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Determining Your Solar Energy Requirements

In the modern era, fighting the rapid and rampant depletion of natural resources is more important than ever before. Scientists and environmentalists are quickly developing ways for people to cut back on their energy expenditures, reduce their waste production, and become a part of the solution to the earth's problems rather than a contributor.

One of the most popular and effective methods for joining this meaningful crusade is through the installation and employment of a solar energy system which can also significantly cut energy bill costs.

As solar panel arrays and accessories become more common, intrigued users are finding that getting started with these fascinating systems is both easy and affordable. While there are many considerations to keep in mind when exploring the possibilities of a solar energy system, the first step is to determine your particular solar energy load requirements.

Solar power is capable of providing energy to a vast number of appliances and applications and can be part of a truly small-footprint energy scheme for homes, offices, and beyond. Creating an inventory of equipment to be hooked up to a solar power system will help you to arrive at your energy load requirement, the springboard for creating a tailored and efficient system.

To get started with your inventory, consider the items you'd like to power with your solar array. Equipment such as lights, small kitchen appliances like toasters, microwaves, electric mixers, and blenders, larger items including refrigerators and washing machines, and common objects like televisions and computers are all good considerations. Some electrical applications that are not so well suited for solar power are those which are continuous or use a considerably large amount of power; electric heating and stoves, air conditioners, and water temperature regulators are usually too taxing on solar power systems to work well with the source.

For each item you'd like to operate with solar power, obtain the wattage. If a given appliance or item only lists the current, you can use a watt meter to measure. A watt meter is a convenient tool that makes it simple to measure the watts used by every electrical item at your location. The meter is operated by plugging the appliance into the meter and then the meter itself is plugged into the wall. Remember, items such as TVs, computers and microwaves draw electricity even when they are turned off.

You'll also need to consider the average daily powered time for the given items; a television may be in use for three to four hours a day, while a blender may be used just a few times a week and come out to one minute per day.

Once you've tallied your objects and their average time use, you can arrive at your daily wattage requirement. It pays to be slightly conservative in your estimates to accommodate extra use and the occasional addition of small items. With an accurate solar power load requirement, you can begin designing a system that will deliver clean and efficient energy at a great price and a deep benefit for the planet.

About the Author

Andy Bauer is a tech writer for
West Florida Components,
an online retailer of electronic components, parts and supplies including
solar panels.
You can visit http://www.westfloridacomponents.com where Andy has published many guides and tutorials on electronic components.

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