Solar Power for Homes

If you are old enough, and have a good memory, you can probably remember the days of cheap electrical power. Those were the days when no one considered using solar power at home to save money on their monthly electric bill. There were those "early adopters," who constructed home solar power systems and installed them onto their homes, but those people were usually concerned environmental pioneers whose motives were directed less at cost savings and more at protecting the environment. Nonetheless, they did introduce the systems as being practical and reliable. As the economy began its relentless climb in the cost of electrical power, many otherwise uninterested homeowners began to consider the cost saving benefits of solar power for homes.

Currently, the world's energy needs are being satisfied by the exploitation of fossil fuels, coal and oil, and these resources are becoming depleted at an alarming rate. Their ubiquitous use contributes to air pollution in our urban areas, and are primarily responsible for the greenhouse effect that is the catalyst for global warming. The non-renewable resources also provide the major components for the manufacture of plastics upon which the world's manufacturing industries depend.

What will happen when these resources are depleted, when there is no more oil or gas? If we haven't converted most of our energy production from fossil fuel based energy to alternative sources, there will be a worldwide rush to develop these alternatives.

One of the more promising alternatives, especially for small scale systems suitable for home use, is solar energy. The technology is currently available, and systems can be constructed and installed at a reasonable cost. As demand for the equipment increases, solar power for homes is becoming even less expensive.

If you are seriously considering installing a home solar power system, you must first be sure that you have enough space in an area of readily available sunlight to ensure that the system will run efficiently. These systems will work, with reduced efficiency, in shady areas. In order for these home solar power systems to work effectively, they must be exposed to direct sunlight during most of the day.

The sun has shone brightly onto our planet for billions of years, and it is expected that it will be shining as brightly for billions of years into the future. This is certainly a long enough time to ensure that you get a return on your initial investment and enjoy free home solar power for a lifetime. Solar energy is renewable and the process emits not harmful gases into the environment. There is no limit as to how much power you can generate if you build enough solar panel area. This ability to adjust the size of your system at anytime in the future is called scalability.

If you wish to use solar power to run only your kitchen appliances, you can do so. If you wish to use solar power only to provide your home with hot water, you can do that with a simple solar collector to directly heat the water. Adding surface area to your solar panel system is as simple as adding the first panel. If you are determined enough, and have enough room, you can install a solar power system that will provide all of your power needs including sufficient storage of power to operate you home during dark days and at nighttime.

If you choose to have a commercially manufactured system professionally installed on your home, you can expect to pay out from $10,000 to $15,000 in start up costs. If you build an equivalent home solar power system yourself, you could conceivably end up with a system that costs well under  $1000 - quite a difference. Either option will provide you with long term savings. The time for those savings to offset the initial cost, however, will vary depending that cost.