The cost and maintenance requirements of solar energy are some of the biggest question marks for prospective clients. After that, customers may want to know more about the environmental impact of solar, understanding that it’s a good thing for nature but not having all of the details. Or, for people who are still on the fence, knowing that solar is an excellent alternative to dirty energy can be the push they need to make the decision to become a solar customer.
Either way, a message of doing environmental justice instead of perpetuating dirty energy can be an excellent perspective to share to drive a sale.
Sharing the Facts on Green Energy
A lot of people develop an interest in solar power when looking for ways to ‘green’ their lives, moving away from dirty energy and other poor environmental practices. Most prospective clients will come to you with at least a basic understanding of the fact that solar energy is good for the world around us. It’s your job as an installer to share your expertise to further that knowledge.
Solar panels generate clean energy for decades. Depending on how homeowners are already heating and powering their homes, solar energy may offer a very quick environmental payback, which means homeowners will be generating a positive impact on the environment practically as soon as the solar panels are powered up. Switching to solar over using fossil fuels, for example, is a huge benefit to the environment.
Solar also reduces reliance on dirty energy overall, as fewer people are pressuring the electric grid and other resources.
Addressing Negative Environmental Impacts
As with any action we take there is the potential for negative environmental impacts when it comes to solar panels.
Eco-friendly prospects may have some concerns about this possibility. Solar panels do require a lot of up-front energy to manufacture, which is one of the biggest arguments against arrays being eco-friendly. However, in most cases, solar panels will pay back the energy used to create them in a matter of a handful of years, creating a long-term environmentally friendly scenario. As with other aspects of solar power, it’s important to keep an eye on the future versus the up-front requirements.
If you can focus on the positive environmental impacts of solar energy your client will understand that solar panels have a positive net impact, not one that is negative.
