Solar Energy Installation For Your Home
Are you thinking of having a solar energy installation performed at your house? Consider the advantages before you decide to make these modifications.
A solar energy installation may be just the thing that your home and the planet needs. This is a very environmentally friendly way to provide heating,
AC, hot water and electric power to a residence. By installing a device such as a system of solar panels, utility bills can be slashed dramatically because the harnessing of sunrays via panels can translate into free electric currents that can power half or more of a home's needs. Here are some points to consider:
- What are these systems? One example is a specific-number-of-kilowatts panel device that sits on the roof. These devices have something called photovoltaic cells at the ready to perform the conversion of Mr. Golden Sun's rays into heat or electric juice. An inverter would also be required for a portion of the process.
- Sizes of homes: A home of any square footage can be outfitted with these eco-friendly devices. There is a formula based on kilowatts per square footage that contractors will use to determine how much of a sun harvester a house will need to do the job. Averages are approximately 1 kilowatt for a thousand square feet of building.
- Costs of systems: The price tag on a solar panel conversion system will vary depending on the region of the country, the size of a house and the contractor's prices. Price tags could range from a few thousand dollars to $35,000 depending on the complexity of the apparatus.
- The grid: Homeowners may decide to be off-the-grid or partially on it. While some consumers decide to go full speed ahead in solar energy and cut their ties to the local utility companies, others aren't quite ready to make such a drastic leap. For them, there are ways to remain partially dependent on utility companies. There is an option called "net metering" which allows individuals to go back and forth depending on the weather or their needs. There are even options where utility companies will pay the consumer. Hard to believe? Well, if you harvest more sunlight than is needed, some locations will allow you to sell watts for cash or credit.
- Financial incentives for going green: Not only is it good for consumers to go green with eco-friendly solar energy, it's also good for the planet. Earth's resources are dwindling and everyone that does their part by being environmentally savvy will get their due in tax credits and other incentives. There are rebates, discounts, or even grants awarded to homeowners who decide to build green or convert existing systems to solar.
- Increased property value: Individuals who have environmentally friendly homes due to energy or other methods of being "green" will find buyers more eager to purchase their real estate should they decide to sell. It's always reassuring to have one's house worth top dollar, especially in times of challenged real estate property values.
Solar energy installation can be good for the earth, good for a homeowner's utility bills and good for selling the real estate at a later date. This eco-friendly option is an investment in the future.