Solar Panels For Home Use.com

If you’re interested in getting solar panels for residential use, your first order of business is to check with your local zoning and community boards. Make sure you have all the right permits and documentation in proper order before you start. The last thing you want is to have some busybody complain and discover you broke some little ordinance written 1832. Just a word of caution before we begin.

Solar panels for residential use come in two flavors - hot water generating and electricity generating. Most people are interested in the latter these days due to rising fuel costs, however, it may be in your interest to investigate both. Using solar for your hot water needs will reduce the power you’ll need for your entire house and that could be a substantial amount.

The next question you need to ask is, “How much energy do you want or need to create?” If you want to completely eliminate your electric bill, you’ll need to know how much electrical energy you currently draw. One simple way to get that number is to look at your electric bill. Divide your total usage by 30 days and you’ve got a good number for your average daily consumption.

You could average out your consumption over the year, if you want. Its as easy as grabbing some bills from 3, 6, and 9 months ago, add them up and divide by the number of months your counting to get an annual average. Add ten percent to that for future expansion of electrical usage (computers, appliances, etc.) and you’ll have some wiggle room.

Solar panels are sold in varying degrees of wattage from 1 to 5 watts for charging cell phones and other portable electronics (at around $25 to around $100) to over 200 watts for residential and commercial use (at over $1,000 per panel). Your costs will, of course, vary. Keep in mind, however, that there is a federal tax rebate of $2,000, and state and regional rebate opportunities available throughout the country.

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If your roof can hold the amount of panels you’ll need, you should then look to find a professional installer. Rooftop installations can be dangerous and in my mind should be left to professionals. If you’ve got the ability and know-how, by all means, install them yourself.

Otherwise, find an area in your yard with no obstructions - no overhead branches or wires. Then, if possible, install the panels on a frame or panel about six feet off the ground to avoid most accidental encounters with children or animals.

The basics behind setting up a photovoltaic solar energy system are quite simple. Choose a site, install the panels, run a line to your batteries (which is optional because you can in some areas, sell your excess directly and immediately back to the grid) and an inverter - you’ll need to convert the panels’ direct current to your household’s alternating current.

All of this is simple, but since you’re dealing with electricity, the power grid and, first and foremost, you and your family’s safety, you need to get all your electrical work done according to code. Don’t skimp here.

Before you shell out any money on your new solar panels, check with your local authorities for available rebates from the state and the power companies. These vary widely across the country with some states rebating up to 70% of the total cost. This could be the difference between making a dent in your electric bill and making some money off of the electric company.

If you run the numbers and you still don’t think you can afford it, you might be able to get a home equity loan to cover the costs. A friend of mine worked it like this - he took one year’s worth of total energy bills with him to the bank and showed the loan officer how much he was currently spending on electricity. Then he calculated the size of the solar array he would need to build which could generate more than enough electricity to eliminate his utility bill and how much it would cost. He then demonstrated that he had more than the ability to pay for the loan because it was less than the average monthly cost of his electric bill and he got the loan.

I’m not saying that such a plan would work for everybody, but armed with the knowledge of what could be done, it doesn’t have to take any out of pocket cost to build a solar system to power your house.

To get all the knowledge you’ll need, check out this resource on Renewable Energy Solutions.

Solar Panels for Home Use