Author Login | Popular Articles | RSS Feeds | Sitemap

Home |


Utilizing Solar Power For Residential Use

By: Wilhelm Williams

Are you afraid to open your electric bill this summer to see how much it is costing you to keep your home comfortable and cool? With oil and natural gas prices increasing, so to is the price per kilowatt of electricity.

What can a homeowner do to reduce the electric cooling bill? One option is to raise the thermostat, at the price of comfort. Perhaps consider installing more insulation in the attic or having double pane windows installed. Each of these choices will increase the energy efficiency at considerable investment cost. However, these and many other energy efficiency options will help reduce the energy demands of the home but will not counter to rising cost of electricity.

There is a rising interest in harnessing solar power for residential use. Despite the high initial investment, the long-term savings are being touted as an efficient means of beating the high cost of electric power. Look into local, state and federal tax incentives to help reduce the investment cost.

There are two main components to a solar power system.
• Solar panels forming an solar array
• Inverter to convert the 12V or 24V DC electricity into 120V AC.

Optional components are:
• Charging controller
• Storage batteries

The battery array is charged by the solar power system. During the night or on cloudy days the batteries discharge the electricity and provide power to your home. The charging controller charges the batteries and prevents an overcharge that would shorten the lifespan of the batteries.

Storage batteries do not need to part of a residential solar power system. Any electricity that is generated and is not needed to power the home can be sold back to the electric utility company. In effect, your home becomes a mini power generating station for the electric company. How would you like to see your electric meter run backwards?

How does a solar power system work and integrate into my home’s electrical system?

Solar panels convert sunlight into electrical energy. A solar panel’s electrical output is affected by a couple factors: angle of the sun light to the solar panel, number of hours of direct sunlight, and the efficiency of the solar panel. It is interesting to note that currently available photovoltaic solar panels convert about 12 percent of the sun’s energy into electricity. Although, this does not appear to be very efficient, this is a four times greater than what was available a few years ago.

Solar panels are connected into a grid often referred to as a solar array. The panels are connected electrically to increase the amperage. The solar array is mounted on the south facing side of the roof at an optimal 30 degree angle. The ideal location should be free of any obstructions such as building and trees for most if not all of the day.

If you choose to install storage battery pack. The electric lines from the photovoltaic panels will be connected to the charge controller. The storage batteries are similar, but not the same as an automotive battery. They are deep cycle batteries that can handle being charged and discharged thousands of times before the battery needs to be replaced. They are also known as sealed lead acid batteries or gel cell batteries.

The final piece is the inverter. The inverter converts the 12 volt DC electricity into usable 120 volt AC. The inverter is directly connected your home’s electric system at the main breaker box via a junction or sub panel. Inverters have been around for years in commercial applications. Now days they are most popularly used to convert 12 volt DC electricity from a car battery into 120 volt AC power.

Advantages of solar electric power

Solar power for residential use has several obvious and not so obvious advantages for the homeowner.

• After the system has paid for itself in electricity it generated that you did not need to purchase, the solar power system continues on producing free electricity for your home.
• Reduces the heat build up in the attic. Each solar panel installed on your roof will shades your roof from the sun’s infrared energy. A cooler attic reduces the amount of cooling required for a comfortable home.
• It quietly produces electricity.
• 100% renewable energy source
• Pollution free electricity production
• Most solar panels are warranted for a minimum of 25 years.

Disadvantages of solar electric power

• Replacing the roofing material creates hassle in that the solar panels must be removed from the roof while the old roofing is removed and the new one is installed.
• The high investment cost. A typical installation costs about $13,000.
• To regain your investment, you have to live in the home for several years. This depends on the amount of electricity produced and the cost per kilowatt purchased from the electric company.

It will be necessary to have a local solar power installation company design the right solar power system for your home. Carefully interview and compare each installation company before selecting the design and installation company.

A growing number of homeowners are turning toward the sun to convert its energy into clean, renewable electricity to meet the power demands of their home. Isn’t time you considered converting free sunlight into electricity for your home?

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
For more information on solar power generation try visiting http://www.homesolarpowerguide.com, a popular solar power website that offers tips, advice and resources about solar power, solar fountains, and solar ovens.

| Print | Ezine Ready | |

Recent Articles

  • Hand Painted, Laundry, Pecan and More Creative yet tasteful dollhouse furniture ideas By: dolly c - Dollhouse Hand Painted Furniture We ooh and aha over dollhouse furniture because it is immensely detailed. Hand painted furniture adds a tremendous value to your dollhouse furniture, giving them more depth and style.
  • It is a Good Time to Get Home Equity Loans By: Iaan Miles - The availability of secured loans is as good as it has ever been in the United Kingdom because there are more lenders than ever competing to make homeowner loans and other types of secured loans. The competition has made it a borrowers’ market when it comes to home equity loans. If you own your own home and have sufficient equity in it to provide collateral you can borrow the money you need.
  • Basketball: A Filipino Addiction By: Jim Brown - There's no other country in Asia that has a much richer history in basketball than the Philippines. This country located in the Southeast area of Asia has had its fair share of international basketball history. Philippine teams have been competing internationally ever since the early years of basketball. With the Filipino greats like Larry Mumar and the 'Big Difference' Caloy Loyzaga, the country has gained international recognition and has taken several medals and championships along the way.
  • What to Put in Baby Shower Stuff By: stefan pongratz - Baby shower stuff is available in a variety of soothing pastel colors or bright peppy colors; there are numerous styles and designs to choose from; in fact selection of any one particular kit from among such a mind numbing range of attractive and show stopping designs becomes a tough task. You can match your baby shower stuff with your theme.
  • Buy Replica Christian Dior Watches High Quality with Low Price By: Dujian- - Welcome to Fashion-Replica - High Quality Replica Christian Dior Watches for Sale Fashion-Replica.com is a professional company specializing in exporting worldwide all brand replica watches like Christian Dior Replica, Cartier, Swiss Legend, Technomarine, Christian Dior, Concord, Corum, Daniel Roth, Ebel, Frank Muller, Gerald Genta, Girard-Perregaux, Glashutte, Gucci, Hamilton, Hublot, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines, Maurice Lacroix, Montblanc, Louis Vuitton replica watch etc.
  • Effectively Marketing Your Website With Back Links By: Alan Largo - It used to be that back links were what you used to generate traffic to your websites. This was because search engines were basic and not as advanced as they are today. You would place your back links onto relevant directories that were then searchable based on category. While using directories is still done today as an effective means, it is not the only means to generate traffic to your website.
  • The Basis Of Water Damage Restoration By: Chris Blastoyout - The process of water damage restoration is a deliberate action taken by homeowner against numerous water-caused problems. Water damage not only destroys your home but also invites serious health issues for your family. The methods of water damage restoration, depends on the severity of the damage. This is further followed by the fact that how quickly you have taken the decision.
  • Why You Should Donate A Car to Charity By: Martin Brinkmann - There are many reasons that people choose to donate a car to Charity. It can benefit the needy, benefit many charitable organizations that support research, hospital funds and other charities. Did you know that giving a vehicle to charity can save lives? Not only can you make a difference in the organization, you can directly affect the well being of a person involved with the charity.
  • Secrets of Increased Website Traffic By: David Council - Search engines have evolved over the years. Now it is much more difficult to fool those little spiders. If you want to achieve higher page rankings and get more traffic from the engines, give them what they are looking for "Real Content". Yes they are still looking for keywords, but don't over do it. You can have just the right amount of keywords on a page. This is less than 1% of your main keyword for that page.
  • Your Marketing Outsourcing Options By: Katie Marcus - Many entrepreneurs want to do everything themselves. And who can blame them? Their necks are on the line if something isn’t done right. But a good entrepreneur knows her strengths and weaknesses. A good entrepreneur knows when to delegate and what to delegate. If you are trying to start a business and you don’t have time to create your own marketing materials, or you don’t know the first thing about how to go about creating marketing materials, you should consider outsourcing.

Search Ebay

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!


Submit Your link to the Open Link Directory Project

Copyright 2005-2008 MJE Sales, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Proud member of the ArticleCkr Search Network Search Network!
ArticleSnatch.com is free for both publishers and authors to use and is supported entirely from advertising revenue.
Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.