Home Solar Power: Taking the Plunge - By: Brent Crouch

Home solar power systems take some initial installation and investment, but the energy savings over time can be substantial. Find the right system for your household and you'll be able to create a great system that provides free sun energy to power your home.

There are two types of home systems. The first and more common is the grid-attached home system. This type of system allows the energy generated by your solar panels to be supplemented by energy from the electric grid. Under this system your home will draw the energy generated by the solar power system, and if that's not enough, it will then switch over to the standard utility grid. If, on the other hand, your solar power system generates more energy than your home can use, the excess will be fed into the grid, providing electricity to your utility.

The second type of home solar power system is an off-grid system. In this type of set-up all the power for a home is derived from the solar power system. A variation on this system is the Hybrid system, in which a combination of solar and other power are used for electricity generation. Common secondary power sources in the Hybrid system are wind turbines and fossil-fuel generators.

Both grid and off-grid systems consist of a system of photovoltaic (PV) panels fixed on the roof of the home, batteries to store the electricity generated, inverters to turn the energy generated by the panels into usable electricity for the home, and a variety of wires to connect everything together.

Your location is a big consideration in solar panel system installation. The panels should be installed on the roof with unblocked southern exposure. Regions with a high number of cloudy days, and those at latitudes higher than 40 degrees are at a slight disadvantage for solar power. Roof installation may not be the best option in those cases, and a pole-mounted option would be better to optimize the amount of time the panels are hit with direct sunlight.

The amount of electricity used by the home should be measured in order to determine the number of PV panels needed, the size and type of battery bank, and the capacity of the entire system. To determine the load your solar power system must carry, divide the total daily electricity usage of the household by the number of hours of sunlight in your location. The system should be able to generate that amount of energy, especially if you're using an off-grid system.

Solar power systems come with specification fact sheets to provide data on their capacities and efficiency ratings. It may take a little research to understand all the factors listed on a specification sheet, but that research will help you determine the best system for your needs. Most solar power systems end up costing thousands of dollars, an investment that demands a carefully chosen product.

It may be that a full solar power system is too large an investment for your household. That doesn't mean you have to forego solar power all together. Instead of installing a full system, choose an expandable grid-attached system in which you can add panels and battery power to increase capacity over time. Also, many utilities, local governments, and the federal government offer rebates and incentive programs for residential renewable energy installation. You may be eligible for rebates to cover part of the cost of installing a solar power system.

Be a pioneer in a budding industry by installing a solar power system on your roof. With a little research into the technology and the financial incentives available, you're sure to find the right system for your home without spending too much.

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