Solar energy units are becoming an excellent and increasingly attractive great energy source for homes and businesses. This could be attributed to three basic causes; specifically, the ever growing costs of conventional energy, the falling prices of improved solar panels for homes and incentive programs offered by governments that make green energy an attractive choice.
In America, more than 10 thousand homes and businesses are powered entirely by solar panel systems. On top of that, 200,000 homes and businesses use solar energy units for their energy requirements. That results in significant savings on electricity bills. Subsequently, the use of conventional resources (fossil fuels, etc.) is decreased, which leads to less environmental pollution.
The cost of installation for a home of a typical family can run $18,000-20,000 if carried out by a professional contractor. These high costs prevent families from using solar energy units. But anybody can save on installation by applying for tax credits and state rebates. Also,you can do it yourself, and then the cost would be only about 30 % before tax credits and rebates.
You can have 2 choices: a stand-alone system that needs battery or a system that is tied to the grid.
A worthwhile improvement to your home is to convert to grid-intertied solar panel system. Planning is the main prerequisite of successful conversion.
First, estimate the amount of energy you need based on historical consumption. You should select the right size of your solar panel system. An oversized energy system will produce more power which you could sell to the power company, but you can only receive credit and not cash for it.
Next, determine if your home is suitable for a solar system. The factors to be considered are as follows: available space, building orientation and climatic conditions. A good estimate of roof space is 80 to 100 sq. ft. per kW. A house should be oriented towards south for the system to be efficient, and there should be no objects that may obstruct sun rays.
Although it is possible to mount the solar panel units on poles, panels are as a rule mounted on rooftops. Using steel bolts, the frames are attached to roof rafters. The solar panels are then attached to the supports.
Solar panels are readily available in the market. There are suppliers that sell their panels on the Internet, but it is not recommended to purchase the kits from them unless you are an experienced DIY solar panel kit builder.
Typical set of hardware you need for a stand-alone system without a battery that is tied to the grid consists of: solar panels, utility-interactive inverter, power meter, roof mounts, a couple of heavy duty safety switches, wires and conduits. A DIY installation for a 1-kW system would cost a little above the $3,000 mark.
If you are not experienced in this area, you ought to pick a reputable supplier who is known for excellent service. It is prudent to look for DIY kits with accompanying installation manual that at least has enough illustrations. The supplier should preferably have contact telephone number, and better yet, could provide a representative in case you need advice. Alternatively if you are a lucky guy and have a friend or acquaintance who had experience with installing home solar energy units, then ask him to lend a hand in the buying of the hardware and in the installation.
Many people have shown that renewable energy can save you both money and the Mother Nature. With the variety of improved, affordable solar panels for homes and businesses, solar electricity is the best option for the majority of people, so start that home improvement project: install a solar panel system for your home.
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