Monday, December 17, 2012

The Benefits Of Using Solar Power For Homes

By Anthony Bosco


Utilizing solar energy in your home or business is a great way to start saving money on your energy costs while helping the environment at the same time. Pay attention to the following tips to help you better understand the process and what comes with it.

The smallest unit of solar electricity generation is a solar cell. These are small wafers of silicon and generate about as much power as a flashlight battery. While not very useful on their own they can easily be joined together to generate more power. To put this into numerical terms, each solar cell produces one to two watts (W) of electricity. If you are reading this on a laptop, it will consume around 100 watts, so you need to wire 50 to 100 cells together just to run one item. Of course, the sun isn't always shining, so you will need even more cells to charge a battery that can power your laptop when it's nighttime or on cloudy days.

Although you will always get some energy as long as the sun is shining, you will want to maximize your efficiency. This means that your panels need to be in direct sunlight. They need to capture sun from dawn to dusk, so you might have an odd-looking setup based on the construction of your home.

Make sure your home gets direct sunlight. There is no reason to install solar panels if your home never receives enough sunlight to make that much of a difference. Decide whether you want to make changes in your landscaping to allow the panels to get the light they need. Whatever you do, make sure that you will be able to capture worthwhile levels of solar power.

Get your property inspected by an expert. Solar panels will work well in a sunny area; you might have to cut down some trees to improve the exposure of your roof or yard. Find the best location possible for your solar panels and assess your energy needs carefully. There are a few things you can do to reduce your energy consumption, such as switching to sustainable light bulbs, using skylight tubes to get natural sunlight and making a conscious effort to turn off the lights and appliances you do not use.

If you want to preserve the environment but cannot afford to invest in solar panels, you should think about switching to a different energy providers. In some areas, consumers have the choice between different providers, usually including one that relies on solar power. Your monthly bill might be slightly higher, but you will be able to claim an interesting tax deduction for this renewable energy. Perhaps this could be a first step in your efforts to preserve the environment.

Solar energy might sound like a no-brainer when choosing the best energy solution for you and your home, but there are some downfalls which you should be aware of, such as the upfront costs. Solar panels themselves can be very expensive, along with the other equipment that you need to deliver the power to your home. Although the long-term savings of installing solar energy to your home is substantial, the upfront costs can really add up. Be sure that you fully understand the costs to ensure that it is the right time for you to make the switch financially.

To conclude, solar energy is by far a cheaper alternative to regular power sources. There is a bountiful amount of solar energy out there that is just waiting for you to harness it. If you follow the advice in this article, you will be on your way to helping the environment and saving money through the use of solar panels in your home.




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