Recent years have brought on a wave of conversations about sustainable energy alternatives. More specifically, farmers have been looking for alternative energy sources to help soften the cost of their monthly power bill. The problem is that many farmers have considered solar only to be pitched a bad deal with high upfront costs. Thanks to grants like the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), solar is now more affordable than ever before. At Sun Farmer’s Group, we know that solar energy provides a long list of benefits that make it superior to traditional fossil fuels. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of solar energy and why we think it’s a better choice for your farm, business, or home.
6 Benefits of Using Solar Energy Instead of Fossil Fuels
There are several reasons that solar energy might give you an advantage over traditional fossil fuels. We have put together a list of six benefits of solar energy and some potential drawbacks of fossil fuels.
- Solar energy is better for the environment. According to the EPA, 84% of the energy generated in the United States involves some form of non-renewable resource. Natural gas and coal used to generate electricity make up the majority of the greenhouse gas emissions in the country. Solar energy on the other hand produces zero greenhouse gas emissions and uses only the sun, a renewable energy source, to generate electricity. The more and more solar energy projects that get up and running around the country, the lower our collective carbon footprint will be, and we can reduce the irreversible damage our energy consumption is doing to the environment.
- The sun is a never ending resource. This benefit closely relates to the first one. Solar energy takes the sun’s rays and converts it into usable energy with the help of an inverter. The beauty of this is that the sun is not going anywhere and its energy supply is endless. The same can’t be said for natural gas and coal. Once these finite resources have been used up, we will be forced to look elsewhere for energy. Even if it doesn’t happen in our lifetime, it will eventually be a problem future generations are forced to face. Switching to solar preemptively can move the entire world one step closer in the right direction.
- Solar saves you money. While the environmental benefits are undeniable, it’s not uncommon for people to simply need financial relief from their growing power bills. Especially for farmers and businesses, a power bill that is reliant on natural gas or coal prices can be thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars per month just to keep an operation running. Solar can remove that power bill and replace it with a manageable loan payment that is eventually paid off, allowing you to run your farm, business, or home’s energy completely free. This means that you get to invest your money into other projects, make improvements, or simply enjoy the extra money in your pocket.
- Government incentives are plentiful. In the past, there was a growing concern among farmers and business owners that solar energy is simply too expensive upfront to get started. The truth is, that used to be the case. Today, there are plenty of government incentives and grants at both the state and federal levels that are available to get your solar project off the ground. REAP (Rural Energy for America Program) is a federal loan and financing grant awarded to agricultural producers and rural small business owners. Some farmers even qualify to have up to 80% of their out-of-pocket project costs completely covered by the grant. This removes a massive barrier to entry for farmers who have been waiting to invest in solar energy so that they can start saving money.
- You can sell your solar energy. Did you know that you can sell your solar energy back to the traditional power companies? It’s a process called net metering. It allows anyone with a solar energy system on their home, business, or farm to sell their unused energy they generate to the power companies or receive an energy credit toward their bill if they are still connected to traditional power. This can be a supplemental source of income for many business owners and farmers that can be applied to pay down your loan faster or used to make improvements and maintenance to your solar system. Either way you choose to use it, it’s more money in your pocket for no extra work. That sounds like a good deal to us.
- Total energy independence. The cost of energy can be volatile. As geopolitical instability comes and goes year to year, the price of energy can fluctuate unpredictably. This can make your power bill hard to forecast and often puts business owners and farmers in a tough spot financially. Getting off the grid and hooked up to solar energy can insulate your business from energy price hikes, giving you complete energy independence and reducing your reliability on outside resources that you aren’t able to control.
Final Thoughts on Why Is Solar Energy Better Than Fossil Fuels
Many people could attempt to make the argument that fossil fuels are here to stay no matter what. While it’s possible to imagine a world well into the future where fossil fuels are still used in some capacity, it’s clear to see that solar energy and other forms of sustainable, renewable energy are becoming widespread and more common. Even better, the initial drawbacks of solar energy are being solved and improved upon year over year, meaning the benefits will continue to get better as time goes on. Is solar energy better than fossil fuels? The answer gets easier every year.
How Sun Farmer’s Group Can Help
Sun Farmer’s Group is the first true turnkey solution for agricultural solar energy. Our proprietary program has brought all of the in-house expertise to the table in grant writing, financing, tax credit monetization, installation, and so much more. Unlike other companies, Sun Farmer’s Group empowers farmers with a no-money down solution that greatly reduces and eventually eliminates your power bill altogether. The future is as bright as the sun, and we’ll help you turn it into power!
Get in Touch
If you’re ready to learn more about how Sun Farmer’s Group can help you put more money in your pocket, call 877-417-3222 today!