certain states rank higher than others for insolation across America. The top ten states ranking for annual solar energy production are California, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Florida, Utah, Georgia, New Mexico, and Minnesota, in that order.
Why Go Solar in California?
You may have noticed that California is at the top of the list for solar-producing states with high insolation, but what you might not know is how far ahead California is of the rest of the country in terms of producing solar Megawatt-hours. While North Carolina brings in an impressive 7.5 million Megawatt-hours, California takes the lead with an astonishing 28.3 million Megawatt-hours of solar energy. Of course, as more infrastructure is put in place for solar power and as more and more neighborhoods slowly “catch the bug,” the number of Megawatt-hours produced by these states is only predicted to increase.
California has long been a leader in solar energy however, with environmental policies reaching back decades offering cash incentives for citizens to make the switch to solar. Out of all of the U.S. states, California has one of the most aggressive renewable energy plans, looking to produce 100% of their energy by the year 2045. In 2020, California passed legislation requiring newly built homes to include solar panels atop their roof. Until the year 2045, however, by making the switch to solar you might even turn a profit; after the solar panels have paid for themselves in a handful of years, you can sell any excess energy you don’t use to your local power company!
Best Solar Companies in Stockton, CA
With one of the highest levels of insolation in the whole of America, it’s no wonder California is forging the way forward into the new era of renewable energy. If solar power infrastructure continues to see exponential growth, we will likely see a landscape of photovoltaic systems in just a few decades—though if we placed solar panels on a mere 22,000 square miles of land, we’d have enough electricity to power America.
It’s only a matter of time before progressive people make the switch. Are you ready to dive into solar with one of the best solar companies in Stockton, CA? Contact Renewable Technologies, Inc. today!