Home Solar Power Systems

June 28, 2010 by SolarInfo
Filed under Home Improvement

George Dale asked:

These days the cost of everything has gotten so high consumers are looking for any way possible to save money. One of the ways homeowners may be able to combat rising costs is by cutting their electricity bill with a home solar power system. Here we will look at some possible systems that you can use.

The questions at this point are how much, where can I get one and how do they really work? The answers to these questions depend on many variables. Where you live how extensive you wish to go with a home solar power system all play a role in the above questions. Let's look at some of these variables and what they mean.

Location Can Effect Your Home Solar Power System

As they say in real estate location, location, location! Where you live will play a huge role in your ability to maximize solar power energy for your home. While solar panels are useable in all 50 states highly wooded areas will need to be cleared somewhat for optimal sun exposure.

For instance if you have a cabin nestled deep in the big woods where sunlight rarely touches your roof top you will have a problem using roof mounted solar power systems. The best idea will be to clear the area around your cabin so that you get as much sun exposure per day as possible.

Most people will have no problem getting enough sun light to be able to turn it into electricity.

Should My Home Solar Power System Be On Grid or Off?

Simply put solar panels work by transforming the energy from the sun's rays into direct current electricity. You probably have a small example of this on your desk right now. Does anyone remember the days before the solar calculator? It does not take much to realize that this small application will not power your home. So exactly what do you need to power your home?

The amount of power that you will need from a home solar power system again depends. You can use solar power in conjunction with your current utility provider or as a stand-alone system. These are known respectively as on grid and off grid applications. At this point in product development on grid, applications are the most cost effective for two reasons. One, you never have the concern of not having power should your solar panels not produce enough energy for the day, conversely if the power grid goes down you still have electricity. Therefore, you see it is a win/win situation with the added benefit of the power company paying you for any excess you produce.

Off grid, applications are usually for the remote areas with no available utilities. However, they can be installed anywhere and are beneficial. The main benefit is of course no electric bill!

What Do Home Solar Power Systems Cost?

With all of the above-mentioned calculations done you can now begin shopping for a home solar power system. Right now, the internet is probably your best friend in this respect. When you know your power requirements and your renewable energy goals then you can look at the offers currently available. Most "experts" will tell you that you must spend around $7,000 to get started.

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