Sunshine is free — here’s how to use it to your advantage

"Solar and batteries completely changed how I think about using electricity," says Michael J., a Freedom Solar PowerⓇ customer who "never wants to live in a house without solar energy again."

Why it's important: Solar replaces fossil fuels with homegrown renewable energy, so every panel installed lessens the need to burn dirty fossil fuels.

This makes a difference by…

• Improving local air quality and contributing to a healthier environment.
• Enhancing electricity grid resilience by diversifying the energy mix.
• Providing a stable energy source that protects consumers from volatile energy prices.
• Paving a path to energy independence and a more sustainable, self-sufficient future.

Here's what else: Electricity costs continue to rise year-over-year while solar power prices have dropped by nearly 90% within the last 10 years.

• And experts say they're likely to get even cheaper.

In other words: The best time to go solar was yesterday — the second best time is now.

Key numbers: Charlotte homeowners save an average of $20,000 in electricity costs over the 25-year lifetime of their solar system.

• Freedom SolarTM customers pay about $138 per month for their solar system and start to see dollar savings early on because of increasing electricity rates — and once the solar system is paid off, energy costs are virtually free for the system's lifetime.
• Plus, the Inflation Reduction Act gives customers back an average of $10,500 in tax credits, offsetting 30% of the cost of a residential solar installation.
• Homeowners can also get a tax credit of up to $4,900 for particular rechargeable home energy storage products.

What you need to know: CEO Bret Biggart got into solar more than a decade ago because the market was too complicated and clouded by installers who cared more about money than people.

• Freedom Solar has now been a trusted resource since 2007.
• The full-service solar team helps people live more powerfully and works to leave the world a better place.

How it's done: Freedom Solar manages the entire process for you with in-house experts across sales, design, permitting, installation and customer care. You won't have to lift a finger.

• They only install carefully curated high-quality solar technology with keen attention to detail.
• Plus, the company holds itself accountable to your outcomes through a 25-year product, performance and service warranty.
• Worth a mention: Thanks to backup batteries, which Freedom Solar can install as an add-on to solar projects, customers' homes weren't affected by 46 recent local outage events — even one lasting five hours.

The impact: Freedom Solar has installed systems for more than 24,000 customers, helping avoid more than 1.7 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

• That's the environmental equivalent of planting 13.5 million trees or taking 175,000 cars off the road.

Harnessing the sun for power doesn't have to be an overwhelming process, and Freedom Solar makes sure it isn't — let the team help you explore if solar is a fit for your Charlotte home.

Start with a free estimate.