Solar energy is in the news almost daily. But have you ever wondered whether or not installing solar panel roof array on your residence would be a good option for your family? Here are a few of the most convincing reasons.

1. The Economic Conditions
The country economic climate is finally encouraging again for people who want to use solar power at home. There are now federal tax credits in place (or soon to be in place) that can reduce the price of installing a residential solar roof array by as much as 30%. And don’t forget to check into your state and city tax incentives, too. The list of cities and states that are offering tax rebates and other incentives to assist folks to convert to solar power is continuing to grow.

2. Your Bank Account
There is also the direct cost savings you will see in reducing your monthly power bill. Since you solar photovoltaic panels will be powering your appliances during the day, you will be seeing a savings in electricity usage. And if your local electric company participates in net metering, your electric bill could be decreased to zero. Net metering allows you to sell back any excess energy that your solar panel system generates to the electric company for a credit to your account. So if your solar electric system produces a leftover during the day, the power that you use from the grid at night could end up being at no cost.

3. The Environment
Solar power is also excellent for the environment. It is created on site where it is used. So there are no petroleum haulage costs or emissions, and no plant maintenance costs. It does not contribute to global pollution and warming. There is no greenhouse gases from burning oil or coal, and it does not create nuclear waste that will contaminate the planet for generations to come. And last but not least, it is a great method to safeguard yourself and your family against the future electricity price hikes that experts predict will happen.

If you are worried that installing solar photovoltaic panels on your home will result in time consuming, costly and complicated maintenance, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Most solar panels used for residential systems are made of solar photovoltaic cells encapsulated in thick glass, mounted onto metal racks. Since they have no moving parts, once they are installed they require minimal maintenance.

Of course, this may depend on where you live, what kinds of weather conditions are typical for your area and whether or not you have a lot of trees in your yard. For instance, if you live in a area where there is a lot of snow in the winter, you may have to spend some time after a heavy blizzard cleaning off the solar panels so the sun can reach them. Or if you live in an area that has regular dust storms, or an urban district where there is a lot of dirt in the air, you may have to clean off the glass cells periodically to maximize their efficiency. But if it rains repeatedly enough, that should be adequate to keep your solar panels clean enough to function properly.

If there are a lot of deciduous trees in your yard that shed their leaves every autumn, you may need to make sure that those leaves don’t cover up your solar power panels. Even evergreen trees will shed their needles and may require a periodic clean up. But a quick swipe with a broom should do the trick.

Of course, the solar panels are not the only components in the system. If you have an off grid system, it will include power storage batteries and perhaps a back up generator. These components will require more monitoring and continuing maintenance than the solar power panels themselves. It’s always a good idea to arrange for regular inspections to make sure that your entire solar electricity system is running properly.

If your solar power panels are tied to the grid, you will still have an inverter as part of your system. It converts the electricity that your solar panels generate into alternating current that your appliances can use. Even though it has no mechanical parts, it is an essential component and should be frequently inspected.