Comments

1. Vitaminx Said,

   Solar-powering a House

   ­Wh­at would you have to do to power your house with solar energy? Although it's not as simple as just slapping some modules on your roof, it's not extremely difficult to do, either.

   First of all, not every roof has the correct orientation or angle of inclination to take advantage of the sun's energy. Non-tracking PV systems in the Northern Hemisphere should point toward true south (this is the orientation). They should be inclined at an angle equal to the area's latitude to absorb the maximum amount of energy year-round. A different orientation and/or inclination could be used if you want to maximize energy production for the morning or afternoon, and/or the summer or winter. Of course, the modules should never be shaded by nearby trees or buildings, no matter the time of day or the time of year. In a PV module, even if just one of its 36 cells is shaded, power production will be reduced by more than half.

   If you have a house with an unshaded, south-facing roof, you need to decide what size system you need. This is complicated by the facts that your electricity production depends on the weather, which is never completely predictable, and that your electricity demand will also vary. These hurdles are fairly easy to clear. Meteorological data gives average monthly sunlight levels for different geographical areas. This takes into account rainfall and cloudy days, as well as altitude, humidity, and other more subtle factors. You should design for the worst month, so that you'll have enough electricity all year. With that data, and knowing your average household demand (your utility bill conveniently lets you know how much energy you use every month),there are simple methods you can use to determine just how many PV modules you'll need. You'll also need to decide on a system voltage, which you can control by deciding how many modules to wire in series.

   http://www.solarhome.org/ This will tell you how to buy them
   References :
   http://science.howstuffworks.com/solar-cell5.htm

2. cephaliclucidity4 Said,

   I don't really know the steps involved to get started using solar power, but there are companies that do home conversions, i'm sure they have websites so just try searching. As for solar panels on the cheap, here's a link to a great site, i'm pretty sure these panels are the cheapest i've ever seen. I haven't bought solar panels before, but i have bought other things from them and i was more than pleased with their service so i hope this helps you out!

   http://www.sciplus.com/search.cfm/scategory/SOL/term/Here%20Comes%20The%20Sun/srch.fp/1
   References :

3. hipp5 Said,

   The first thing to ask yourself is: is your house energy efficient? If not, you're way better off spending the $25,000 it'll take to get solar panels on things like efficient appliances, new windows and doors, and properly insulating your home. You'll save more money and be just as good for the environment. Also, by making your home more efficient you'll reduce energy needs and thus be able to cover a greater percentage of your energy needs with solar if you do get it. Only once you have made your house as energy efficient as possible should you consider solar.
   References :

4. Nata T Said,

   first, go get lots of money, US$30,000 should be enough. Since banks aren't loaning that kind of money, you'll have to raise the money by selling all your elec appliances.

   With solar PV cells, it's either pay a little every month or a whole bunch at once today. It takes almost 25 years to get your money back in savings on your power bill.
   References :

5. www.AGUA-LUNA.com (Consultant) Said,

   You should read the following guide:

   http://www.agua-luna.com/offgrid_guide.html

   it will help your to undertand in an easy way how solar works and what is involve on installing it to power your house.
   References :

6. JOHNNIE B Said,

   They are very expensive . Most of the sites are expensive enough that it will be about 30 years for a pay out.
   References :

7. Solar Junkie Said,

   I would suggest researching as much as possible and learning what you can about solar panels.

   Figure out how much electricity you are using monthly. You could always start off small and buying what you can afford. That will slowly move you towards your goal and cut down electricity. A friend of mine bought one panel every 2 months and 2 years later had an electricity bill of under $5.

   If you have questions, check out a solar panel forum and get answers from people who have solar. Sounds like you are off to a great start, so the best of luck to you!
   References :
   http://www.solarpaneltalk.com

8. wsoxguy05 Said,

   Hi. Here are two things that might help.

   Here's a calculator that walks through the solar costs.
   http://solarhomeresearch.com/2009/01/costs-of-solar-power-for-home.html

   And here is contact list of free evaluations that some of the manufacturers give.
   http://solarhomeresearch.com/2009/01/free-solar-panels-evaluation.html
   References :
   http://solarhomeresearch.com

9. whsgreenmom Said,

   I had a system installed recently, so I would suggest starting by getting a quote from a licensed contractor. Even if you are planning on doing the installation yourself, a contractor will have a lot of useful info. I got 3 quotes and they were all about the same cost. I was able to get a 2 year usage history from our utility so the contractors were able to suggest a system based on that. They were able to tell me about rebates and tax credits, were the best location would be and the estimated amount of production. They have a nifty gadget that can tell if there will be any shade cast on the roof at any time during the year.

   I decided to maximize my rebates and got a system that reduced my utility bill by about 50%, although my production has cut it much more than that, my highest electric bill was $35, and that was in Dec. with cloudy short days. I got a $10K rebate and a $2K tax credit. This year the fed. tax credit is 30% of the total installed price. My system cost $26K, I paid $16K out of pocket and I'm saving about $2K per year.
   References :

10. kctm10 Said,

    The first thing to understand is that there is nothing complex about a solar panel. It is nothing more than a collection of solar or PV cells on a board that is fitted to the most appropriate part of your home, generally on the roof.
    There are guides out there that teach you how to build a solar panel and a windmill for just $150, and it’s very easy to make. Best of all, you can save 70% or more on your energy bill, adding up to thousands of dollars each year in savings. I reviewed both free guides and paid guides and have come up with our top to Build your own solar panels.
    References :
    http://www.buildyourownsolarpanels.us/