The financial incentives of energy efficiency and the Feeds-In Tariff (FIT) scheme are perfectly adequate justifications for investing in solar panels. But, with tightening budgets and government incentives to buy into the green revolution, it's easy to lose sight of the ethical motivations.
Staunch advocates of carbon emission cuts believe Britain's homeowners should set their sights high: Why go for significant reductions when zero carbon is possible? Shouldn't the demands of climate change take absolute priority when it comes to energy use?
Of course, it is easy to feel like you're being preached at, and you may not necessarily agree with those at the extremity of the environmental debate. However, zero carbon advocates do remind us all that cutting energy use is about more than being financially better off. As the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) points out, investing in 100 per cent renewable technology is a recognition of our responsibility to the planet.
"We can reduce our carbon emissions by using nuclear but we won't be able to get to zero carbon emissions which is what we need if we want to avoid a more than two degrees temperature rise and create economic energy security," explained the Centre's spokeswoman, Kim Bryan.
The incentives of FIT have been marred by the decision by ministers to reduce the tariffs. While this obviously impacts on the financial viability of solar panels, it may also distract those who can still afford the technology from the environmental advantages.
Those yet to make up their mind can get a better idea of how much solar could save them by using the CAT Solar Calculator, which considers factors such as roof size, gradient and orientation in relation to the sun.
Cuts to the FIT tariffs are definitely detrimental from the perspective of homeowners - and many will quite rightly decide against solar as a result. However, for those who can still afford the technology, there are lots of reasons why aiming for zero carbon with solar panels makes sense.