i would like to install a solar panel in my home to produce electricity, but i would like to know if anybody has actually done it. (please only answer if you have first-hand knowledge of this subject)
I assume you want to generate a portion of your energy needs, not the whole thing. You can start with a small grid tied system for under $4000. However, depending on your usage and where you are, it may only produce a tiny percentage of what you buy. Take a look at this small package at http://www.altestore.com/store/Kits-and-Package-Deals/Grid-Tied-Systems/Alt-E-Designed-Grid-Tie-Packages/AltE-Micro1-Grid-Tied-Residential-Package/p5642/.
Grab your electric bill and see how many kilowatt hours, or kWh you buy a month. A small system like this one may only produce about 25kwh a month. See if that’s enough to accomplish what you want to do.
Before you look into solar, you should do everything you can to reduce your electric bill first. For every $1 you spend reducing your usage, that’s worth about $4 of solar panels.
You can also look into solar water heating, that’s a great way to reduce your energy usage and go solar, but not solar electric. You just use the heat of the sun to provide you with free hot water! http://www.altestore.com/store/Solar-Water-Heaters/c402/
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I live in England :S
I will never have electricity :L
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A lot of people have, the problem is the cost. to fully run a house, it costs a lot, but will eventually pay for itself in about 10 years, then your electric bill is down to zero.
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I don’t but I know a lot on the subject. Email for info. A lot of ppl install them but just to cover there electric heat/air. It saves them money. I know a lot of people who have tiny ones outside there window to power the lights in that one room. Its not an eye sore either. i live in Canada.
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I assume you want to generate a portion of your energy needs, not the whole thing. You can start with a small grid tied system for under $4000. However, depending on your usage and where you are, it may only produce a tiny percentage of what you buy. Take a look at this small package at http://www.altestore.com/store/Kits-and-Package-Deals/Grid-Tied-Systems/Alt-E-Designed-Grid-Tie-Packages/AltE-Micro1-Grid-Tied-Residential-Package/p5642/.
Grab your electric bill and see how many kilowatt hours, or kWh you buy a month. A small system like this one may only produce about 25kwh a month. See if that’s enough to accomplish what you want to do.
Before you look into solar, you should do everything you can to reduce your electric bill first. For every $1 you spend reducing your usage, that’s worth about $4 of solar panels.
You can also look into solar water heating, that’s a great way to reduce your energy usage and go solar, but not solar electric. You just use the heat of the sun to provide you with free hot water! http://www.altestore.com/store/Solar-Water-Heaters/c402/
References :
AltE Store - http://www.altestore.com/store/
By the way, I have good news for you. With the rising cost of electrical bills, there are many different ways for alternative homemade energy so that you can provide your own electricity. The 2 ways that I highly recommend is through DIY solar energy and wind energy. Such renewable sources are economical and environmentally friendly to tap on.
For the DIY solar energy, you can easily install a solar panel to obtain the energy to power your household needs. And such homemade energy solution is not difficult to build. In fact, you can find the materials in any hardware store down the streets. They are inexpensive also; you can easily buy them for less than $200.
An alternative homemade energy that you can consider during cloudy days is the wind energy. During days like this, your DIY solar energy would not be able to provide you with much energy. And you can consider building your very own windmills in your backyard. And the cost of building a windmill is even cheaper than the solar panels. And with the right guide, you can easily build both and get started with generating your own electricity.
Such DIY solar energy and windmills are easy ways for you to tap on the natural resources. In fact, you can play your part in saving mother Earth by not using too much coal energy. Such homemade energy is the best method for you to save money.
In fact, if you are good at generating homemade energy with DIY solar energy and windmills, you can even generate extra energy which will flow back into the grid. And your electrical company is actually obliged to pay you for generating extra energy for them!
Now you can build your own home-made wind generator or solar powered panels following a simple step-by-step guide with everyday materials and save hundreds of dollars on monthly power bills and help the environment.
For More Information Visit:
http://offto.net/diysolar
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"DIY Solar & Wind Energy For Your Home - Save Money, Save Environment!"
http://offto.net/diysolar
Yes, we did. It’s not a trivial project. There are probably quite a few others at the forum Amy mentions above. There are also other forums, for example, http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/index.php .
Our project took 4 months from original concept to final approval and turn-on. We did it right, getting all the necessary permits and inspections. That doesn’t mean it was 4 months of work. A lot of it was waiting: waiting for parts to be shipped, waiting for applications to be approved, waiting for inspectors, waiting for the final approval letter that said it was ok to turn on. A professional will know the process, and can often get the whole array installed in just a few days, and turned on a week or so later.
References :
http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/roderick/solar/photovoltaic.html