The benefits of solar energy span everything from significant financial savings to reducing your impact on the climate. You'll increase your home's value by installing a solar system on your home.

When you install a solar energy system on your property, you save money on your electricity bills and protect yourself against rising electricity rates in the future. How much you can save depends on your area's utility rates and solar policies, but going solar is a wise investment regardless of where you live.

Like other renewable energy resources, solar power has many environmental and health benefits. Going solar reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change, and results in fewer air pollutants like sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, which can cause health problems.

The easiest way to find out how much you pay for electricity (and how much electricity you use per month) is to take a look at the back of your utility bill—

Studies have shown that homes with solar energy systems sell for more than homes without them. However, your property value will only increase if you own, rather than lease, your solar panel system. Going solar will increase your property value more than a kitchen renovation in most parts of the country. We covered everything you need to know about selling your house with solar and the most important questions to ask your real estate agent before selling your home with solar panels.

Net metering is the system utilities use to credit homeowners with solar for the electricity their solar panels produce. With net metering, you only pay for the electricity that you use beyond what your solar panels can generate.

Solar panels absorb the sun's energy throughout the day and convert it into direct current (DC) electricity. Most homes and businesses run on alternating current (AC) electricity, so the DC electricity is then passed through an inverter to convert it to usable AC electricity. At that point, you either use the electricity in your house or send it back to the electric grid.