Solar-Powered Homes: Where and Why Are They Becoming So Popular?

The use of solar power for generating electricity isn’t a new technology, but in the last few years, it’s become more popular as an option for homeowners and builders.

Solar power offers a range of benefits that make it an extremely attractive and economical option in residential construction. These benefits include:

• Easy access to a free and endless source of power
• Dramatically decreased or even eliminated electricity bills
• Tax credits and other renewable energy incentives that offset the price of solar installations
• Increased home value, aesthetics and desirability
• Access to environmentally clean and constantly renewable energy

Solar energy can also help residents and builders meet new government regulations and energy standards, such as California’s Net Zero Energy requirement mandating that, beginning in 2020, all new homes produce as much energy as they consume.

Previously, one of the most prohibitive aspects of solar-powered homes was the cost of installing solar equipment. The price made solar more common in commercial construction projects. However, solar power system prices have dropped as much as 60 percent since 2011, according to Builder. This dramatic decrease makes solar power a much more feasible option in residential construction.

Goodman also reported that in 2014, there are more solar-powered homes being built than commercial installations.

Unsurprisingly, solar power is most popular in areas that receive considerable amounts of sunshine, such as Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and the southern California cities of Los Angeles, San Diego and Bakersfield, according to Builder.

However, solar is also seeing increased usage in cities and states that are not typically considered part of any sun belt. These include Washington, DC; Portland, Oregon; and Denver, Colorado.

Since the company was founded in 1989, Construction Monitor has provided in-depth information on the state of the construction industry through building permit data and other sources. Contact us today for more information on recent trends in solar-powered homes and why solar power is a practical and economical choice for new homeowners.