
Top Cities in West Virginia
Charleston
Charleston solar installers: The importance of working with a professional to guarantee your inclusion into the state and federal incentives available for homes that use solar energy.West Virginia is coal country. As such, the coal industry is very heavily invested in the state government, and vice-versa. This relationship does have the advantage of giving West Virginia some of the lowest electricity costs in the country, but there is also a downside. Renewable sources of energy are very low on the proverbial totem pole within the West Virginia state government. The state is significantly behind much of the rest of the country when it comes to alternative energy, and this results in West Virginia solar installers having to face a very steep uphill climb.
Coal, along with other fossil fuels such as oil and gas, have been the world’s primary source of power for well over a century. They have allowed us to create a world that is more convenient and more sophisticated than ever before, and because of their effectiveness, they have been the sole focus of energy producers for decades. Unfortunately, the long-term effects of using these energy sources are only now beginning to be understood. The burning of fossil fuels has been directly linked to a number of environmental issues, including global climate change. And while many people cite the environment as the primary reason why we should switch to energy sources such as solar, there is another very real and legitimate reason to make the switch as well.
Oil and other fossil fuels such as coal are not endless in their availability. This is by far the most pressing and “immediate” issue for most people throughout West Virginia, and the rest of the world as well. The reason so many people are seeing their utility bills go up each year is because the supply of these materials is in fact dwindling and will eventually run out. This will undoubtedly create a significant problem for future generations unless adequate alternative energy sources are developed. For residents of West Virginia, many of the local West Virginia solar installers are trying to do just that. They are at the forefront of this technology and are playing an important roll in weaning the state from its longstanding addiction to coal.
Unfortunately, the West Virginia state government is not so progressive in their thinking. According to the states Department of Commerce website, solar power is just as viable in West Virginia as it is in any of its surrounding states. Yet despite this, the state legislature has done very little by way of promoting alternative energy usage. The state offers no tax incentives or rebate programs to encourage residents to invest in solar power systems for their homes and businesses. They do offer a net-metering program, but it is one of the least effective in the entire country. This lack of interest by the state government has been a thorn in the side of many local West Virginia solar installers because it puts these solar power systems outside the economic reach of most of the state’s residents. With time, however, many people are hopeful that West Virginia will eventually catch up to the rest of the country when it comes to alternative energy.