Benefits of Solar Energy

solar installations

Solar Power

Benefits of Solar Energy

Do you want to reduce your household or business’s energy costs? Tired of your utilities going up and up! This article will inform you of the benefits of solar power. First of all let’s talk about some of the benefits.

  1. Solar energy uses the sun as your energy costs. No more dependence on electric, gas, or coal for your energy needs.
  2. Safe for the environment.
  3. Saving up to 3 tonnes of carbon emissions annually by going solar.

Uses for Solar Power

Just switching to a solar water heater will save 50% to 90% of your hot water use. Having a battery storage source will mean that unused power left over during the day can be used at night for cooling, heating, electrical, or hot water needs. Any unused power is feed straight back to the grid.

Solar Power Systems

All solar systems should come with a warranty, solar panels, and some type of inverters. It is best to have a qualified professional come out and access your energy needs and what would work best, save you the most money, and work most effectively for your home or business.

Battery Storage Systems

You will need a capable battery storage system for your solar system. This will enable unused energy to be sent to the battery storage system. This unused power will come in handy at night when the sun has gone down.

A good battery storage system is essential to any efficient solar energy plan.

Solar Heat Pumps

Imagine the amount of utility costs saved with a solar powered heat pump. The savings are huge and you don’t have to worry about the rising costs of utilities rates.

Do you have or would like to have a inside or outside heated pool. Use a solar pool heat pump to heat up your pool.

Government Incentives

Make sure if you are considering going solar to look into any government incentives that may be offered to you. These government incentives are referred to as STC’s. They can be used to offset the purchase price of solar equipment. These incentives could amount to thousands of dollars!

Solar Repairs and Maintenance

Your solar system needs to inspected by a solar expert every four years. Upon inspection these areas should be checked thoroughly:

  1. Hot Spots
  2. Microcracks
  3. Internal Corrision
  4. Low or No Power Generation
  5. Panels should be clean and free of debris.

These type solar repairs if found need to be attended to immediately upon inspection. Make sure and use a qualified professional to perform these solar repairs.

Overall Advantages of Going Solar

      1. Pollution Free
      2. No greenhouse gases produced
      3. Less dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels.
      4. Overall lifetime of a solar panel is 30 years.
      5. Grid infertied excess power can be sold back to power company.
      6. Live grid free!
      7. Solar panels can be installed virtually anywhere, installed on a roof, or installed out in a field.
      8. Excess power can be stored in battery storage system giving you power after the sun has gone down.
      9. Solar energy can be used to power homes, buildings, heat water for hot water heaters and can even power your electric car!
      10. Safer than traditional electrical type power source.
      11. Continuing and more efficient technology means that same panel today will become more efficient tomorrow.
      12. Federal grants, tax incentives, and rebate programs available to assist in the cost of your solar system.

    Conclusion

    Obviously going solar is a decision to be made overnight. If you are interested in lower energy costs, less pollution, and a more fixed budget for your energy needs going to solar energy could be for you.

    First of all check and see what incentives and programs are available for you. That can be considerable savings in equipment and installations costs alone.

    Talk to your realtor and see how much going to solar energy will increase the valve of your home. That alone could be an significant increase in the selling valve of your home.

    Also are you considering an electric vehicle in the near future? That alone could be considerable savings in the cost of electricity to charge your car for it’s daily use.

    Of course if you are retired, you are living on a fixed income. Even if you have a substantial retirement income you have to budget. You might want to consider solar energy for your home from the standpoint of no more higher fluctuating utility bills that cause havoc on your monthly retirement budget! Would it not be nice to know exactly what it is costing you for your energy needs each month without worrying about the your utility bill speeding up as the seasons and weather change?

    Resources:

    www.velocitysolar.com.au

    www.geelongsolarenergy.com.au

Solar Installation: 13 Questions Answered

solar unit installed

The solar power you plan to funnel to your house must be created by solar panels you had installed by a professional. However, you cannot just hire the first company that comes along. Everything listed below is a question you need to ask the company about renewable energy before they start work on your house.

1. How Often Have They Done This?

You need to find a company with a long track record, many references, and a lot of testimonials. You should not hire a contractor that does solar panels some of the time. Pick the startup that does this work all the time. They have a licensed staff who know how to work with solar panels, and they usually move much faster.

2. What Kind Of Solar Panels Do They Offer?

You might have thought that you just have to get solar panels because they can give you cheaper energy. However, you need to get the solar panels that are actually affordable and efficient. You could get solar panels that are very inefficient, and they do not provide you enough energy because the transfer of power is so low. You can check them out online after you are told which panels you get.

3. How Do They Mount The Panels?

Solar power comes from panels mounted often to your roof. You could put solar panels in a field or yard, but your roof is usually the best place. The panels need to be mounted where they catch the most sun, and you need to see real calculations for that location.

The company can put the panels on movable platforms that shift the panels to get the most sun, but they need to program the mountings to keep turning as the sun moves during the day.

If you put the panels in a field or garden, you need the same setup. Certain mountings can lift the panels up to ten or twenty feet in the air, and they pick up much more sunlight as the sun moves overhead.

4. How Is The Power Sent To The House?

Power is sent into the house through the traditional main line from the power company. Effectively, the solar panel company connects in the same place, and you turn off your traditional power source. If you do not want to turn off that service, you can get a special converter that only allows you to use the power company’s supply when you run out.

5. How Much Power Do You Get?

A traditional solar panel setup can give you all the power you need for the day and more. You usually have an excess of power, and that is when you have to see what you can do with all that power. Your power company might be interested in that, and you should ask them if they have a buyback program.

Selling To The Power Company

The power company can give you a special converter that sends them all the power you make that you did not use. You get paid for that every month, and it helps you pay off these solar panels much faster. This might be a small thing, but it is worth your while because it is better than paying the power company. The installation company is often familiar with how the power company buys back power, and they can give you advice.

6. How Do You Get An Estimate?

You need to have an estimate for the installation of your solar panels, and you need a guarantee that the company will work from that estimate. You might want to follow along with the estimate as they work, and you know if the company is honoring their part of the deal.

7. What Do Solar Panels Look Like?

The solar panels look just as you imagined. They are black panels with little electric circuits that seem a bit like a microchip. However, these solar panels are very large, and they can cover your whole roof. They make your home look more modern, but they add a funky look. You might be concerned about how your home looks, and that is when you should have them installed in a garden or field.

8. How Do You Pay?

You must pay for solar panels in installments. You do not pay anyone to do work out of your own pocket all at once, and you do not pay them until you see the work start. A tiny good faith deposit might be needed, but you should not give up too much money. If you have concerns about the state of the company, check out their reviews online. The BBB can tell you a lot about the company, and you might check other review sites to see how this company takes care of its customers.

9. How Long Does It Take To Do?

Solar panel installation requires good weather because you cannot have workers on your roof in bad weather. Give the company some slack so they can get the job done, and they install the panels in a couple days. A more complicated system takes longer to install, and you should ask the company for a basic timeline. The timeline you get is general, and you can follow along to be sure you are on time.

10. What Does This Do For The Planet?

Every time you use solar renewable energy over coal, gas, or nuclear power you are helping reduce the number of carbon emissions in the atmosphere. You cannot see how much your carbon footprint, but you are doing your part for the planet. This is the responsible thing to do, and it helps you sleep well at night knowing you did the right thing.

11. Government Programs?

There are some government programs that give you a discount on your solar panels, a tax break, or some other kind of incentive. You need to check on what the state government is doing in your area, and you should compare that with what the federal government is doing. The solar panel installation company should help you fill out this paperwork, and they should be familiar with local programs.

12. Can You Get Less Obvious Solar Panels?

There are some special panels made for your windows. You do not cover your windows in a solar panel, but you place a solar panel in one pane. That little panel can power a couple things in a room, and a larger one might power a whole room. Keep in mind this does not power your house. This might be nice if you have a duplex or apartment building, and you might want to try this is you want to be as responsible as possible.

13. Who Needs Solar Panels?

You need solar panels for your home when you want to spend less money on energy. You can get solar panels put on just about any building, and you have it done right now. There is no waiting period, and there is nothing stopping you.

Conclusion

You should try solar panels on your home, get someone to write an estimate, and get the tax break or incentive that is available. Each family that does this helps the planet a little bit, and it all adds up in the end.