Call Us 1-513-543-5645 ☰ Menu


The Two Biggest Misconceptions People Have in the Midwest Before Purchasing Solar Panels for Their Home!

Posted on: February 22nd, 2019

At Solar is Freedom, we get to sit down with homeowners right here in the Midwest every single day and there are two questions that we get on a regular basis that lead to a lot of confusion about installing a solar array on your home or business.

Misconception Number One: “When the sun is not out, I will lose power inside my home.”

This is actually not the case with the most common type of solar installation. The type of system that is installed on Ohio homes is called a “Grid Tied” System. What this means is that your home does not run off of solar panels.When you are using energy inside your home, your meter runs forward. When you produce energy from the solar array, you meter will run backwards. This happens due to your solar array creating electricity, feeding that energy back into the electrical meter/power grid at your house, and your utility company crediting you for it. This process is called Net Metering. If you produce enough energy in your billing cycle to cover all of the electricity that you used during that cycle, you will get a bill from your energy company for $0.

So, what this means for solar home owners is that at nighttime, you will be pulling energy from the grid, just like you would without solar. During the day, when the sun is out, you will be making energy and putting it back into the grid. When you are putting energy back into the grid and your energy company is buying it back from you through Net Metering. This process is state law throughout most Midwestern states, including Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. This arrangement between you and your utility company is what ensures that you will not lose power due to bad weather or the sun going down. Instead, you will still experience the same great grid service you have now, with no changes.

Before going solar, it will be important to know how Net Metering works in your state and municipality. Please check with a solar professional in your area and they can give explain to you how Net Metering works in your area.

Misconception Number Two: “Solar costs a lot of money out of pocket to get.”

This is probably the biggest concern most home owners have when first looking into solar. Sure, going green and saving money long term sounds great, but who has or wants to throw tens of thousands of dollars to get it? Well, although some people do pay for solar up front, the most popular way to purchase is by financing the project. When the Cincinnati and Columbus home owners we work with decide to move forward with their projects, they experience immediate savings with zero (0) dollars down.