| Do you know how much money you spent every | | | | durable. |
| month on electricity bill for your home? Apart | | | | How many battery units do you need? The actual |
| from your bank mortgage, your power utility bill | | | | number will depend on your power requirement. |
| will be your second largest household expense. | | | | For a typical small home, 4 - 6 units of 12 volts |
| Due to rising energy costs, many home owners | | | | battery will be sufficient to provide the power |
| are frantically searching for alternative energy | | | | required. |
| source. One of the most popular solutions is the | | | | Since deep cycle battery can only store Direct |
| implementation of Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels | | | | Current (DC), you will need the power inverter to |
| on residential homes. | | | | change the DC to Alternate Current (AC). Most |
| The concept of a home solar power system is | | | | of the electronic gadgets at home are designed |
| actually quite simple. The main components are | | | | to use AC. |
| the solar panels, charge controller, battery bank | | | | To use the power from the sun, all you will need |
| and power inverter. | | | | to do is run an extension power cable from the |
| The solar panel is made from soldering multiple | | | | inverter around your house. Next, plug in your |
| Photovoltaic cells together in series. The PV cell | | | | electrical equipment to the power outlet and you |
| has a natural tendency to generate an electric | | | | will be enjoying free energy from the sun. |
| current when exposed to direct sun light. The | | | | How much would it cost to setup a Photovoltaic |
| amount of power produced by the cells will | | | | solar array at home? If you are planning to |
| depend on the intensity of the sun, the angle of | | | | outsource the project to a professional solar |
| the panels in relative to the sun and also the | | | | contractor, the investment cost can be quite high. |
| quality of the cell. | | | | Be prepared to invest upwards of $40,000 for a |
| The electric current generated by the PV cells will | | | | complete system. |
| be used by the charge controller to charge up the | | | | If you are on a limited budget, you can opt for a |
| battery bank. The charge controller also acts as a | | | | Do It Yourself (DIY) system. All of the solar |
| regulator to prevent the battery from | | | | components are available from major hardware |
| overcharging. | | | | stores. Hunt around for bargains and discount |
| What type of battery is suitable for a solar | | | | offers. A small DIY home solar power system |
| system? The battery most suitable are marine | | | | can be built with a budget of approximately |
| type or deep cycle battery. This type of battery | | | | $1500. |
| can be discharged to a lower level and is more | | | | |