Residential Solar Energy
If you'd like to start using it with your home, read on... Solar power is known as The King because it requires no moving parts that can wear out over time (like wind generators), it does not produce carbon emissions or pollution, and it typically pays for itself after 5-10 years of use - sometimes sooner (really depending on the size of the system). Solar power is the most abundant clean energy generation method to date. Each day enough sun energy strikes the surface of the earth to power everything on the planet for an entire year! You have the ability to capture some of this energy and use it to save money on your electric bill and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. And the good thing is the energy from the sun (from sunlight) can never be exhausted or used up like other forms of energy. (Our sun isn't expected to burn out for yet another 5 billion years or so - give or take a few days) Where Do I Start?There are several questions you will need to answer before setting up your residential solar energy system:
How Much Power Do I Need?1.) Determine what you use - The very first thing you will need to determine is exactly how much electricity you are using and how much you'll need in the near future. The average use of electricity for U.S. households by location can be found in this(EIA) Energy Information Administration report from tonto.eia.doe.gov You can also look at your electric bills for months over the last year to see what your average usage is in any given month in kilowatt hours. This will help you see what you use in your household and from that you can determine how much you would like to produce with your own residential solar energy system.
 Custom Search Where Do I Need To Locate My Setup?Some minor planning in the setup stage of your solar panels and components can save you a lot of hassle later on. You will need to first consider how easily you or any technicians can get to the panels, converters and other components. If you place them on the roof, they are less subject to randomly being hit by lawn mowers, children playing, etc. And if you place them on the ground, they can more easily be repaired or cleaned in inclement weather (snow drifts, hail damage, etc.) First think about how easily you may want to make getting to your components, then look at location in relation to the sun. If you are in the southern United States or Europe, you will want to place them on a south-facing rooftop. In more northern climates, the panels will need to face more to the south at greater angles than in other locations. How Much Is This Going To Cost?There really is no way of getting around having to make a semi-large investment up front with a residential solar energy electric system (or with ANY alternative energy, for that matter). Most installers in the U.S. can get you set up with a basic system for $3,000-$5,000 dollars to get started. For a full-fledged, grid independent system with all the bells and whistles you're looking at between $23,000-$27,000 dollars - that is if you want to produce enough electric power to be independent of the utility company.But, currently the average cost of a system is between $2,000-$3,000 dollars per kilowatt hour of power that you want to produce as a general rule. Again, these costs will eventually go down as more and more people begin using these technologies, more and more incentives are offered, and the technologies themselves get better and more efficient. What Permits and Paperwork Do I Need?There will be 3 primary areas where permits and paperwork will be required: 1.) State - Various state and local governments will have applications and paperwork that you will need to submit and complete for getting access to rebates, grants, and buy-down programs offered. Return from Residential Solar Energy to
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