How To Solar Power Your Home

With fuel and electricity costs soaring, many homeowners are seeking ways to improve the efficiency of their homes and reduce costs. Wind, water and solar are the most commonly looked at technologies for making your home more green and ecologically friendly. Follow these instructions and you can solar power your home for years to come.

1. Figure out your power consumption needs. Take a look at your power bills for the past five years to get a look at how much power your family uses. Review what your main areas of consumption are. Do you have a pool? Are winter heating costs your biggest expense or maybe it’s your water heater or media room causing power drain?
2. Decide how solar energy will be used. Solar power can be used to power your entire home or just certain functions. You could purchase a small solar powered pump for your pool, for example, or have a system designed to power the entire home.
3. Have your roof inspected by a professional. Solar panels will be installed on the roof so you need to have the roof inspected before work begins. Remove rotten or worn shingles and decking. Make sure that the weight load is evaluated.
4. Check local building codes. Your local county or city may have code requirements regarding the installation of solar panels. Consult them during your planning to avoid problems later.
5. Purchase and install system. If you're looking for a great system, I recommend the popular Earth4Energy. The number and position of solar cells is determined by your power requirements and the design of your home. Consult a professional to determine your requirements, then have them installed.
6. Route the solar cells’ power into the generator. As the solar cells convert the energy of the sun into electricity, that electricity should be transferred to the battery of a solar generator. The generator makes the power useable by the electrical system of your home.
7. Start the system. Once the system is fully installed, you can have it running for a few days until the battery stores enough power to start running the house. You want some power in reserve. Once the system is operational, start using your clean, economical power to fuel your home.

Harnessing solar power is no longer the stuff of science fiction. If heating and cooling costs have you concerned about the future, not to mention the environmental impact of our fuel consumption, consider solar power options. The costs to convert to solar may seem expensive at first, but the long term benefits in terms of costs and the planet are well worth it.