Solar Power for Homes Is Main Stream Now
November 14th, 2008
Solar power for homes has come a long way since the boxy design of the solar panels most of us are familiar with. Tremendous advancements have been made in solar cell construction that allow many building materials to be manufactured with the solar cells incorporated into their design effectively turning them into virtually undetectable solar panels.
Solar power for homes can generating using one of two methods. One method is the stand alone solar power system, which will meet all of your home’s needs, including power storage for when the sun is down and not actively generating electric current. The other form is supplemental solar power, where generated electricity is available during the day but the home pulls from the grid at night.
The basic components to generate solar power for homes are the same whether you opt for a standalone system or a supplemental system. First you have the photovoltaic panels, commonly known as PV or solar panels, these panels are lined with a semi conductor or solar cell that turns the rays of the sun into electricity. This electricity is then routed into a regulator/controller that keeps the current at the voltage/amperage level your system is designed for. The electricity is then routed either into your homes electrical system or into a battery array or storage system that will keep that solar power available when the sun goes down.
As long as your house is hooked up to the power company’s grid, you won’t need to set up a separate storage system. However, setting up your own storage is more advantageous as your monthly utility bill be reduced further and you’ll still have power even during an outage.
Supplementing or replacing your electricity needs with solar power for homes is becoming easier and more affordable than ever. Some building materials include roofing material, awnings, car port roofing and the edges of the panes in your windows. This type of solar panel is called Building Integrated Photovoltaics. When used in roofing material these panels offer the same level of home protection as asphalt shingles while functioning as a solar panel.
One of the largest setbacks to adding or converting your home to solar power has always been the initial cost, there are however a growing number of ways to combat that cost. There are grants available on both the state and federal level to help offset a large portion of using solar power for homes. While the federal rebate may change from year to year, individual state rebates vary from state to state, with some states offering special low interest financing as an added green incentive to rebates.
Aside from reducing your homes environmental impact, perhaps one of the greenest returns you will see will be in your utility bill which you can reduce or eliminate through the use of solar power for homes. Most utility companies even have a metering program that enables you to sell the excess power generated by your solar power system to the utility company, now hows that for green!
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