What are Solar Panels?
Learn what solar panels are, how they work, and why we installed solar panels on the roof of our Charlotte home.
We call our garage “the spaceship” now. And since we installed solar panels on our garage roof about a month ago, our spaceship is already making a little money.
Most likely, you already know what a solar panel is. On the off-chance you don’t, here’s a quick refresher:
What is a Solar Panel?
A solar panel is a neat piece of technology that converts the sun’s energy into electricity. It works by converting the light waves into DC electrical energy. Then, that DC energy goes through an inverter to turn it into AC electricity, which is what the US power grid uses. Most days, any energy the solar panels generate goes back into the grid.
Over time, solar panels have gotten a lot more efficient. They’ve also become more common, more cost-effective, and less bulky. (We joke that our solar panels make our garage look like a spaceship, but the reality is, most people don’t even notice them.)
Why We Installed Solar Panels
For us, the benefits of solar panels were clear. We care about the environment, and energy efficiency and sustainability are priorities for us. Plus, they can be a great investment, particularly in the Southeast.
For us, this solar panel project was going to be one part of a larger effort to remodel our home into a modern, sustainable way.
Even though we knew we wanted to explore solar energy options during this remodel, we weren’t sure if it was going to work out financially, or where to start.
That’s where RoI Energy comes in.
Our Solar Panel Installation Story
Rewind to summer 2020: we knew we wanted solar panels for our Charlotte, NC home remodeling project but we didn’t know who we could trust. Like a lot of homeowners, we found that online reviews painted an incomplete picture, so we decided to ask around.
That’s when a friend referred us to Skye McMahon and Walker Miller of RoI Energy. After our initial consultation, we were really impressed with the models they delivered. These models showed how much sun our roof was likely to get, and how much energy we could realistically expect to generate.
You can see two of my favorite snaps from the report below:
The cost of our system, and what proportion of our energy we’ll be producing via solar.
The broader environmental impact of installing solar panels.
We also just really liked working with Skye and Walker (yes, really! How great are their names?). They’re good people.
“Walker and I are extremely passionate about renewable energy and sustainability...For us, solar energy has nothing to do with money motivations. It’s just a good thing, the right thing, to do. ”
I asked Skye why he got started into the solar energy space, and this is what he said:
“We both have small children. I can remember the seasons changing when I was a kid growing up here in Charlotte. Real seasons changing. Over the past decade, I’ve noticed that we don’t have real seasons anymore. For my kids, it’s warm now through the winter; we think that’s a problem.”
He added, “We hope the byproduct of this passion for sustainability is that we’re able to feed our families.”
A Good Investment?
We were completely sold on the sustainability angle. That said, the math had to make sense. For us, solar panels were a good investment. We’re able to cover our energy costs most months, which puts us on track to pay back the upfront cost of the panels in under a decade.
In North Carolina, we were also eligible for a solar rebate program. This helped offset some of the cost in the short term.
Many states offer something like this. A good solar partner will be able to help you navigate the process of federal- and state-level rebates.
Most experts say that solar panels will positively impact the value of your home. That said, you’ll have to determine for yourself if they make sense for you.
We’re thrilled with our “spaceship” and loved the process of working with RoI Energy.
Ready to explore solar panels for your home in Charlotte, NC?
I’d happily recommend giving RoI Energy a call. You can get in touch here:
