Saving Money With Solar Energy
Solar energy installation is initially expensive and therefore a major deterrent. Currently, it’s more expensive for the average American to purchase equipment for a solar home energy system than it is to purchase the conventional fossil fuel home energy system. When looking at the “bigger picture”, however, of a solar energy system installation, here are a few things to consider:
1. Using solar panels to capture and use the sun’s energy will improve your home value.
2. In about half of its lifetime, a solar home energy system will have paid for itself (lifetime of 25-30 years on average).
3. A solar energy system is clean and non-polluting. It’s also maintenance-free or low maintenance, because it has no moving parts to break or replace.
4. You may be able to sell your excess energy to your local electric company should you generate more power than you can use.
5. You may be eligible for government sponsored rebates and incentives.
There’s been a remarkable trend in construction toward using as many renewable resources, including solar energy, as possible, according to the latest home building indicators. This trend will not only result in increasing the value for “green” homes, it will also result in price decreases for solar energy and other environmentally-friendly construction supplies.
Convinced that solar energy is what you want when building or remodeling your home, but just not sure if you can fit it in the budget? Consider either constructing your own solar panels and installing, or purchasing the panels and installing yourself. Contractors charge heftily for installation…bids commonly come in at 10 times greater or more, than what you would pay by doing it yourself. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to construct a solar energy panel. Your specially constructed solar panel consists of a box, photovoltaic (PV) cells, wire, soldering iron, and connections, glass or plexiglass for the cover, and silicone or other sealant to put it all together and seal it tight. Your solar panel will then capture sunlight energy and activates the PV cell electrons. When activated, the electrons move. Then, they are directed through your panel to create an electrical chain that moves through a charge controller in the form of a DC charge. Next, you can either capture the charge in a deep cycle storage battery, or transform it into 110 volt AC current by running it through an inverter. There are a number of good DIY models shown on the Internet…some for free…that have good tips, tricks, and instructions. Some charge a small amount, including Earth4Energy, where you can find clear instruction for a very reasonable amount.
And, of course, you can cut your energy costs by taking advantage of passive solar energy. Explore the most advantageous way to use the sun’s energy to direct sunlight to your home’s windows, floors and walls, in order to distribute heat in the winter, and reject it in the summer. There are no panels, mechanical or electrical devices involved in passive solar energy, but there are five elements of passive solar design that are critical for success. They include a collector – glass area through which sunlight enters the building; an absorber – hard, dark surface where sunlight hits and is absorbed as heat; thermal mass – material below or behind the absorber; distribution – the way in which the solar heat circulates; and control -blinds, awnings, roof overhangs, and differential thermostats.
There’s money to be saved using solar energy, whether you use passive or active, or combine the two. While your initial cost may be higher, (although you can reduce that expense significantly with your own installation) consider the cost of your energy usage over time. With constantly rising fossil fuel expenses, putting in solar energy is going to ultimately save you money on your utility bills. And, you’ll be saving the planet from the environmental damage that continues to escalate.
On Earth Day 2010, Rhone Resch, who is the CEO and President of Solar Energy Industries Association said: “Today we need to take action to accelerate the deployment of solar. If you are a homeowner or business owner, consider putting solar on your property or buying clean energy through your utility. And if you are a policymaker, consider incentives, like extending the federal Treasury Grant Program, that are working to stimulate more investment in solar.”
Whatever thing, large or small, that each one of us can do to support and encourage the development and usage of solar energy will make a difference for generations to come.
Learn more about solar power costs. Stop by Timothy Peters’s site where you can find out all about home solar power and what it can do for you.
