The popularity of solar energy has seen an incredibly steep incline within the past few years.  Innovations in technology, falling hardware prices, and a cultural shift towards a sustainable lifestyle has opened up options for many consumers across the country.

A home solar installation can help you build equity and gain independence from utilities. That’s because you’ll own the solar panels that are installed in your home, either through direct purchase or financing. The value of those panels will be included in all future assessments of your property.

If you pay an electric bill, you might be able to join a community solar garden (CSG). They are a popular way to “rent” available solar energy each month. You become a subscriber to the garden by signing a contract for a specified amount of time. Then credit shows up on your monthly electric bill.

If you’re considering switching energy use to solar power, there are a few great options available. You can select a home solar system, in which solar panels are installed on the roof of your home or ground-mount them somewhere on your property. Or you may be able to choose to subscribe to a community solar garden, which is a collection of solar arrays located in a sunny area in your county or a neighboring county that allows contract-holders to receive utility bill credit for energy generated.

The return on investment on a new solar system will depend on:

• The size of the system and the layout of your site,
• Your current energy consumption and costs,
• And how you decide to finance your solar system.

Home solar typically refers to privately owned and stationed solar panels on your rooftop or hosted on your property. Community solar gardens (CSGs) are a way to “rent” available solar as a member of a community.

State governments are encouraging the installation of renewable solar energy by offering enticing incentives—often working collaboratively to ensure painless installation. 

If you’re interested in reducing your consumption of electricity, a great place to start is by identifying the amount of energy consumed by “energy vampires.” That’s a term that refers to always-on devices that are contributing to your idle load, usually without your even realizing it.

Energy vampires and zombies are appliances in your home that use electricity even when turned “off” or in standby mode. These culprits syphon off more energy than you're probably aware of, cost your wallet heftily over time.

You may have heard or read about energy vampires, those always-on devices that can increase your consumption of energy without your ever realizing it. These devices and appliances contribute to what’s called “idle load,” which is as wasteful as it is sneaky. The worst offenders are those with a high standby load, or those that are continuously active.