The COVID emergency may have come to an end, and some of us may be working in the office more now than we have been over the last few years. However, as many of us continue to work full- or part-time from home, employers and employees alike have not forgotten the advantages of doing so.
- Reduced transportation costs—both monetarily and mentally.
- Reduced commercial real estate costs include desk space, computer capacity, and parking.
- Improved employee satisfaction and retention in many cases.
Indeed, many jobs in data processing and customer service fit well with remote workers. A decent computer, connectivity, and a safe, comfortable workspace allow many workers and employers to take advantage of employee productivity away from the office setting.
However, spending more time at home with computers, lighting, servers, modems, monitors, heating, and air conditioning adds to the employee’s monthly power bill. Many remote employees started to recognize this quickly, and others really started taking note as the colder months of 2020 started settling in. While it is worth it to remain off the freeways and to enjoy the flexibility of working from home, especially as traffic starts to build with more work happening from offices again, there is still a big cost to running all this equipment.
A Solar Power system can often supply most of the power needed to run a home or home office in Western Washington. Some houses will actually become “Net Zero” by producing as much electricity in the spring, summer, and fall as they use all year long, including the wintertime! Even systems that produce the majority of the annual consumption will save on the most expensive energy during the month because of the rate structure of most utilities.
Often, Solar Power installations can help by upgrading old, inefficient fuse boxes and breaker box enclosures. Often, a whole-house surge suppressor is installed to protect electronics even more than the Solar Power itself.
Other real-life financial benefits of Residential Solar Power Systems may also include:
- $$ savings on power bills for many years
- Tax Savings with the Federal Income Tax Credit
- Significant tax savings through depreciation when using Solar for business purposes
- 100% Local Financing
- 100% State Sales Tax exemption
- Higher Home Resale Values
- More stable power supply during storms or disasters when paired with battery storage.
Of course, more and more people just enjoy the sense of independence of producing their own power instead of having a large corporation burn coal or neutrons. From an Employer’s point of view, the retention of valued employees working remotely instead of moving on can become a huge asset. Additionally, it is special for future generations to set an example for our children and grandchildren by working remotely using solar power.
