A lot of people talk about it, but what exactly is so beneficial about solar roofing? The answers to this question are many, and range from the positive effects it has on your household budget and home to the benefits it affords the wider community.

Below are just a few of the ways that installing solar roofing panels on your home can make a big difference, not just to you and others around you, but also the community as a whole.

1.     Reduced Electricity Bills

One tangible, financial advantage of installing solar panels on the roof of your house is the amount of money you can save through rebates from the electricity company. Through the solar panels, your house effectively generates electricity which is then used by the electricity company to provide other households with energy.

 Because of this, the electricity company will often pay you for the electricity you create by deducting the monetary value of that energy from your electricity bill. In this way you not only save money, but also provide clean energy to other houses in your neighbourhood.

2.     Making Use of Empty Space

With a few notable exceptions such as hotels, office buildings and hospitals, most buildings including houses make little use of their roof space. By putting solar panels on your roof, you are reducing wasted space and drawing on what was once energy to provide clean energy to the wider community.

3.     Subsidies from the Government

In many countries around the world, both regional and national governments have created mechanisms and schemes to offset the cost of installing solar panels on the roofs of private residences.

The purpose of such schemes is to encourage home-owners to make the jump from being dependent on unclean energy sources to creating their own, clean and self-generating forms of energy. In Australia, for example, the cost of installing solar panels is borne indirectly by schemes that provide homeowners with renewable energy certificates at a higher rate than would otherwise be the case. Such certificates have the effect of reducing the amount of money houses pay for their electricity.

4.     Little Maintenance Required

Solar panels are typically low-maintenance devices, that once installed are able to function effectively with a minimum amount of upkeep from home owners. Using solar panels is best because they are made out of material that is both durable and flexible.

In this way, these panels are resistant to the elements and do not damage easily. Maintaining solar panels is a relatively simple task, and only requires the panels to be wiped with a bucket of soapy water once a month by homeowners.

The cleaning of the panels allows for the maximum amount of the panels’ surface area to be active in absorbing light from the sun.

5.     Give up Nothing to Gain Something

Unlike various other conservation initiatives that demand you sacrifice the meat in your diet, or that you not drive to work or not use water in certain situations, installing solar panels does not require you to sacrifice a thing.

In fact, you can continue living life exactly as before while the solar panels quietly do their work in the background. Installing the panels is a positive act that will benefit you and your community, and you will not have to forfeit any of life’s comforts in the process.

Michael Shawn is a keen conservationist who is currently exploring solar options with Monier Roofing.