Solar energy units have become an excellent and an increasingly attractive renewable source of energy for the home. This is because of three basic reasons; namely, the increasing costs of conventional energy, the falling costs of improved home solar energy systems and incentives offered by governments that make green energy an attractive option.
In America, more than 10,000 homes and businesses are powered entirely by solar panels. Besides, several hundred thousand homes use solar energy systems to meet their energy requirements. That in turn translates to significant savings on electricity bills. Respectively, the use of non-renewable resources (fossil fuels, etc.) is reduced, which amounts to less environmental pollution.
The installation costs for a home of a typical family can run from $18,000 to $20,000 if done by a professional contractor. Such high costs prevent families from using solar panels. However one can save on installation by applying for tax credits and state rebates. Moreover, if you do it yourself, the cost would only be about one-third before tax credits and rebates.
You do have 2 choices: a stand-alone unit which needs battery or a system that is tied to the grid.
A worthwhile upgrade to your home is to convert to grid-intertied solar panel system. As always, planning is the main prerequisite of successful conversion.
First, calculate the amount of energy you need based on historical consumption. You should choose the right size of your solar energy system. An oversize system will generate more power which you could sell to the power company, but you can only receive credit for it and not cash.
After that, determine whether your house is suitable for a solar energy system. These factors are to be 1 available space, building location and climate. A good estimate of roof space is 80 to 100 sq. ft. per kilowatt. A building should face south for the solar panel system to be efficient, and there should be no objects that may get in the way of sunlight.
Though you can install the solar panels on poles, solar panel systems are usually mounted on rooftops. Using stainless steel bolts, the supports are attached to roof rafters. The solar panels are then installed on the supports.
Solar panel kits are readily available in the market. There are vendors that offer their products on the Internet, but I would not recommend to buy from them unless you are an experienced DIY solar panel system builder.
Standard set of hardware you need for a batteryless grid-intertied system includes: solar panels, power inverter, kW/hour meter, supports to be installed on the roof, a couple of heavy duty safety switches, wirings and conduits. A DIY kit for a 1-kW system would cost you a little above the $3,000 mark.
If you are not experienced in this area, you ought to choose a reputable supplier who is known for outstanding service. It is prudent to consider DIY kits with an installation manual with at least an adequate number of illustrations. The vendor should preferably have telephone contact, and much better, could provide a representative in case you need advice. Or if you are lucky enough to have a friend who had experience with installing home solar panels, then ask him to assist you in the buying of the hardware and in the installation.
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Many have proven that solar energy can save you both money and the environment. With the variety of improved, inexpensive solar panels for homes and businesses, solar energy is the best option for the majority of individuals, so start that home improvement project: install a solar energy system.
If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts lately you’ll know I’ve come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I’ve got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em…
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According to Reuters, “Europe will import its first solar-generated electricity from North Africa within the next five years, European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said in an interview on Sunday. …
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Chennia/ Bangalore: India’s first-ever 3 Mw solar photovoltaic power plant, erected by the Karnataka Power Corpora-tion Limited (KPCL), the state-owned power generating company, was dedicated to the nation at Yalesandra village in Kolar …
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