As time goes by, it is getting harder and harder to get through a day without hearing something about an energy crisis, environmental issue, or recession. If you are in a position to help the environment and change the way you get your electricity to something more sustainable, you may have been thinking about getting solar panels to replace or supplement your current system. The question remains, however, is solar power cost worth the time and energy, and cash it takes to install?
One perk of having a home run on solar power is that it is a one-time cost of the equipment with no recurring fees saving periodic upkeep. If you are in financial hardship, however, this is probably its biggest downfall as well. To power an average house, the equipment installed would cost approximately $20,000. The cost per watt is normally $10 to $12 and the number of watts you would need is found on your electric bill. A nice feature, however, is that you can purchase as many panels at one time as is affordable and may add more later.
The government also has incentives in place to install solar electricity in your home. The information needed to apply to such a program can be found on your government’s website.
The great thing about solar panels is that they will provide energy wherever there is sunlight available. This is good news if you would like to build a cabin or a summer home in an area that is not wired for electricity. The cost of this system is the same as the one to power your home and depends on how many watts you want.
Solar thermal water heating systems are a great way to save money on the water bill. They can save you anywhere from 50% to 100% a month on heating your hot water. In addition, it takes less than three years for them to pay for their $5,000 price tag in savings.
In addition, these energy collectors come in portable varieties. Small devices are available to provide charge for cell phones and GPS systems as well as for larger devices like laptops and televisions. The smaller chargers are relatively inexpensive, running about $150 while the larger ones that are capable of powering a computer or television cost anywhere from $700 to $1000.
The Japanese government has been providing incentives for residents of Japan to install solar power for quite some time. The result is that it has become quite popular and the increased market demand for the equipment has resulted in a decrease in the associated cost in that country. This just goes to show that if we all played our part by purchasing even just a few, for now, additions in the future would be much less costly.
Solar energy is hot these days — pun intended. With energy bills on the rise, nonrenewable fossil fuels in decline, and federal and state tax incentives available, you may be thinking about buying a solar energy system that turns sunlight into electricity. You’re not alone: According to the research firm Solarbuzz, the U.S. market for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is growing 25 percent to 30 percent per year.
If you’re hesitating because you think a PV system might be aesthetically unattractive, think again. These streamlined, high-performance PV systems are about as close to the rooftop eyesores of the 1970s as iPods are to eight-track players. And installing a PV system can actually increase your appraised property value without impacting your lifestyle. So if you’re concerned that a PV system would limit you to running your washing machine only on sunny days, do not worry: With a grid-tied PV system — one that is connected to the electricity grid — you’ll still have the same energy capabilities as before.
Financial incentives are another attraction. A federal tax credit of up to $2,000 is now available (thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005) for installing a PV system on your house. And many states are offering additional tax credits and rebates — from reduced permitting fees in San Diego to cash back in many cities — that can bring the cost down significantly.
There are three types of solar energy: passive solar (designing your house to be oriented toward the sun); solar thermal (which includes hot water systems); and photovoltaic (or PV, which uses the sun’s energy to create electricity to power your home). There are two types of PV systems — solar direct and battery-based.
Most people who live in urban areas and are connected to the utility grid purchase direct, grid-tied PV systems. These systems work when the sun is out and generate electricity that your home uses immediately.
Any extra energy that you don’t use is fed back into the grid, which helps the utility because the demand for electricity peaks during the day. At night, your home draws energy from the grid when demand — and cost — is usually lower.
Battery-based, off-grid PV systems are for remote homes and cabins with no access to utility lines. A standard 3-kilowatt PV system will produce an average of 18 kilowatt-hours (Kwh) of electricity a day, and the average U.S. household uses between 20 and 30 kWh of electricity a day.
How solar panels work
The main components of PV systems are solar panels built from solar cells, which are usually made from silicon (the primary material in computer chips). Solar cells work because “electricity is created when sunlight strikes the cell and electrons are released to form a current of electricity,” explains Brad Collins, executive director of the American Solar Energy Society.
There are three types of solar cells — single crystal, polycrystalline, and thin film. Thin film panels offer more flexibility in how and where you use them (you can even put them on boats and RVs), but they’re less efficient and more expensive than the other two cell types.
Where to start
The Internet is a good way to research solar energy. You can also take workshops offered by organizations such as Hopland, California’s Solar Living Institute, and the American Solar Energy Society, which coordinates the annual National Solar Tour of homes powered by renewable energy.
• For efficiency
The solar cells and solar panels from Sun Power are among the most efficient, requiring fewer panels and thus less roof space than other systems.
• For blending into the roof
The MyGen Meridian roof- or building-integrated system from Solar offers panels sized to match the thickness — or depth — of flat concrete roof tiles (we put it on Sunset’s 2005 Green-Built Idea House.
• For versatility
Sharp Electronics Corp. offers more than a dozen configurations of PV panels — including triangular panels for use on hipped roofs — and also makes low-profile roof-integrated panels.
Solar Power Cost – Discover Valuable Tips
Solar Power Cost would be more beneficial if we touch base on the electrical aspect of the technology. To have a clear mind on this topic, I like you to shut the solar panel topic off your mind temporarily, and consider these rather simple concepts explained below:
There are 3 quantities when we talk about any electrical or electronic circuit. Whether it is a simple electric kettle, a high-tech iPhone, or even a computer-controlled navigation system for a solar-powered spaceship orbiting the earth; these 3 quantities hold.
They are Voltage, Current, and Resistance. Later on, we would explain how these relate to our topic of solar power cost blog.
If somebody explains to me what heat is, or what a heavy item is; I can understand it well because I can relate to them, I can experience them. But how about voltage, current, and resistance, how I can interpret them? The only thing I can relate to is voltage and that is because I stuck a nail into my electrical outlet when I was young. I still can feel it!
Perhaps a simple example will give us insight. Let’s consider a water reservoir tank 100 feet above the ground. It delivers water from the tank to a nearby valve via a two-inch pipe. I can imagine the higher the tank is above the ground, the more water pressure I would get when I open the valve. That pressure can be taught as voltage. When we talk about a solar panel being able to supply 17 volts, we are referring to the amount of pressure that a panel can create in the electrical concept.
The current is analogous to the amount of water flowing when we open the reservoir tank valve. The resistance of the system is determined by the pipe carrying the water, in our example, we used a 2-inch pipe. Of course, if we use a larger diameter pipe, we get more water flow. If we lower the reservoir tank height (voltage), we get less water flow. All 3 quantities seem to be related; I mean; changing one will affect the other one.
The relationship between these quantities is expressed as:
Potential Difference (or Voltage) = Current times Resistance.
It is written as V=I.R for simplicity.
Say, we have a heating element with a resistance of 60 Ohms. If we connect that across a 240 Volts source, we will be drawing 4 amps of current. That is because:
V=I.R 240=I x 60 (240 equals, I times 60), therefore: I=4
Now let’s get back to our photovoltaic panel discussion. Those 3 quantities come into play when considering a solar panel, a solar panel charger, or a solar power inverter. In a PV, there are more detailed specifications like power wattage, short circuit current, etc. We will discuss those topics in our future blogs.
When we are employing any electrical Green Energy system, we are interested in the amount of current we can draw out of them. The more amperage (current) the overall system can provide us the better it can benefit our everyday electrical usage demand.
Considering the solar power cost, we can conclude that a solar panel capable of providing 34 volts will be almost twice more powerful as a 17-volt PV. This fact is reflected in the power capacity specification of the solar module. Please, stay tuned for more facts on this growing field.
Read More: The Cost of Adding Solar Panels to Your Van or Home
Solar Mounting Systems
You may have heard of ‘solar mounting systems and are unsure of what they are, so we’ve created a brief explanation as to their purpose and components…
Solar mounting systems are a main and key part of attaching solar panels and are in large part what impacts how well the sun’s rays are caught, and thus the amount of power that is produced. Harnessing the sun can lead to power for electricity or power for heating water, as well as a range of other things. It is all dependent on your home or business needs. Solar mounting systems incorporate all of the components to make the solar panels work.
Normally two main types of solar cells are used in the most common solar mounting systems. One is named a PV or solar electricity panel, and the other option is a solar hot water panel. Each choice takes advantage of the sun’s rays as a source of power and can allow you to have either electricity or a hot water supply. You can utilize solar energy either at home or in the workplace, it just depends on your energy needs and access to sunlight. Powering a home is the most standard option, but people are beginning to understand the advantages of using it for a business.
Even though the last decade has seen many new solar energy options, even more, effective designs and options for solar mounting systems have been popping up recently. The draw of lower utility bills is causing both home and business owners to consider going solar, as well as because of its eco-friendly efficiency.
