The Value of Money: Solar Energy and Luxury Real Estate

The other day, while I was organizing and updating files in my personal computer, I received a telephone call, that at first, I considered quite typical. However, the nature of the call made me stop and re-think one aspect of what I had been told about luxury home buyers and investors.
The gentleman, I will heretofore refer to as Client Energy, out of respect for his privacy and confidentiality, wanted to talk to me about solar energy and saving money. Well, in my mind, the idea of spending thousands to millions of dollars on a dream home simply was not in step with the idea of cost reduction and saving money.
So, what do you think I said toward the end of the conversation? I asked Client Energy if his request was usual for his friends and colleagues as well. He responded without hesitation - "absolutely." He continued, "Even though I want a luxury home with all the bells and whistles, I also want to save money whenever possible too." Again, I persisted and asked him why "economizing" is important given his enormous income stream? He replied, "You can´t continue to have money make money if you let it slip away by allowing high taxes and runaway expenses eat at your income."
That conversation inspired me to write this article. Furthermore, I want to get the word out to my colleagues regarding this interesting, but little looked at issue. While I won´t go into great detail regarding the topic here, I will give you enough information to help get you started on your own path to solar energy expertise.
First of all, solar panels function in all types of weather and seasons of the year, but their degree of effectiveness varies due to the availability of sunlight. As you know, solar energy is clean, renewable energy. A couple of obvious advantages are a reduction in your electricity bill and the ability to heat water through the use of solar panels.
The solar power grid system usually contains five basic elements. They are the solar panels (the number of panels varies depending on the kilowatts generated by your home), an inverter (converts DC into AC), a switch board, an electricity meter, and the main electricity grid.
A second type of solar power system is called a "stand alone" solar energy system because it functions independently from the electric utility power grid. In this system, electricity is stored in batteries until needed.
Now let´s get to some of the facts that inspired Client Energy´s phone call to me. A solar water heating system can reduce home utility bills by 75%. In the United States, the federal government is offering a 30% tax credit, through the year 2016, for renewable residential energy systems. In some states, utility companies will buy back the excess energy generated by your home solar power grid.
The estimated "repayment" time for the installation cost of the system can range, on average, from as low as 5 years to up to 30 years. The specific payback time horizon depends on the cost of the solar energy system, the cost of installation, the number of hours per day the sun shines, and the cost per kilowatt of electricity in the area where the home is located.
Finally, keep in mind, that the best solar energy installation goes to the real estate home buyer who takes the time to find a truly knowledgeable, experienced, and competent solar panel designer, who will install your solar energy system within the specifications and needs of your chosen dream home.