Longhorn Solar Blog

What Is A Negative Energy Bill? (And How Can YOU Get One?)

Once upon a time, you were tired of paying outrageously high electric every month. After much thought and deliberation, you decided to make the switch to rooftop solar, so that you’d be responsible for your own power, and not at the whims of the merciless grid. The installation process was quick and painless, and the panels on your roof looked sleek and futuristic, but the real moment of truth came when you got that first electric bill after your solar installation… and it was negative. It sounds too good to be true, but it’s just the reality of owning a residential [...]

What Is A Negative Energy Bill? (And How Can YOU Get One?)2024-03-07T22:34:06+00:00

Win Your Energy Independence With Solar Power

It’s that time of year again—when we break out the red, white, and blue, fire up the grill, and celebrate our freedom. While this year has been stranger than most, that’s nothing a few fireworks and a tall glass of lemonade can’t fix…At least, until you take a look at your summertime electric bills. If your electric company has you feeling anything but brave and independent, there is a solution out there. And it doesn’t even involve dumping tea in any nearby bodies of water.  If you’re ready to declare your independence from energy bills, we can help. Check out our [...]

Win Your Energy Independence With Solar Power2024-03-07T22:28:48+00:00

What’s Your Carbon Footprint? It May Be Larger Than You Think!

Climate change can seem inevitable, especially with all the bad news out there—but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s a lot that we can do as individuals to make the world a better place, reduce waste, and ensure that we’ve minimized our own carbon footprint. How do we do that? The first step is to calculate your carbon footprint. Then, you can identify sources of CO2 emissions in your life, take steps to reduce that number, and even start offsetting. Here are a few unexpected sources of CO2 emissions that contribute to your carbon footprint… And what you can [...]

What’s Your Carbon Footprint? It May Be Larger Than You Think!2024-03-07T22:27:46+00:00

Texans, Go Solar Before Summer Hits!

Homeowners in Texas know how summer goes. As the weather heats up, you’ll spend more time out by the pool soaking up the sun, cooking burgers and hotdogs on the grill, and running barefoot on the lawn after lightning bugs. It’s a wonderful time of year—at least, right up until you get your first electric bill. With the temperature outside creeping up, you’re also turning up the A/C and spending more time inside using electronic devices, and that can be more than a little expensive. It’s no coincidence that we get a lot of requests for solar during this time of [...]

Texans, Go Solar Before Summer Hits!2024-03-07T22:26:44+00:00

How Does Investing in Solar Energy Benefit the Environment?

When you choose to power your home with solar energy, you’re not just choosing lower electric bills, a localized energy system that offers grid independence, or a tax break. You’re also choosing a clean power source that will last for 25+ years, is powered by 100% renewable energy sources, and produces no emissions that will harm the environment. It’s not just the wisest choice for your wallet—it’s also the right choice to make so we leave the world we live in better for the next generation. Climate change is an ugly truth, and it’s up to each of us to fight [...]

How Does Investing in Solar Energy Benefit the Environment?2024-03-07T22:25:43+00:00

Your Guide to the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC)

Ready for some serious savings on both your taxes and your electricity? If you own a solar system, and you pay taxes—you’re in luck! The federal solar tax credit, also known as the investment tax credit (ITC), makes solar more affordable for many Americans and heavily contributes to the stellar ROI of investing in solar. And just because it involves taxes doesn’t mean it’s complicated, either—in fact, the solar investment tax credit is simple to understand and use. Here’s what you need to know about saving on your taxes with solar: What is the Solar Investment Tax Credit? Essentially, the solar [...]

Your Guide to the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC)2024-03-07T22:24:42+00:00

Ten Reasons To Invest Your Tax Return In Solar

It’s that time of year again. You put in the hard work all year long last year, filed your taxes in the spring this year, and now you’ve received a big, fat, tax return check back from Uncle Sam. Perhaps you may be fantasizing about the ways you can invest this extra cash. Fancy dinners, presents, or even a down payment on a major purchase like a car may sound appealing, but those aren’t your only options. Many financial advisors recommend investing that money instead of spending it immediately—and there’s no better way to invest than by going solar. Here are [...]

Ten Reasons To Invest Your Tax Return In Solar2024-03-07T22:23:41+00:00

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?

"We live in a two-story that's about 2500 square feet.  How many solar panels do I need?" We get this question a lot, and the short answer is: The size of your home has very little to do with how many solar panels you need.  There are a lot of factors that contribute to how much energy your family consumes, including: How many people live in your home and how often are they there? Do you have children living in the home ("I'm not air conditioning the outdoors!")? What are your current day and nighttime thermostat settings? Do you and/or your [...]

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?2024-02-29T15:59:18+00:00

How Long Do Solar Panels Last?

"How long do solar panels last?" The question you're probably looking to have answered is “How long should I expect my solar system to keep producing energy?” The short answer? 25 years or more.  With the money you can save on your electric bill by going solar, it no surprise so many people are turning to solar energy production as the #1 alternative to utility power. We've Got Good News We used to think solar panels only lasted as long as their warranties (typically 25 years).  Entities like The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), told us that solar panels lost about [...]

How Long Do Solar Panels Last?2024-02-29T15:58:17+00:00

How To Tell If Your Solar System Has Hail Damage

Springtime in Texas is beautiful; full of warm sunny days and oceans of wildflowers. Springtime also brings thunderstorms, and with them, hail.  It hails somewhere in Texas every year, with the size of the hailstones ranging from 1/8" up to 6" in diameter or more in extreme weather events. So what causes hail anyway? Well, we're no weather 'experts' but the short version goes something like this:  Water vapor gets caught in the updraft/downdraft cycle of a thunderstorm, pushing the vapor high enough in the cloud that (when it eventually collides with some sort of debris or other water vapor) it [...]

How To Tell If Your Solar System Has Hail Damage2024-03-07T21:53:40+00:00
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