Affordable Solar Power For Home: Cheap Home Solar Power Electricity - The way to Take Advantage and Build Your Own  Home Solar Power System

It might seem such as still a dream to a lot of, however in reality, there's already reasonable solar power for sale. With the oil and energy crisis endangering 1 of the most significant areas of modern society, the pursuit for various and  renewable energy sources has been ramped up. These incorporate biofuels like biodiesel, geothermal energy, hydroelectric  energy, wind power, and certainly, solar power. Endeavors are underway to put into place various schemes making use of 1 or more of those various energy sources, on both big  and smaller scales. In fact, photovoltaic cell systems are already being used in many remote areas that are not conjoined to the main power grids. With  reasonable solar power for sale appearing in ever more areas and vendors, even house owners who  are accessible to the power grid have the alternative of implementing their own particular systems. Due to the economical character of this various, increasingly more  owners are significantly pulled in.

Affordable Solar Power For Home: Cheap Home Solar Power Electricity - What Is Involved?

Basically, there are four simple elements to any self-contained solar power system: solar modules, battery  banks, charge controllers, and inverters. Modules are the elements that harness sunlight and convert it into direct  current or DC electrical power. Batteries are, in fact, where the electricity is housed, while charge  controllers forestall both overcharging and reverse flow from battery to module. Finally, inverters change DC  into AC, which most appliances and gadgets use. Affordable solar power for sale suggests that that lots  of of those elements are accessible for much less than what they used  to cost. This is due both to improving demand and to ongoing technological improvements  because of breakthroughs in materials science and solar energy research.

Affordable Solar Power For Home: Cheap Home Solar Power Electricity - Is It Really Feasible?

You may be pondering whether a solar collector system would still be feasible in your  explicit location, contemplating that it is dependent on the quantity of  sunlight hours obtainable. While this is true, solar energy systems can achieve success over a good spectrum of solar exposure or "insolation", a measure of accessible solar energy. Partial power coverage can be the  better selection for areas where insolation is simply not particularly high.  Conversely, in places with lots of sun exposure, getting a much bigger, fuller solar assortment and  harnessing system can essentially pay off within the long run.

Affordable Solar Power For Home: Cheap Home Solar Power Electricity - Conclusion

With the proper analysis and cautious implementation, a self-sufficient, environment-friendly home solar energy  system might be inside reach. With reasonable solar power for sale, users have the flexibleness to either  utilize sun power for only part of their energy consumption. Therefore you can see that observing the correct guide it is really  feasible to supply Affordable Solar Power For Home.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. QUESTION:
    What's the best bang for the buck solar home power upgrade?
    I live in Florida. I'm trying to figure out how to break into solar power without spending a lot of money and actually get some good ROI. Any average homeowners out there using solar power? How/what did you do? Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      My neighbor did this here in NY and he spent about K to go to solar. He sells back extra power he uses to the electric company. He also got a rebate from the electric company to pay for half of it. So you may have to put out a lot of money but I think he got about 25% refunded to him immediately and then he get some money every month for selling the electricity to the power company.

      A super way to go right now because oil will go so high that electric bill will quadriple within 2 years time and so you will be very glad with any solar projects you took on. The sooner the better cause one year from now half the country will want to invest in this!

  2. QUESTION:
    i am searching for solar home power plant and its costing in india which is suitable to run all home equipment?
    searching for home solar power plant which is run all the home electric equipment. and its costing and mantanance

    • ANSWER:
      that is not a hit project i.e., it is not that useful and handy
      government is giving subsidiary
      try to collect details from government sites or search google
      long back i tried but found it was not handy

  3. QUESTION:
    please is there anyone using a solar home power system?
    please i need to know your combination of solar panels (with the wattage), inverters(how many and its rating), batteries(how many and there voltage) specically for like a 16KW load.Please i will like also to know there manufacturers for refrences.

    • ANSWER:
      If you mean you use 16 kWh a day, you're similar to us. If you mean your load is constantly 16 kW, that's way out of our league.

      Our system is 2.5 kW, and grid-tied (no batteries). It supplies basically all of our kWh's averaged over the year.

      You can see the specs at

      http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/roderick/solar/photovoltaic.html

  4. QUESTION:
    What features should I look for when purchasing a home solar power system?
    Just wondering if some experts out there could give some advice on what to features to look for and to "look out" for when purchasing and having installed a home solar power system. Of course I know sizing it properly is a big issue. However, are there certain brands of the various components that should or should not be used, etc.

    • ANSWER:
      The biggest things to look out for is making sure the installer is qualified, and the equipment is UL Listed. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there now claiming to be installers, but have never done it before, or have no training and are doing it wrong. It's not the same as regular house electrical work, not just any electrician can do it.

      NABCEP is an organization that certifies solar installers. They have to have years of experience and lots of training to even be able to sit for the exam. Just because an installer isn't certified, doesn't mean they aren't good, but having the certification is a great way to be sure they know what they are doing. If you don't have a certified installer in your area, try to find an installer who has done a number of installs and talk to their references.

      As far as equipment, any reputable installer will use quality equipment. It has to be UL Listed to pass inspection, so unless this is their first, they'll know the good stuff.

  5. QUESTION:
    Does anyone have a solar powered home?
    Does anyone use solar power to provide energy for their home? If so, is it worth it? How does it work? What equipment is needed/installed etc?

    • ANSWER:
      I have had my system for almost a year. I have a 3.74 kwh dc system that cost K to install, I got a K rebate and a K fed tax credit. It is saving me about K a year in energy costs, so I should break even in my 6th year. Many people say it is a lot of money, but it was about 1/2 what I paid for my pool, so it's a matter of perspective.

      Conservation is key to maximizing your investment. I was averaging about 45kwh daily usage in the summer and my system takes care of at least 75% of it. The home next to me is the same model and they average about 95kwh daily usage for the same time.

      I had a professional install it, because we aren't that mechanical and with all the permits to hook it up to the city power and all, just didn't want to risk it. I have 20 panels and an inverter that turns the dc into ac current. My panels are guaranteed for 25 years and they say that I will likely need to replace the inverter about 1/2 way through that. I expect to save about K over the life of the panels since electric rates increase an average of 5% annually.

  6. QUESTION:
    whats the pros and cons for a family of 5 making the new home solar power?
    we are looking at solar power for our new land, are you a family of 5? have you done this before, thanks.

    • ANSWER:
      Hey Hotmumma, I applaud you for looking into solar power. In my experience, when you look into solar power, the one thing there is an abundance of is misinformation.

      We live in a home that has been powered by the wind and sun for 10 years now. Our solar array fits quite nicely on the space provided by our one car carport, it generates 1.4 kilowatts during peak sun, and does not need thousands of square feet of space. Our entire system, including the wind turbine, battery bank and other electronics costs less than ,000 USD. After state incentives, tax deductions and the small amount we receive selling carbon credits to industry, our cost is just under ,000. We do have a small, efficient home, just under 1,200 square feet, but the point is clear, you don't need to mortgage your sisters second home to pay for it. We still have the utility company here, but our monthly bills average about . I would estimate our payback at 10 to 12 years, but that is not the main reason we did all of this.

      Last year, there were two power failures in our county, each lasting about half a day. In both cases, we were not aware of them. It's difficult to put a price tag on something like that. There is also the fact that when we do a load of laundry, or run the TV, we are not adding CO2 to the air and mercury to the water because our power is not sourced from a coal power plant. In a few years,we plan on replacing one of our cars with a plug in hybrid, which will charge from our solar array once we add a few more panels to it, at a cost of about ,000. This will allow us to have transportation in town with virtually no environmental footprint, or any need to buy gasoline.

      Beyond our own personal benefits, having a solar powered home has made us the defacto expert on the field in our town. To that end, we started running solar power seminars at our local school several years ago. We spend an hour or so with the 5th graders in school, hooking up a panel, battery, and some small loads so they can learn how it works. Then they run a field trip out to our place to see a working solar powered home first hand. Our hope is that in several more years, they will grow up to persue the same thing you are today.

      Powering your home from solar power requires more than mere technology however, it requires some lifestyle changes. People who grow their own tomatoes know a great deal about soil, watering, bugs and sunlight because they have to. Even though it might be cheaper to buy them at the store, they go to the trouble to maintain a garden. People who grow their own electrons instead of buying them at the power company have a similar curse. They have to know where each one goes in their home. When you power your home from renewable sources, there is no such thing as an, "Average House," or "Standard Size Panel." Every situation is different. No matter how well you plan your system, or how many contingencies you allow for, there will always be a day where you have a shortage of power. Most solar homeowners I know have a generator for just such a shortage, but they work hard to run it as little as possible. Like I said, it's a lifestyle, and only you can decide if it's right for you. What I would suggest is you do some more research, beyond asking people who have never tried it for advice over the internet. First get a subscription to Home Power Magazine, the only periodical devoted to these things. Then check out some of the non profit groups I have listed below. Learn what you can, try to make it to one of the renewable energy fairs in your area. In the end you might decide not to get involved at all, and that's fine. At least you will be well informed. Good luck, and take care, Rudydoo

  7. QUESTION:
    does anyone know if using home solar power is worth it?
    i've been trying to research new energy sources for my house including solar, wind, and human powered pedal options. Solar seems like the most commercialized now but if it works, why doesn't everyone use it. A lot of companies like BP, Mitsubishi, and GE have websites advertizing solar but they don't explain enough about cost and instalation. if anyone out there already uses this tech i'd appreciate some intel.

    • ANSWER:
      I had a system installed last year and I think it is well worth the investment. There are a lot of factors that need to be considered when you make your decision. The location of your house, the location of the panels, any shade elements, the amount of energy you use, if your roof can handle the weight of the panels, will you need to upgrade your electrical system, how long you intend to live in the home etc, do you have net metering, rebates and tax credits.

      Here is some general info on my system: I have a 20 panel 3.74 kwhdc system, the total installed cost was K, I got a K rebate from my utility, I have net metering, which means my meter runs backwards when I produce more than I use, in essence I am a small power station for the city. I received a K fed tax credit, this year it has increased to 30% of the total cost of the system, so if would have been almost K. I didn't try to zero out my bill, I expected to reduce my usage by at least 30%, but with other energy saving strategies, I'm producing well over 50% and more like 75% of my electrcity. I expect to break even no later than my 6th year. My average summer bill was well over 0, last summer I didn't go over . My highest bill was in Jan. it was , last month I paid .11 for electricity. I live in a 2000 sf home with a pool. I estimate I will save well over K over the life of the panels.

      My best advice is ask a contractor to come give you an estimate, a site visit is necessary to give an accurate estimate. You should be able to contact your utility and get your usage history, 2 years will give you a good idea of how much energy you produce. A local contractor would also know about rebates and utility company policies. The company I used has a structural engineer and an electrical engineer to make sure the house is compatible with the system.

  8. QUESTION:
    where can I buy affordable home Solar power?
    Hello
    I intend to buy 200-200watt solar power to take to a remote part of Asia.l hope to use it for 3 months to power our Laptop, TV, Microwave, Mobile phones, printer, Lighting, Fan etc.
    Does anyone know where I can buy?Thanks
    Category

    • ANSWER:
      Something sounds wrong. It's a remote area, yet you will have mobile phones, internet connection, and TV? If it's a place that has this kind of thing, it probably has grid power. If not, you should look into buying a gas-powered generator when you get there.

      Portable solar power, the kind that's really useful, is not cheap, and I noticed that your question has the word, "affordable." A system that puts out 200 watts is not hard to find, but the kind of run time you will get powering a small TV is maybe 20 minutes, powering a laptop, maybe half an hour. And then, it would take 7-10 sunny days to charge itself up again. Such a system has no chance of powering most microwave ovens. That's what you get for 0. You would scale up if you want more runtime.

      If you buy a rigid solar panel of 200W when you get there, you could use it to charge two car batteries, and run an inverter off those. That would give you several hours of runtime, but would not be portable at all. I would expect to spend 00 on such a setup, and donate it to my host when I left.

      The best advice I can give you may be to live as the natives do. That will make your experience richer, anyway. If they use kerosene lamps, or open fire, then do your work by that light. If they cook in an underground pit, or with a solar oven, or eat most of their food raw, you do that, too. All of the appliances you list sound unnecessary, except possibly the laptop, and only if it's used to control or automatically gather data from some equipment. To take notes, there's always pen and paper.

  9. QUESTION:
    How much I have to spend to install a solar power for home for 5 kwp?

    • ANSWER:
      The installed cost of such a system should be anywhere between ,000 and ,000 - depending on the state incentives, if any, where you live.

      My neighbor got 4 kW installed last summer for ,000 net.

  10. QUESTION:
    hi any did propal about solar power for home electricitiy?i need help,thanks in advance.?
    i am doing using solar power for home electricity.i need some information.

    • ANSWER:
      http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=solar+power+for+home+electricity&fr=ush-ans&ygmasrchbtn=Web+Search

  11. QUESTION:
    What is the most efficient way of powering your home? Do you use solar power, wind turbine, coal?
    fire, gas, electric, wood fire, ice blocks and a fan? What works for you, how green is it and why it works for you? Anyone have any additional costs associated with installing or using these options? Any installation professional, or self? What would you say are pros and cons to alternative power sources? What do you think is the cheapest, easiest way to power a home? Would like to hear from folks who have added alternative power sources to their homes and hear your experiences.

    • ANSWER:
      I have just answered a Q. similar to this,My G/Fs small holding has no mains, water, sewage,gas or electricity we have a genny that runs the washing machine, T.V & charges a large battery pack we have bottled gas for cooking & heating filtered rain water for showering & washing clothes, a composting toilet, all waste water is collected to water the veggys, when we've finished our waste 'gulper' we should be able to produce our own gas, the genny runs on bio fuel which we produce & the back up petrol genny runs on methenol, which we also produce, we dont pay any utility bills, how cheap do you want to run? you can only watch T.V for a couple of hours a night, but we've got all mod cons!

  12. QUESTION:
    solar power for home?
    I want to install solar power pannels to my home to reduce the energy consumptions. Whats the best way to start, What is the approximate cost to install for a single family Home.
    Appreciate your insight.

    • ANSWER:
      Hi Miky. It's kind of hard to answer this question whenever it's asked. If your wanting to simply reduce the amount of electricity that your using, the answer is just that, use less. If, on the other hand, your looking for cheaper electricity, the unfortunate truth is, that you can't make your own for less.....yet. Whoever your buying your electricity from right now, can produce it for far less than you can (via economy of scale). That said, if your wanting to "go solar", for any of the many other good reasons to do so, go to "backwoodssolar.com". These folks will tell you EVERYTHING that you'll need to know, and do it with astonishing honesty. I use their .00 pamphlet style books (you'll see'em when you get there) for reference material all the time. Their knowledge is really second to none.
      In the meantime, about that "reduce" part of your question...Put in compact fluorescence's everywhere that you can (and dispose of properly when they eventually burn out). Buy appliances that meet "energy star" qualifications. Pack in insulation everywhere that you can. Caulk and otherwise seal all cracks and crevices around your doors, windows and foundation. On hot days, pull the shades and drapes closed on the sunny side of the building. On cold days, turn down your thermostat and wear heavier clothes. Close the vents and door in any unoccupied room...use fans when you can instead of running the AC...plant evergreens on the north side of your house...plant deciduous on the south...install an "earth pipe"...increase the amount of thermal mass inside of the building...humidify in the winter...get a couple of good books on energy efficiency......
      The list goes on and on....and once you get started, it actually becomes fun. Your bank account might start smiling too..
      Have fun.

  13. QUESTION:
    Contacts for all home solar power systems in sydney metro area(and or N.S.W)?
    I have made Contact with Origin and Nu Energy about there home sol-or power systems and i need Other people's information on Other suppliers out there as i am looking at installing it to my house. So far they don't meet with housing commissions requirements. So far you must own your home.

    • ANSWER:
      buy a house

  14. QUESTION:
    how much maintenance is needed to power a home using solar panels?
    My siblings and I all live in different parts of the country. Both or our parents are dead. they have a home in the country. To pay utility bills for this home as well as our own is expensive. If enough electricity could be generated to keep the pipes from freezing in the winter at little or no cost to us it would be great. I was wondering about solar. Can anyone give me any pointers?

    • ANSWER:
      The initial installation of a solar electric system is expensive. If it is a quality unit the regulator/converter unit will hold up for a long time with little or no maintenance. You will also have a bank of batteries which may require some maintenance depending on the type. The system will have to be matched to the expected load, in your case heat tape on the pipes. The panels on the roof will have to be cleaned and keep clear of snow and ice. For more specifics you should contact a solar contractor. The contractor will determine the system that best meets your needs and estimate the cost.

  15. QUESTION:
    anyone who uses a 24 hour home solar power system should please help.?
    please i need the specifications for the products you use,how many you are using for each product( e.g no of inverters, batteries e.t.c) and for how long.

    • ANSWER:
      There is no such thing as a "24 hour home solar power system" as there is nowhere that the sun shines 24 hours a day!

      Perhaps you should clarify your question.

      .

  16. QUESTION:
    Does anyone know where to find TRUE grants for individuals who want to change their home to solar power?
    I have been looking for grants for individuals who want to change their home to solar power; however, I am finding loans in the name of grants or disguised as grants.

    I am looking for legit grants.

    • ANSWER:
      Most states have some sort of grant program since I do not know where you are from, go to www.dsireusa.org they have a listing of grants by state. I am from Wisconsin and the Focus on energy program will pay up to 25% of the cost but you need to follow their rules to get the money. I got a large grant twards the cost of my wind turbine.

  17. QUESTION:
    how to build a home solar power thingie to plug stuff into...?
    on a basic step by step way can someone list the parts i would need by name and possibly list what 'plugs' into what (think knee bone connected to the thigh bone). I would like something in my garden that I can power household items into like the kettle, tv, tools, pc's etc to reduce my bills. I'm happy for links explaining as I've tried to 'google' it but not found what I'm looking for...

    many thanks..

    • ANSWER:
      An electric kettle is a high power unit, so needs a big solar panel and a stack of batteries. These are going to cost a bundle of cash. A great deal depends where you are located - you need a good position where you can mount the panel facing south.
      You will need solar panels, connected to a charge controller, connected to a deep discharge or leisure battery, connected to an iinverter. The further North you are, the llarger the panel you will need. For greater electrical loads, you will need larger batteries and inverters. In the UK, I guess that a solar panel, plus battery plus and inverter to run the equipment you describe will cost over £2000.

  18. QUESTION:
    How to generate solar power for the home?
    Solar power is the essential power in the home and tell me the way to generate it..

    • ANSWER:
      Solar generators produce electricity using so-called solar cells or photovoltaic cells, which convert the energy of sunlight to electric energy by the photovoltaic effect. Solar panel is used to save your money once your fixed it to your home you will access that power to all your home appliances.. You have to buy solar panel setup along with inverter which going to invert the AC into DC power. For more details search in google..

  19. QUESTION:
    Anyone help me to know what to consider when designing solar power for the home?
    Hello,
    I know little on solar power for the home. I understand that it is possible to convert power to chemical form then use it as electricity. My question is, what elements are involved and how is the sizing being done?
    I need the power design to power lights (say 10), TV and radio.

    • ANSWER:
      First of all, the conversion is chemical to electricity, as in the chemistry of a car battery which provides an output voltage.
      To meet your needs, you need to figure how much useful sunlight you will have per day. Such sources as the Weather Channel, or National Climatology office can supply that to you. You need to determine the total load. Just add everything up, and that is the load you need to have sufficient energy to provide power for. If this works out to be, let's say 200 watts, then you need at least a 200 watt solar panel, provided that you have enough sunlight from the time that you get up in the morning, until you go to bed at night. Count on it, you won't have enough sunlight for your needs, unless you live up in Alaska. Even then, there is part of the year where there will not be enough light at any time of the day. What you need, for full 24 hour coverage is a battery bank, and unless everything will run on 12 or 24 volts, then you need 1 or more inverters. With inverters, you lose 10% in conversion loss from DC to AC. Batteries should be RV, Trolling motor, or best yet, electric fork lift batteries, or the reasonable equivalent of such as these. I would recomment at least double to quadruple the total energy need for the solar panels, and to multiply the battery capacity by the total load supply that you have figured out, for at least a 24 hour run time. All of that, then multiplied by 90% to know how long the system will provide power, IF you use any DC to AC inverters. Within reason, the larger the battery bank, the better. Do NOT use regular car batteries, they will not last as long as you need them to last, unless you understand the difference between cranking amps, and reserve amps. Another point is that auto batteries are simply not designed for this kind of service.

  20. QUESTION:
    Has anyone seen the TV advertisement for home solar power that touts "it could be free" and has 42 in its site
    I am interested in finding out more information on getting home solar power units for the house, and I saw an ad for free home solar panels. In the ad they say it may be free through government rebates, I am looking for the website address that goes along with this ad.

    And to find out if it is too good to be true..

    • ANSWER:
      There is a program in San Francisco to provide free solar power to some underprivileged homes, but that is on a very limited basis. Obviously, demand far outstrips supply.

      I think Berkeley and some other cities may provide loans so that someone can buy a solar system. The payments on the loans may be less than the savings on electric bills, so in that sense, someone could switch over to some solar for "free".

      Some cities in the USA are still rebating to the tune of a watt, so if you're lucky enough to live in one of those areas, your panels may indeed be free. But for the US in general, no.

  21. QUESTION:
    How to make a solar power source for home use ?
    How to make a solar power unit for home use ?

    • ANSWER:
      Many companies in Canada already use this technology. One way is to modify your roof to a giant solar panel. They charge batteries stored in the backyard. Interesting stuff.

  22. QUESTION:
    How much solar system setup for running power a home might cost ?
    How much solar system setup for running power a home might costs ? I am from India and their are too many power cuts , so i have decided to setup solar system instead of buy a generetor or invertor , and can any one tell me which company in India supply Solar system setup for home

    • ANSWER:
      I don't know about companies in India, but what you might do is look around for someone who has a system, then ask where they got it. If you have trouble finding anyone with a system, maybe it's not a very good deal.

      If the home is in a less-developed area, and all you would be powering is a light, and a radio or TV at night, then you might get by with the kind of system they use in some parts of Africa. It has a 40 or 80-watt panel, and basically a car battery. The appliances run right off the battery, and no charger or other devices are used. This sort of system costs 0-300 when implemented by a nonprofit organization - I don't know what the cost if you were to try to set it up, yourself.

      On the other hand, it sounds like you're already connected to a power grid, and maybe already have a heavy appetite for energy in your house. A solar system with batteries tends to cost about a watt in the USA, when hundreds or thousands of watts are involved. A system for a modest off-grid cabin will cost anywhere from 00 to 000, depending on the size.

  23. QUESTION:
    What are the drawbacks to using wind turbines or solar panels for providing all power to a home?
    What are the drawbacks to using wind turbines or solar panels for providing all power to a home?

    A. The wind and sun are not constant, so there would be times when no electricity would be generated.
    B. The wind and sun are constant, so there would be plenty of electricity for the home.
    C. Wind and solar power are inefficient and too expensive to use and maintain.
    D. Wind and solar power are efficient, but they are not able to produce enough electricity for a single home.

    • ANSWER:
      again trying to help..again thnx 4 the previous.........
      nothing else............but A.
      NO COMMENTS ON THE OTHER OPTIONS....
      except these there is another drawback.......its when your brother breaks the solar panel after quarrel with you......then no electricity will b produced.............hope this funny answer u liked........its just to make yahhooooooooooo answer FUNNNNN............

  24. QUESTION:
    Home Solar Power Advice?
    Does anyone have any tips or advice on installing a solar power system for their home?
    This seems to be a growing trend and as the technology is becoming more efficient it is also starting to be more economical and installed in more and more homes.

    We have started a blog http://www.sunpoweradvice.com and would like to hear some experiences from people who have installed solar power systems in their home.

    • ANSWER:
      Found the most cost effective thing to do was to get the whole house set up for running on solar before actually installing the panels. That means cutting your power consumption to about 1/10th the typical household power usage. Once you do that you will probably find your power bill so drastically reduced (with little or no loss of quality of living) that you will find no need to actually install any panels.

  25. QUESTION:
    How to develop our own solar power for the home?
    Developing solar power is quite tough but it has high advantages over it...Suggest me a good idea about it....

    • ANSWER:
      you need four main components to made the own solar power for home.. They are solar panels, batteries, charge controller, inverter.. solar panels which can be quite expensive if purchased retail and the best way to save some cash is to build them yourself. Source out a good guide and follow it correctly and you shouldn't have a problem.quite expensive if purchased retail and the best way to save some cash is to build them yourself. Source out a good guide and follow it correctly and you shouldn't have a problem.These moderate the amount of power transferred from the solar panels to the battery. They also help in keeping the batteries from over charging and trickle charge them to help maintain a long life.When your energy is stored in your deep cycle batteries off your home built solar power system, it is stored as Direct Current (DC). In order to be able to use it for household appliances the power must be converted to Alternating Current (AC). That is the job of a power inverter.

  26. QUESTION:
    Do you have experience with solar power in your home?
    I’m doing research for our home. I’m wondering how long the solar panels last and if there is any maintenance. The dealers I’ve spoken to seem to offer a 25 year warranty and say there is no maintenance needed. What about roof repair or replacement with the panels in place? The dealers say that the roof can be accessed under the panels for repair and that they will increase the lifespan of the roof. Any info to share?

    • ANSWER:
      I am a solar tech, so believe me when i say do not put pv panels on your roof because your investment will not be returned unless you have 40,000 sq ft of roof space to sell back your power to the grid. the installation costs of pv is, at a conservative rate, beyond ,000.

      Here is what you need to do. First, is your roof facing south? is in clear of trees? is it new construction or existing? If your facing south your in business. some states won't allow tax benefits if your not facing south. You need to install a solar THERMAL system on your house. Depending on your sq. footage, it will determine how many panels you need. say you have 2,000 sq ft, and you want domestic hot water only, you only need 2 panels and a 108 gallon hotwater heater. if you install a solar heat exchanger in your hvac duct (recommended) you need a third panel. The payback for solar thermal (including tax benefit) is roughly 3 years. There is so much info i can tell you, but i don't want to take up a ton of space on this post. The warranty is correct, the lifespan of the roof increases because you are shading the roof with the panels, so there is truth to that. but if your only putting 2 or 3 panels on the roof, its a small factor.

  27. QUESTION:
    does anyone use solar power in their home?
    how much was it to instal? does it provide for all your power needs? do the solar panels wear out and need to be replaced?

    • ANSWER:
      I have a 6 kilowatt system on my house. It provides all my power, except the gas water heater. However, I am a special case. I live alone near San Francisco. I heat only one room, except when I have friends over. I get an average of about 20 kWh per day. The system cost about K after rebate, but it was higher than it should have been.

      Read all you can, including on the Internet and by searching for solar panels in the green search box above.

      You may come back to me on Yahoo e-mail if you have specific questions.

  28. QUESTION:
    what is the average cost for supplying a home with solar power?
    solar power is being installed in home itself...

    • ANSWER:
      Depends on the size of the home, how many electric appliances are present, where it is located, and if you want to go with grid tie or completely independent (lots of batteries).

      For an average sized home, located in an area with a lot of sun, and NOT electric heat or extensive AC, you will be in the US$ 20k-40k.

      And it goes up from there.

      Not a sunny area? Electric heat and AC? Probably not possible at any reasonable cost.

      .

  29. QUESTION:
    whats the range of tempretures you will get from a home made solar power oven?
    i need the range of tempretures i can get from my solar power oven so i can work out what insulation would be best for lining it with and also so i can calculate cooking times
    btw this is for a school project

    • ANSWER:
      not sure but our class once tried it and we put the solar oven out for about 4 to 5 hours and the bread dough cooked and so did the tomato gravy and the rice and the temperature that day was about 30 degreees celsius

  30. QUESTION:
    Is it worth buying solar power for a home?
    My dad is retiring in a few years, and he is looking into this. I know that this is what one of my teachers did when he retired, but I don't really want to ask him how it's been goin ;)

    So, what are the pros and cons of buying solar power for a house?

    P.S. I live in Canada and I live on the bay, so it is only sunny like 50-60% of the time.

    • ANSWER:
      Solar heating may be an excellent option for him. Rather than converting the sun's energy to electricity at about 20% efficiency, you could convert it directly to heat at about 85% efficiency. You can use solar water heating to heat your water instead of a traditional power consuming water heater, and solar air heaters to heat the air in the house, supplementing your existing heater.

      The Canadian government has some grants available to help pay for it from their Grants under their ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program. http://oee.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/questions-answers.cfm?attr=0#intro1

      You can also look into a grid tied solar electric system that has solar panels and an inverter, but no batteries. You just generate some of your power during the day, and buy the rest from the electric company. That is much more affordable and less complicated than a battery based system.

      You can read about a lot of the options at the AltE Store at http://www.altestore.com/store/.

  31. QUESTION:
    How to set up solar power for your home?
    I saw an ad to the following items

    Chicago Electric Power systems
    45 Watt Solar Panel Kit
    400 Watt/800 Watt power inverter
    Power Inverters 2000W Cont./4000W Surge

    What else is needed to get electricity from the solar panels into a home?? How does this work?

    I get a lot of sun and would be great to lower my HUGE summer electric bill. Lots of Sun = Lots of Heat = A/C all of the time = $$$$.

    • ANSWER:
      Sounds like the system "Liz" described is kind of cobbled together; you want to install a "listed" solar photovoltaic system, and have it installed in a "Code compliant" manner.

      Depending on who or where you purchase your system, they will probably offer to install it for you. This is also a good idea, which will include a warranty on the product and the installation. You want the installation to be done correctly; remember, there is no way to turn off a solar collector. Unless covered with a special black-out blanket, the only way to "turn off" a collector panel is to turn it over; a difficult task on a sloping roof.

      You will want to know what additional dead load this will place on your roof structure and be sure that the roof system will support it. You will need to check with your local building department to see what Code requirements you will have to comply with. If your home has a truss roof, you will probably need to have a structural engineer verify that it will support the added weight, or design modifications to the roof framing that will allow the installation of the SP System. You may also have to contend with Zoning requirements. Although a variance is always possible, it can be a very expensive proposition.

      Good luck.

  32. QUESTION:
    Solar Micro Home Power Usage?
    Ok So I am building a small (150sq/foot) micro home near Patten Maine. You can imagine it about the size of a Hunting Camp. According to the research I have done so far the area is Ideal for Solar and Wind Power.

    (so no one assumes I forgot these items: Heat is provided by a wood stove, Water is Hand Pumped and Hot water is made on the wood stove)

    My first question is how large of a solar array and battery bank would i need in addition to this wind turbine [http://www.shop.senecaelectronicsonline.com/product.sc?productId=76&categoryId=19] to guarantee (as much as possible) continues power. This home would be 100% off the grid.

    Power using items: (I found the power usage estimates online not sure how accurate they are)
    Laptop: 0.085 kWh
    Satellite Box:0.36 kWh
    Satellite Dish: 0.5kwh
    32" LCD TV:0.128 kWh
    Small Fridge: 0.059 kWh
    Air Conditioner:1.05 kWh
    3 Florescent Lights:0.18 kWh

    Assuming I ran these items continuously 18hours a day.

    Thanks for any help.

    • ANSWER:
      Hey Senior, you have a nice project there. Let me tell you about ours briefly, then give you my suggestions. We had a 600 sq. foot log cabin in Northern Michigan that had utility power, but the power was constantly going out. We started with a small system, just to run some lights and electronics in the great room during outages. Using that, I learned a great deal about solar and wind. Now it's 10 years later, we have a 1.4 kw solar array on the garage roof, and a 900 watt wind turbine in the field behind our home. In the summer, the solar array produces all our power, just barely, and in the winter, the wind turbine does about half the job. We intentionally undershot to save on cost, and because we still had the utility to help out.

      If I were in your shoes, this is what I would do. Design a good quality system, with a slightly oversized battery bank, undersize the array, and add a generator. A good system will have a good quality sine wave inverter and Trojan or Surette batteries, a digital counting solar charge controller and UL listed disconnects. The disconnects are the only thing preventing your wiring from catching fire if something shorts out. The counting charge controller will help you keep track of your solar output, so you will know if something is not working properly, and the sine wave inverter will run everything in your house. Cheaper inverters not only have things that they can not power, like electronic battery chargers and furnace cards, but they will actually damage a few items you might plug into them. I found this out the hard way, a new charger for my Dewalt drill cost .

      The reason to oversize the batteries and undersize the array is two fold. Look in the library for a book by Richard Perez called, "The Complete Battery Book." Just read the chapters on lead acid batteries. Once you buy your batteries, you can't add more to them later, the old and new ones fight each other. Solar panels however, are the most expensive part of your system, you can add any amount later, even different brands, they all get along fine. So if you start with 1000 watts of solar, and decide a year later you need 400 more, no problem, and you've spread out the expense over a couple years, and more importantly, not over bought in the beginning. The generator is necessary because no matter how powerful and well designed your system is, you wil always have a day or two at the end of the month where you come up short, and it isn't good for battery longevity to run them down really deep trying to get through the rainy week. If you design your system well, you should only have to start the generator one or two times a month, for just a few hours each.

      You have listed a fairly conservative list of power usage here, totalling about 2.5 kwh each day. I would expect a bit more than that, an extra light or two, and so on. Think about LED lighting too, my suggestion is looking for LED Christmas lights after the holiday, they are twice as efficient as CF lights, and fun. We have a 130 foot string lining our deck roof, very nice, only uses 12 watts. What I would do first is subscribe to Home Power Magazine, it's the only periodical devoted to this, and it's inexpensive. I will list it below. Also, if there is a renewable energy fair near you next spring, go to it, that's how we got started. Home Power will have info on this. Incidentally, our home was featured in that magazine twice, once for our small system, and again when we upgraded. You can go to their website after you subscribe, use their search engine, and look for an article called, "Starting Small."

      You're also picking a good time to get into this. Solar panels have suddenly come down in price, although batteries are heading up. There are some good deals to be made on telecommunications batteries right now, all the cell phone companies overbought for their towers, now they are consolidating. I will also list a couple other places to look for info on your future system.

      How much power you need is a little nebulous to determine, if I had to guess with the usage info you have provided, I would think 600 - 800 watts of solar might just do it, so you might think of going with something closer to 1000, but you can start at 600 or so and move up. If you are going to stand alone and not have the utility, your batteries should hold about 5 days of power without any solar gain. So at 2.5kwh per day, 12.5 kwh of battery storage would be adequate, a little more would be better. If you only discharge your batteries 10 to 20 percent each day, they should last about 10 years. Our bank is 11 years old now, it is in need of replacement next spring, we have several cells that have failed. You'll have to learn about watering and rotating batteries, check out the sources below. As an example, a Trojan T-105, which is their golf cart battery, holds 220 amp hours at 6 volts. AH X Volts = watt hours, so 220 X 6 = 1320 watt hours

  33. QUESTION:
    Is there subsidy if solar power is installed at home for electric use?
    I’m planning to install solar power energy at my home to go green and to save money. So I would like to know the cost of the complete product, which will be the company any mainly will there be subsidy from India Government who install solar panels at home?
    If any information kindly contact me @ +91-9314504902/ 9529560059 or joem@in.com/joe.mathew@ymail.com

    • ANSWER:
      According to this article http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2249045/india-launch-55-per-cent not yet, but perhaps soon.

      See also the link in the article for India's "National Solar Mission."

      If your electricity is expensive, it may still be worth it to do a grid-tied solar install.

  34. QUESTION:
    I would like to power some home appliances such as computer and tv how would i select solar panels for this?
    I have been studying the possibility of using solar electricity for home use. I have no idea of how it works, thanks.
    If i have to go into solar business what do i need to do in order to convince the prospective buyers. There is so much lack of awareness.

    • ANSWER:
      Don't go into a business you know NOTHING about!
      Solar power is DC so most home apliances won't work. The panels are used to charge a battery bank and the batteries provide the power. it can be done but effectively you would need to rewire your house to work like a camper van or a yacht! Contact me directly if you are
      a. serious
      b. knowledgable

  35. QUESTION:
    what do I need to get started to do solar power for my home?
    I am going to build my panels, I do not how many I need nor do I know how many battery's I need, also inverter. Can you give me the answers? I have a 2 bedroom home with 2 bathrooms. A shop with plenty power tools. 2 ref and 2 freezers,washer and dryer also. What am I going to need?
    Thanks

    • ANSWER:
      OK - some rules of thumb:

      10 watts per square foot, unless you go to amorphous-crystal cells - then you may get up to 15 watts per square foot.

      Storage should be three times (3 x) the average load in your house. The average load may be calculated from your appliances, frequency of use, lighting load and heating load.

      Your solar panels must be able to deliver at least 2 x your average load in order to actually store power as well as meet your needs.

      Commercial installations less subsidies are typically /watt, fully installed + storage but including the inverter. Subsidies will cover most of this in some locations. So check your area.

      So: if you have an electric stove, electric dryer, general lighting and a shop with various 20A motors, television, freezers, refrigerators and so forth - 50A max on the stove. 25A on the dryer, 25A on the water heater - allow 40A for everything else. comes to 140A peak - average (rule-of thumb) is about half that. 70A. You are a heavy electric user as compared to most individuals.

      At 220V, that comes to 15,400 watts. Times two, and rounding comes to 30,000 watts of capacity required to meet 100% of your needs or 30KW. Roughly 3,000 square feet (30 square meters) of panels.

      Battery Storage at using 100AH batteries comes to (working backwards and allowing a 15% inverter loss and not wanting to kill your batteries) - will require forty (40) 12V storage batteries in parallel.

      And why it is that most installations are to supplement power only - and not replace 100% of the requirements.

      You are looking at an unsubsidized cost of around 0,000 +/- if you do 100% of the labor yourself. About ,000 in the storage system alone. And if you do this yourself, you will not get any subsidies.

  36. QUESTION:
    solar power for a home?
    What is a good web site to check out for solar power for a home. I'm thinking about having solar power added to my water heater and to my furnace to cut down on gas usage. Maybe eventually to my lighting circuits. I want to have an idea of what the costs are and what the savings will be.

    • ANSWER:
      Good luck getting off the grid.

      http://www.homepower.com/

  37. QUESTION:
    Is adding solar power to a home in the Northeast financially sound?
    Obviously there is a definite benefit for the environment, but what are the financial costs versus savings?
    Well I've heard that you can still be hooked to a grid and during the daytime when most people are not home and not using a lot of electricity it reverses the meter. I also heard there are energy credits you can earn, you can eliminate your electricity bill and earn these credits which can be sold. The solar panels I'm talking about are the ones that would power everything in the house.

    • ANSWER:
      You need to learn a lot before you can obtain a valid answer.

      First make an estimate of the total number of kilowatt hours you would use. This can come from a review of your average annual consumption.

      Then determine size of a photovoltaic system that would supply that demand. You can find tables that show how big a system it would take to supply your needs. Be aware that the rating of a system is not what you will get out of it. Due to losses, the system will not be 100% efficient.

      If you intend to be able to power the house at night and in cloudy weather, include the initial cost and maintenance cost for batteries.

      Perhaps your area has incentivies that will reduce the final cost.

      Determine the power company's procedures with regard to metering costs and the various possible arrangements. For instance my power company offers net metering and time of use metering. With net metering, I feed them power in the daytime, and can take it back at night. At the end of the year I pay them if I have used more than I generate. If I generate more than I use, they do not pay me for the amount I overgenerate. Time of use metering has higher rates during summer days. If I do not use much power during these days, I "sell" power to them at a high rate. I pay at a lower rate for power used during off hours.

      Get a rough estimate of the installation cost for a system, and determine from your present bills if the system can pay for itself

      Now learn all you can, including taking a seminar or class on the subject. This will enable you to refine your cost estimates, and make a determination.

      You may conclude that you will not save enough to pay for the system, but might add enough to the value of the house to make a difference when the house is sold.

  38. QUESTION:
    I would like to install solar power for my home. Approximately how much will the installation cost me?
    Are there any professionals whom I can approach for this in Kerala, India?

    • ANSWER:
      Based on Canadian dollars, it is estimated at ,000, according to the Home Depot installation estimate. And given these numbers, it will take about 15 years until you actually start `making` money. See the website attached for a basic calculation that you can use to help estimate the breakdown of costs and when solar panels become profitable.

  39. QUESTION:
    DIY Solar panels to power home?
    Im interested in constructing my own solar panels out of individual photovoltaic cells, I m a resident in the UK and Id like to attatch them to my south facing shed roofs. After a bit of research ive found the cells for £400 for 300 pieces ( 6 x 6 polycrstalline) or £250 for 100 pieces ( 6 x 6 mono crystalline), each individual cell will generate a max output of just over 4W, so in theory I can generate over a KW on my shed roofs. What are the major advantages of mono over polycrystalline?

    Will it be easy to connect these to the house's power and will it be possible to sell any excess back to the power companies?

    Two of us live here but we're never in so we dont use much electricity, apparently between 3 and 4 KW is the household average usage so I doubt we use more than 2KW, Please let me know if this sounds about right for the amount Im planning to buy.

    Are there any grants available for cost of materials? as the government usually pays 50% up to £8000 for domestic solar energy projects? although these are usually supplied and fitted by a registered firm.

    Has anyone inititiated a similar idea themselves?

    any feedback on any of these questions would be greatly appreciated!

    thanks!

    • ANSWER:

  40. QUESTION:
    making your own home solar power panels?
    I am confused over this issue.

    There are multiple companies selling information on how to make them for cheap, but I do not know which one is the best.

    I hear mixed reviews some saying these homemade ones are just as good as the professional and others saying they will not produce the same power or will break easy or not be legal to hook to the grid and other various things.

    I also am not sure if you really can make them for cheap because I think you might still need to buy energy converters or other ect.

    So I hope someone here can give me an objective answers from real knowledge or experience and give reasons and not just answers so that I can see for myself thanks!!!

    • ANSWER:
      Well if you are doing a direct comparison (i.e. power output per panel), homemade solar panels are not as good as professional one's, the materials used to make the panels themselves absorb much more energy over its surface area in a professionally made panel.

      Having said that you can get good benefits from home made solar panels, once you have made one you only need to make another to increase the amount of power produced. The home made solar panel is allot cheaper to purchase, you could make 20 home made panels for the price of one production panel.

      as for converters / storage, the DIY guides around the place show you how to assemble / source them cheaply

      There is a review on the following site http://solarpowerdiy.info/

      My hubby is a DIY nut and he has assembled and implemented two of these now, we use the energy produced more to supplement our power usage, he estimates we will save around 40% (we are pretty conservative with our energy usage though)

      When you ask, will they break easy, that probably is more dependant on the workmanship of the handyman putting it together.

      hope that helps :)

  41. QUESTION:
    Malaysia government can approve citizen for fully using the solar power system at home?

    • ANSWER:
      I wasn't aware the government anywhere could stop anyone from using
      solar power, the entire earth is energized by the sun, one of nature's many gifts to sustain life on this planet.

  42. QUESTION:
    grants or refunds for solar/wind powered home?
    I have an off-grid solar and wind powered home in upstate New York. I was told that President Obama has restructured going green incentives and large refunds and grants might be available. I recently have added new wind generator equipment and would also like to add more solar panels, does any one know how I can find out what I might be eligible for ?

    • ANSWER:
      Check out GovBenefits.gov http://www.govbenefits.gov for a listing of all government assistance programs you are entitled to based on your description

      For grants go to http://www.grants.gov

  43. QUESTION:
    How many solar powered homes are in america and whats should we be seeing in the near future for solar houses?
    How many solar powered homes are in america and whats should we be seeing in the near future for solar houses?

    • ANSWER:
      Until the cost of solar energy drops to the point where it is economically viable to choose it over power from the grid, solar power will remain unusual. The problem is that for solar power, you need to committ large amounts of money during the building phase. Tens of thousands of additional dollars, and space for expensive batteries that have a limited lifetime. What is truly needed is advances in battery technology. Unfortunately chemistry is fairly well understood, and there don't seem to be any useful candidates for really efficient and cheap batteries.

      As for numbers, the definition of solar is vague: there are active, passibe, and combination systems. And the degree to which house can supply power also varies quite a bit.

  44. QUESTION:
    Possible to build a solar powered home extension?
    We are planning on building a full second floor to our home and would like for the entire floor to be powered by solar panels, if possible.

    The south facing side of our home gets a huge amount of sun exposure, we're just wondering if solar would offer enough energy to run all of the electric and HVAC for an entire second floor (just under 1000 Sq ft).

    Any other tips would be greatly appreciated, we are at the very early stages of working with an architect.
    This is some great feedback, thanks for the info so far. So, it pays to tie into the grid and not attempt to have the extension stand-alone because of the equipment cost to do so?

    In addition, I currently use baseboard heating throughout the house currently. If I had solar energy would it make most sense to have the house, or extension at least, heated by electric heat or via a hot water heater that uses power from solar panels?

    • ANSWER:
      If you are building from scratch, you should consider installing radiant floors or wall panels. You can then use solar heated water to heat the whole floor. That would be MUCH more efficient than trying to heat it with solar electricity. Radiant heating only needs about 100 to 120 degrees F, solar can easily heat that, or at least partially, greatly reducing the amount of energy needed to heat the building.

      If you have any space on the roof left over, then you can install a smaller solar electric array.

  45. QUESTION:
    How much does it cost do have solar power to run an average home? Wind power? hydro Power? How big is the unit
    This is for a science project so I need a valid source. By the question about the size of the unit I mean exactly how many solar cells, how many blades, depth of water, models for all(if possible). I'm not looking for someone to do my science fair project, I just need someone to point me in the right direction!!

    • ANSWER:
      a lot

  46. QUESTION:
    I want to buy Solar power system for my home, What are the recommendation? If somebody has used it?
    I want to buy Solar power system or Wind Energy System for my home, What are the recommendations? If somebody has used it , please tell me about it.

    • ANSWER:
      Well it all depends on where you live, if you're out in the country, wind power may make more sense for you, if you're in the city solar is the way to go. With a solar electric system there are no moving parts so it lasts a long time, it pays for itself depending on where you live i have heard of getting money back in three years. If you finance it very often the payments are less than your electric bill. The only maintenance is hosing it down once in a while. I also recommend looking into geothermal, especially if you have a decent sized backyard, its actually the cheapest option, and if you have plenty of space out back its even cheaper. Depending on where you live the payback differs, in the US, we happily now all receive a 30% tax credit, that helps cut the price. there are also other programs pretty much in every state by now. Out here in California, its state mandated for the utility companies to offer a rebate.

  47. QUESTION:
    Energy Conservation: How do I start solar powering my home? and living OFF the grid?
    Average middle income family living in the boondocks. Where do I learn more about how to do it? Can I do it in stages? How many do I need for my size house? Do I have to put solar panels on my roof? or a big solar panel form in my yard? Are they strong enough to survive severe storms and hail?

    • ANSWER:
      Take ,000 - 100,000 out of your savings account, or borrow it if you can. Install a complete solar power system including photo-voltaic cells, batteries, inverters. Disconnect your house from the grid. Buy some back-up generators and/or kerosene lamps.

      Kiss your money good buy, because you will never recover what you spent based on energy savings.

  48. QUESTION:
    Would you want a solar power plant near your home?
    List some good reasons you would/wouldn't want a solar power plant near your home. This is for a school project so please list some good answers.

    • ANSWER:
      I would like a solar power plant FOR my home. I have no problem with such things nor would I complain about a 'wind farm'.
      The current coal-fired plant (about 5 miles from me) pollutes every day. It is a "clean burn" plant but the operators seem to have found a way to conceal their pollution. I can see the yellow haze being emitted in the steam plume from the cooling towers (where nothing but steam is supposed to be) on sunny days.
      I've told the local EPA about that but nothing has been done. Grift and bribery I would guess.
      Anyway, the solar and wind plants are clean and efficient when operating and fueling them does not require deforestation or mining.

  49. QUESTION:
    I am interested in converting my home to solar power, suggestions?
    Is it costly, what's the expected time for return on the investment, tax breaks, problems, ...

    • ANSWER:
      Your best bet is to contact a local solar installer for a free quote, and they will supply specific answers to your questions, which depend a LOT on your location.

      For tax and other incentive info, try:

      http://www.dsireusa.org

      and click on your state. The federal government will give you a 30% tax credit for solar electric, and something for solar hot water, too, I believe.

      The time for return on investment varies from 2 years for solar hot water in Hawaii, to infinity (never pays back) in cloudy and cold climates.

      There are over 100,000 solar roofs in California today, so clearly, some people think it makes financial sense.

  50. QUESTION:
    Looking for honest and correct wiring diagrams for basic solar power system for home installation.?
    How to connect from solar panels to battery's and required meters. Or a complete tech drawing in layman's terms. I have (4) 12 volt 1000CA deep cycle marine battery's-(4) 15 Watt solar panels and that's it. Please help

    • ANSWER:
      What is the application??
      You are missing the voltage rating of the solar panels as well as the desired output voltage of the system. The batteries can be wired together in 3 configurations, to provide 12, 24, or 48 VDC. The solar panels can likewise be wired in 3 similar configurations. It is absolutely essential that the rated output voltages match if they are to be connected together. Metering depends on what information you want to track. Consult a local electrician.