Welcome to the summer time solstice. At the moment is the longest day of the yr, and the purpose at which the solar reaches the best level within the sky. At 1:23 pm at the moment, the solar will climb to an altitude of 84 levels, reaching very practically straight overhead. Against this, in December, the solar’s peak altitude is as little as 37 %. This excessive solar angle is why it’s so vital to put on sunscreen through the center of the day in summer time, however there’s a brighter facet of the story.
You could have seen—it might be onerous to overlook, actually—that it has been sizzling and sunny outdoors this summer time. Whereas summers will not be all the time like this, when excessive stress techniques construct over the Southern plains states, we see days and days of sunshine. This helps make Texas one of many sunniest states within the nation, with a mean of two,850 hours of sunshine a yr.
The excellent news is that we will really put that sunshine to make use of by gathering a few of it for photo voltaic vitality, and it’s more and more straightforward to do that. On this put up, which is created by our partnership with Reliant, I wish to speak about a few of these methods you’ll be able to put the Solar to be just right for you.
Photo voltaic stats
Because the state grows, so does its vitality wants. And particularly throughout these hotter months, when the solar reaches the best level within the sky, photo voltaic vitality helps to energy our life-saving air-con models. Final summer time, photo voltaic vitality offered about 4 % of the state’s electrical energy wants, and that might practically double this summer time. Let’s begin with some primary details about solar energy in Texas, sourced from the Photo voltaic Power Industies Affiliation:
- $16.6 billion: Complete photo voltaic vitality funding in Texas
- 1.7 million: Variety of properties in Texas powered by photo voltaic vitality
- 506: Variety of photo voltaic vitality corporations in Texas
- 50 %: Lower in value of photo voltaic vitality over the last decade
- 4 GW: Quantity of latest photo voltaic vitality capability to be put in within the subsequent 5 years
- 1: State rating in solar energy era in 2021
Understanding photo voltaic: utility scale vs. residential
There are two major methods through which the solar’s vitality is collected: residential solar energy and utility-scale photo voltaic farms. Residential photo voltaic is unfold round communities, made up of photo voltaic panels put in on roofs, or mounted on the bottom, and is often related to the native utility distribution grid. Utility-scale means a centralized photo voltaic farm related to the grid that sells generated vitality again to the native wholesale utility, quite than end-use prospects.
Each technique of producing photo voltaic vitality are serving to to gas progress within the state. And relying upon your own home, way of life, and finances both is perhaps an possibility in your electrical energy wants.
Photo voltaic hows
There are a number of methods for electrical energy shoppers to get entangled with photo voltaic vitality, and lower your expenses within the course of.
With out rooftop Panels
Help photo voltaic vitality together with your current electrical energy plan. Reliant provides a straightforward possibility for patrons to “Make It Photo voltaic” to assist clear, renewable vitality whereas preserving their current plan the very same. No panels required, you’ll be able to stay in a home or condominium that you simply personal or hire. Clients merely add “Make It Photo voltaic” to their most well-liked electrical energy plan for $9.99/month. Or for these enrolling in any Really Free electrical energy plan, it’s an computerized, free improve.
Enroll in a Plan Designed to Help Renewable Power in Texas. Even with out the dedication of putting in panels, Reliant’s 100% Photo voltaic plan helps renewable vitality and provides prospects a secure fastened fee. Once you enroll, 100% of your electrical energy utilization shall be matched with photo voltaic renewable vitality certificates, which give one other income for solar energy corporations. These certificates signify that renewable vitality equal to your utilization has been generated and despatched to the electrical grid—so that you’re not required to put in photo voltaic panels in your roof.
With rooftop panels
Make the Most of Your Panels’ Energy
If you have already got photo voltaic panels, you’ll be able to earn invoice credit to profit from your energy. With the Reliant Photo voltaic Payback plan, you’ll obtain invoice credit as much as your month-to-month utilization when your photo voltaic panels generate extra vitality and return it to the electrical grid.
Backup Energy Options
Harnessing Photo voltaic Throughout an Outage
Photo voltaic may present peace-of-mind and function back-up energy throughout an outage. Reliant’s sister firm Objective Zero provides a variety of solar-powered back-up energy choices, starting from transportable and mountable panels to transportable chargers and mills. I used one among these to energy some primary requirements, together with a couple of laptops, through the Valentine’s Day freeze of 2021.
As we make it by this significantly sunny summer time, know that the solar helps create a cleaner, greener Texas. You possibly can study extra about solar energy and vitality selections from Reliant at reliant.com/photo voltaic.
