solar kit 6 in 1

solar kit 6 in 1

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Solar Kits: A Primer

Solar kits that generate electricity are fast becoming popular as a renewable and environment-friendly source of energy. They comprise solar panels that convert solar energy into electricity to run appliances in your home. Solar energy is cheap, non-polluting and can save you thousands of dollars on energy bills over its lifespan of 25 years.

What Are Solar Kits?

An inexpensive option is to buy solar kits from the market and do the installation by yourself. Normally these kits cost around $10,000 and above and hiring a professional for installation can cost you $5000 and upwards. However, the federal government gives tax incentives for using renewable energy sources in electricity generation even for domestic consumers until 2016. Therefore, you can avail of a thirty percent tax credit against the installation and running costs

Components of the kit include photovoltaic cells, sheet glass, copper wires and plywood frames to house the panels. A do it yourself kit comes with a comprehensive and easy to follow instruction manual that helps you set up the solar panels and also take care of the periodic maintenance needed for the solar panels. Other parts include a watt controller, a voltage tester, a power inverter, fuses, and switches, grounding equipment and supporting frames for mounting the panels.

Install the panels on the roof away from the shade of trees where they can get six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily for optimum functioning. You may also set up the unit on the flat ground where again ample sunlight is available. Solar kits have no moving parts, so they are almost maintenance –free, except that the glass surface and frames require periodic cleaning from dust and grime.

Functioning

Once the panels are set up, the photovoltaic cells absorb solar energy and convert it into DC electricity. A battery stores the 12-volt DC power that can run any device. However, for home use, you need to feed this DC power to an inverter that will convert it into AC power for running appliances.

Another type of solar kits are those that tie-up with the city power supply. For this, your power service provider will install a net meter. You can sell any excess power to the grid and draw from it whenever necessary.

Besides homes, solar kits can provide power to boats and recreational vehicles. However, these vehicles require kits that are small and highly efficient. Moreover, as the sunlight available can vary while sailing, the kits should be movable and flexible. These kits are also maintenance –free, durable and easy to install. The power generated can easily run lights, refrigeration and navigation equipment. It can provide backup to battery power so that you can sail comfortably without power problems. Lately, with advances in manufacturing technology, the cost of solar kits is coming down, hence using solar kits is a smart way to replace or supplement your existing energy sources.

About the Author

Reynold Powers is an author of spheralsolar (www.spheralsolar.com), a premier Solar Panels & Home Power Kits company. He has been writing about solar kits for over 10 years.

?$13.02?6 in 1 educational solar kit