For most people, saving money is not the biggest reason for installing and making use of solar panels. Most people have a solar panel system installed because they want to reduce their carbon footprint and feel good about the legacy they leave for future generations. Saving money is just one of the side benefits, and you have to be creative when you use it.

Not all areas offer an energy buy-in for customers who share their solar energy with existing power services. You can’t always get a tax break and there are not always programs to offset the cost of a solar power system. However, you can still save money.

You don’t have to tie your solar energy into an existing energy source. You might simply use your solar power in specific places. For instance, you might only use solar energy in your garage or work shop. If you have a separate building where you work on your hobbies, it is the perfect place to use solar energy. In some cases, electric companies charge a fee just to have power going to a separate building, so, even if you don’t use your power supply, you would pay a fee for its potential use. When you install solar panels and use them, you don’t have to pay that fee, and you don’t have to pay for the energy that you do make use of, either. By doing this, you not only reduce your carbon footprint through your choice to use solar energy, but reduce how much energy gets wasted, along with the money you pay on your electric bills.