Friday, March 9, 2012

Solar Energy to Light Your Homes – Save on Electricity

Solar panels are widely being used these days, for their energy producing features, wide availability and low installation costs. Solar panels are a source of energy production and thus in vogue in almost every other household for their domestic energy requirements. Installation of these panels involve a number of factors to be taken into consideration, the likes of energy productivity, overall costs, economical aspects, quality of energy produced and practicality. Solar photovoltaics (panels) are constructed of special exterior semi-conducting cells that capture the sun's energy. The light on the cells creates electric layers that are converted into kilowatt energy. While it's certainly true that more sunlight produces more electricity, energy can even be produced in cloudy weather because the sunlight doesn't have to be direct. Still, location does play a role when deciding to outfit one's home with panels.
The cost of installation may be more in rural areas or depending on the type of home one lives in. And the type of panels that are installed in one's home may vary in price. For example, relatively flat home roofs can accommodate larger panel systems, which are more cost effective. Many with irregular-shaped roofs need to install smaller panel systems, reminiscent of roof tiles. These can be more expensive. The benefit of installing this system far outweighs any costs. This is due to the per-year savings of having solar panels installed in one's home. A 3-kilowatt system can generate 2500 kilowatts of electricity a year, which can be about two-thirds of a typical home's electrical needs. To put it in perspective, after the cost of solar panel installation, one is looking at cutting their electrical bill by two-thirds per year.
Solar panels are a collection of solar cells wired together. They produce an electrical current when struck by sunlight. Although, solar cells generate minimal electricity individually, grouped together they generate substantially more. You can save money by building them yourselves rather than purchase them prefabricated. You can easily purchase solar cells you will wire together to make a panel online. You can purchase good quality whole cells, or lesser quality cells that are cheaper but are blemished in some way. Pre-tabbed cells facilitate wiring. You can save up to half to three quarters of the cost, if you make the panel yourself compared to a pre-made panel. If you purchase the wood and pre-tabbed cells a panel can cost a little over 100 USD for a small system for a few small devices. If you use scrap wood lying around and tab the cells yourself, the cost can be below 100 USD per panel. You would need basic tools that can be purchased at the local hardware store. Silicone caulk, wood glue and for the wiring, wire cutters, wire strippers, a soldering iron and solder would also be needed. If you want to power your whole house, the cost will be steeper.

Solar panels are an alternative energy source used in commercial and residential areas. The panels are made of connected assembled solar cells that generate energy when exposed to sunlight due to the large photovoltaic cells. The energy produced by the panels provides electricity to the home or business. The energy that is not used at the time it is produced charges battery cells to provide energy during the night or cloudy days. A solar panel set up can be sufficiently potent to power a house, or limited enough to power one appliance or a few. The cost and the sophistication of the materials needed will vary with the size of the house. 

There are government and council subsidies which further reduce the cost of installing panels. And no matter the size of the home or type of roofing, there are panels that will accommodate most surfaces. Solar panels will no doubt save money on overall power costs, and they will do so while reducing one's carbon footprint. That means solar panels are both wallet and environment friendly.

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