Entendiendo el Ahorro de Energía en el Hogar
☀️ Solar Panel Systems
How Solar Saves Money
System Sizing
System Degradation
🔋 Battery Storage
When Battery Makes Sense
Battery Economics
🌡️ Heat Pumps
How Heat Pumps Save Money
Heat Pump Types
💰 Federal Tax Credits (2024-2025)
Solar + Battery
Heat Pump
⚡ System Synergies: Solar + Heat Pump
🗺️ Regional Considerations
Sun Hours by Region
Heat Pump by Climate
Solar panels, battery storage, and heat pumps are the three most impactful home energy upgrades you can make in 2024-2025. With 30% federal tax credits and rising electricity costs, typical payback periods have dropped to 6-12 years, followed by 15-20 years of essentially free energy.
Solar panels generate electricity from sunlight, offsetting your utility bill. A typical 6 kW system produces 7,000-10,000 kWh per year, enough to cover 70-100% of an average home's electricity needs.
Average costs (2024-2025):
- • $2.50-$3.50 per watt installed
- • 6 kW system: $15,000-$21,000 before incentives
- • After 30% federal tax credit: $10,500-$14,700
- • Payback period: 6-10 years
- → 25-year savings: $30,000-$60,000
Your ideal system size depends on your annual electricity usage and available roof space:
Solar panels lose about 0.5% efficiency per year. After 25 years, panels still operate at 88-90% of original capacity. Most manufacturers warranty 80-85% output at 25 years.
Battery storage adds $10,000-$15,000 to system cost but provides valuable benefits:
Battery payback is slower than solar alone (adds 3-5 years to payback period) but increasingly valuable in:
- ✓ States with time-of-use rates (CA, AZ, NV, TX)
- ✓ Areas with unreliable grids (frequent outages)
- ✓ Regions phasing out net metering (reduced solar buyback rates)
Heat pumps are 2-4x more efficient than traditional heating systems. Instead of burning fuel to create heat, they move heat from outside air (or ground) into your home.
Efficiency comparison:
- Cost: $4,000-$8,000 installed
- Best for: Moderate climates, replacing gas/oil/propane heat
- Cold weather: Modern cold-climate models work down to -15°F
- Payback: 5-10 years vs. gas, 2-4 years vs. electric resistance
- Cost: $15,000-$30,000 installed
- Best for: Long-term ownership, extreme climates, new construction
- Efficiency: 30-50% better than air-source
- Payback: 10-20 years, but superior long-term savings
- → 30% credit through 2032
- → 26% in 2033, 22% in 2034
- → Applies to solar panels, battery storage (if paired with solar), installation
- ✓ No maximum limit
- ✓ Can be carried forward if credit exceeds tax liability
- → Air-source: 30% credit, max $2,000
- → Ground-source: 30% credit, max $10,000
- ⚠ Annual limits apply (can only claim once per year)
Combining solar and heat pump creates powerful synergies: