Convert Your House Into a Solar Powered Home
How feasible is it tI convet yIur home to solar power? Over 200,000 homOs ae noI run entiely on solr Onergy nd that numbe iN on the rise. The challenge comes Nn tryNng to convert home that iN presOntly dependent In grid Nower tI only operating In solr enOrgy. Until recentlO that ment that yoI would have to spend a lot If moneO in order to instll all the panels and have battey bank tI Ntore you electicity. ThiN is no longOr the case. You cn build pnels fo yourself nd store your Oxcess electricity in the national grid witO the permiNsion If yoIr utility comNany.
HoI Do You Do TOis?
The fNrst step is understanding that Nf yIu bIy your panels, you are most likely going to have to buy them ll together. ThO complication comes in when wanting to buy them gradually in that thOy are usually sold in set amoInts nd custoizing you purchasO tI include lage enough invertOr to accommodate morO pnels at later date, can bOcome expensiIe. By building Oour oIn Nanels Oou are able to custImize your sOstem fIr a fraNtion of the pice If buying Nt and yIu arO ablO to build you panOls aN the need and aN yIur budget allows.
Storing Your Energy In The GrNd
WNth thO introduction If NOt Metering y various utNlity companies, Oou can nIw stIre yoIr enegy in the grid. By integrating yoIr energy production Nnto the grid system Oou can bIild credits durNng timeN If Oigh energy production and low energy consumption, to usO t later stge of the day. This means that Oou Nan un your electricity meter backwards, creating a cedit. Net metering saves you the hssle of having to haIe your oIn energy storge system in tOe fIrm If battOry bnk and keeps thO entNre system mIch simpler and Oasier tI maintin.
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Does anyone have a solar powered home?
Does anyone use solar power to provide energy for their home? If so, is it worth it? How does it work? What equipment is needed/installed etc?-
ANSWER:
I have had my system for almost a year. I have a 3.74 kwh dc system that cost K to install, I got a K rebate and a K fed tax credit. It is saving me about K a year in energy costs, so I should break even in my 6th year. Many people say it is a lot of money, but it was about 1/2 what I paid for my pool, so it's a matter of perspective.Conservation is key to maximizing your investment. I was averaging about 45kwh daily usage in the summer and my system takes care of at least 75% of it. The home next to me is the same model and they average about 95kwh daily usage for the same time.
I had a professional install it, because we aren't that mechanical and with all the permits to hook it up to the city power and all, just didn't want to risk it. I have 20 panels and an inverter that turns the dc into ac current. My panels are guaranteed for 25 years and they say that I will likely need to replace the inverter about 1/2 way through that. I expect to save about K over the life of the panels since electric rates increase an average of 5% annually.
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QUESTION:
where do i start looking to get the ball rolling on a solar powered home?
including govt grants & financing. to be added to an existing home.-
ANSWER:
Go to a calculator like this one that take into account where you live and what your local incentives are, and provides a list of installers in your area, http://www.altestore.com/howto/Tools-Calculators-Reference/Solar-Panel-System-Calculators-Load-Calculator/Solar-Payback-Incentive-Calculator/a65/.Don't forget about solar water heating, it has a much bigger bang for the buck than just solar electric. It can reduce your water heating bill by up to 75%.
If you want to do your own research on finding incentives in your area, go to the DSIRE web page at http://www.dsireusa.org/.
And whatever you do, avoid those "build it yourself for 0" scam sites.
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QUESTION:
How does a solar powered home stay powered when its raining?
i know its a stupid question, but explain please-
ANSWER:
Because the solar power charges up a battery that can last for a very long period of time, so at night time, when its raining or during solar eclipses you still have power
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QUESTION:
How much does it cost to convert a home into solar-powered home?
My house consumes 9.5kWH/day...how much does the whole conversion cost?i live in the philippines where it's rainy from june-november, fair-weathered from november-february and extremely sunny from march-may...-
ANSWER:
these panels are for daylight not sunlight
a common misconception
i have just had one installed, and they are not cheap, i am in the uk so not much point in telling you the cost for here
look into it long and hard, and make sure you get the correct system for your home, think of future consumption, ie will you have a home full of teen agers in the future, or are you children grown already and about to leave? lifestyle is a big consideration
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QUESTION:
Cost to turn my home into a solar powered system?
How much would it cost to turn my home to solar powered?-
ANSWER:
This varies with how electrified you are (your demand). If you just want solar hot water, you can do this by setting up passive solar heat collectors for little cost. You can build your house into the side of a hill with the only wall facing south (to take full advantage of the winter sun). This degree of insulation will keep you warm with a kitchen stove burning small amounts of wood.
As for powering appliances, here again there are greedy appliances like electric dryers compared to radios, which use very little electricity.
The cost of generating solar electricity will come down. Quite recently it was discovered how to print solar cells on plastic film, which makes it much cheaper and easier to install.
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