Solar Power Your Home

Solar Power Your Home

Solar Power Your Home – Workers Stephen Janotta (left) and Matt Bart, Solar Service Inc., on the roof of a home in Park Ridge, Illinois, Tuesday, September 10, 2013. Photovoltaic (PV) photovoltaic panels install.

Last winter was the worst winter in the Northeast on record, but snow hasn’t stopped American homeowners from investing in solar panels. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the first quarter of 2015 broke a record by installing 66,440 new solar systems in the first three months of the year. This brings the total number of solar parked homes in the United States to approximately 700,000.

Solar Power Your Home

“They’re not just solar enthusiasts anymore,” says Tom Kimbis, SEIA’s vice president of executive affairs. “Solar power is cheap and saves money, so most home installations are done remotely.”

Off Grid Solar System

Several factors are driving the adoption of solar power, from better technology and lower installation costs to the generous federal tax credit that expires in 2016. To really understand it, you have to follow the light from the solar panel to your wallet.

Humans have been using the sun to heat water for thousands of years, but photovoltaics, also known as photovoltaics or PV, began in the 1950s. Since then, technology has advanced greatly, making solar power very attractive today.

Solar panel is a module made of cells like a solar powered calculator. A rack system is used to mount the panels on the ceiling. The installer orients the rack so that the module receives as much direct sunlight as possible. However, if the orientation of the roof of the house is not suitable, the modules can be placed in the garden using an open space system.

As installers gained experience, panel installation became more efficient. Establishments that used to take days earlier can now be completed in hours. This is one reason why the cost of solar energy has come down in recent years.

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Still, Kimbis said, as with any major home improvement project, quotes should be obtained from multiple installers and the results compared. Solar companies should estimate how much electricity their systems will generate based on annual data based on a variety of factors, including local weather, roof pitch and arrangement, he says. These factors determine the size of the plant and how much electricity it produces on average per year.

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“One of the things people notice when the solar system is formed is that it is very quiet because it has no moving parts,” says Kimbis. Two thirds of photovoltaic systems consist of a panel and mounting system. The last piece is the inverter.

Inverters take the energy taken up by the cells and convert it from DC to AC. If we consider electrical energy to be the movement of electrons, then our homes (and electrical grids) run on alternating current. Because under this standard, electricity can travel several kilometers without losing performance. On the other hand, direct current is used in car batteries because direct current is much better at storing energy. And soon homes will also have solar energy storage. In February, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company would have a ready-to-install home battery next summer, sell it, and begin delivering cars this fall.

However, our homes still require AC electricity to pull extra energy from the grid and feed the extra energy into the grid. So, to connect the solar panel to your home electrical system, you need an inverter that can convert the electricity from DC to AC. The inverter is usually installed just outside the fuse box, allowing the home to take advantage of solar power first. When demand is high, households can draw more electricity from the grid. Conversely, if your photovoltaic array produces more electrical energy than your home needs, that electricity can be channeled into the grid, reducing your overall nuclear and fossil fuel needs. Yes, in some places, the extra energy they produce can also be fed back to the grid. This is an activity known as “net metering” and is attractive to many potential solar customers.

Find Out If Your House Is A Good Candidate For Solar Energy

In a way, you really should do this step first, but having a good understanding of how solar works can help you handle your bills better. There are three ways to add solar to your property. The first is simply to buy and install an array. The second is to lease the solar system from a company that will install and maintain the solar system, and the third is a power purchase agreement. Each method has its own set of variables, and with so many companies operating in this field, it is impossible to generalize which solution is best.

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Buying your own solar system is usually associated with the largest initial investment, but it is also the most economically viable option. Homeowners who purchase their own system are eligible for a federal investment tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of the system. Kimbis estimates that a “right-sized system” would cost about $15,000, but at that cost, $4,500 would be deducted from the homeowner’s federal tax bill. However, this benefit is also added to the maintenance and servicing of the system. However, most modules are guaranteed for about 25 years, and inverters can last up to 30 years. This is a very important point. If your roof is old and tired, we recommend waiting until it is replaced before switching to solar power. Oh God.

Leasing reduces equipment and installation costs, but spreads them out over long-term contracts, similar to car leasing. “Typically, the lease option comes with a monthly payment to the system, after which all the electricity generated is yours,” Kimbis says. However, because the company technically owns the panels, this approach does not provide the same direct tax benefits as buying your own system. You can claim the federal tax credit and make a profit, but it’s up to the company to provide you with the savings.

A power purchase agreement (PPA) is very similar to what people pay for electricity today. The systems are owned by a third party and the customer is billed only for kilowatt hours of solar power consumed. Some companies also simplify solar and electricity billing to save on transaction costs. Overall, however, the lack of upfront installation costs make PPAs a very attractive proposition for homeowners looking for solar power. In fact, according to Kimbis, most solar customers are signing leases, or PPAs, outright rather than buying their equipment outright.

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Whichever setup you choose, remember that a solar setup is like two houses, not two houses. Even when two homeowners sign the same equipment and financing contracts from the same company, shadows and areas can result in different amounts of solar power generation. “People have different usage patterns, so they have different electricity requirements in their homes,” Kimbis says.

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The question of whether solar power is right for you depends on how much you are currently paying for electricity. It depends where you live. Homes near cheap hydroelectric power plants or in the middle of coal-producing countries may not benefit as much as those further afield. House with high heating cost.

But Kimbis says the problem is no longer the technology. “Homeowners should feel comfortable knowing that the technology is proven,” he says. “Solar energy is a very economical, reliable and clean source of energy that has reached a critical point.”

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported the tax credits solar tenants receive. Solar tenants do not get a direct tax credit. Installing solar panels on your terrace or garden not only reduces your carbon footprint but also saves on expensive electricity bills. But before you start installing solar panels, first consider these seven things.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Solar Power For Your Home, 3rd Edition: Ramsey, Dan, Hughes, David: 9781615640010: Books

Much work remains to be done to increase production capacity and eventually get more power out of solar panels. When it gets dark, you need to know how to quickly switch to alternative energy sources like wind and water. Otherwise it will not turn on at night. But if you have enough energy to keep the lights on all night, there are a few things you can do to maximize them.

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