Michael Harrison is Augusta’s local resource for all things solar. He generously shares his passion for this renewable, clean energy. His wealth of knowledge in this field provided Augusta Lifestyle with many facts on the benefits of solar energy, the difference in quality on how his company provides solar, not to mention the long term financial benefits for the home owner.
“Solar Power plays a huge role in reducing electrical bills by providing clean energy, granting energy independence, and giving the home or business owner the potential to increase one’s property value by 4 percent,” says Michael. “It also protects against the ever-rising rates of electrical power that tends to increase 4-8 percent every year.” It’s comforting to consider when choosing solar, which uses a clean renewable resource like sunshine, that you are doing your part to reduce greenhouse gases which in turn helps our environment. His company uses rooftop panels that are aesthetically pleasing to capture the sun’s energy from UV rays. The panels in turn convert that energy into DC (or direct current) electricity that travels into an inverter. Consecutively, the invertor then converts the DC electricity into AC (alternating current) power that your home or business can utilize. The battery provided in the install will store any additional energy (power) generated to be used at night, or for electrical power outages.
Michael says, “The panels that we use are made in America with a full 25 year production warranty.” The specialty battery used to store the solar energy has a warranty of 10 years, but they are made to last sixty years according to Michael. Also, he advised that included in the install they blow insulation in your attic and use sealant tape to be sure your attic is sealed and insulated well from the elements. His company provides many extras to help your home be as energy efficient as possible including things like installing an attic staircase cover, shower heads, and kitchen faucet aerators. They provide a thermo-blanket to be placed around the water heater, LED lighting and smart power strips. They use the Nest brand smart thermostat that aids in controlling your energy usage from anywhere by using your smart phone. Because they do all the above-mentioned extras, Michael advised they are able to use less panels than other solar energy businesses. Less panels results in the reduction of costs in transitioning to solar power compared to other solar energy providers.
“That’s not the only cost benefits,” Michael added “there are also tax rebates and incentives.” He advised that in Georgia you are given a 26% Federal tax credit on the cost of your solar system. Michael believes solar power is a clean energy source that Augusta can get behind, and feel good about as we work to make a difference in our local environment. Michael is a fantastic resource for Augustans to learn more about clean, renewable, solar power.
