Residential solar power

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If you are building a new house or have just purchased one and are concerned about the environment, then consider residential solar power. Over a solar powered system's 30-plus year lifetime a 6 kW system eliminates 120 tons of carbon dioxide. In addition, because the government is now encouraging consumers to reduce their carbon footprint there are tax incentives to install a residential solar power system.

Residential solar power will work in most homes. Small systems require a sunny place on your roof that is about 120 square feet or 11 square meters. The largest systems require up to 1000 ft.² (93 m²). Solar electricity requires direct sunlight and will work in almost every part of America. It is important that the entire solar module is exposed to sunlight because if any portion of it is shaded the power output of every section – even those still exposed to sunlight – is lowered. It is best to have a south-facing roof for the solar panels, but west or east-facing roofs will produce at least 90% of the power of a south-faced mounting.

Residential solar power cells that are mounted on your roof work by transforming sunlight into direct current (DC) power. Equipment known as an inverter changes this DC power into alternating current (AC) power for use around the house. The AC current generated by residential solar power cells can run appliances all around your home: televisions, radios, alarm clocks, fans and computers, etc.

At night your residential solar power system will not function. It requires sunlight to produce power. Therefore, you will still need to draw power from your local utility system. However, your system will work on cloudy days although it will produce less power. If conditions are lightly overcast, you can expect panels to produce approximately 50% of the power they would generate under full sun.

A residential solar system can generate hot water for your home and even heat your pool. However do not confuse solar modules which operate appliances with solar thermal panels that involve circulating water through to use for heating by the sun to distribute hot water. You can distinguish between water heating panels from solar electric modules because solar water heating panels are usually much thicker. Often they have two collectors that connect to black plates under the glass. There may also be a black tank inside the solar collector panel.

While the initial investment for residential solar power is relatively expensive (you can expect to pay around $20,000 after solar energy rebates and incentives for a 3 kW system), maintenance costs are relatively low. High quality solar panels should be tested to withstand high winds and even hailstones. Solar panels have no moving parts and should be able to go years without a problem. You may however, need to replace the batteries after five to 10 years.

Before you can operate on residential solar power you will need a building permit from your local government. You will also need permission from the local utility to connect your system safely to the grid. Finally, if you belong to a homeowners association check to see if your homeowner's association has rules that restricts installation of anything on your roof.

GreenDimes can get you started and will plant a tree in honor of your efforts to make an impact!

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