| Is your electric bill "sky high"? With summer | | | | average amount of electricity consumed are what |
| around the corner, do you dread the price it will | | | | determines which size energy system you will |
| cost you to cool your home this summer? | | | | need. Be sure to get accurate measurements of |
| Would it surprise you to know that many home | | | | the square footage of your house, as well as |
| owners are going to solar energy in an effort to | | | | several months of electric bills to figure the |
| lower their energy bills? What was once | | | | average energy needed. |
| considered a futuristic dream is now a present | | | | According to the Department of Energy, the |
| reality. | | | | average home used 920 kWh per month in 2008. |
| Solar powered systems have become readily | | | | The United States as a whole uses 4 trillion kWh |
| available to the general public. Depending on your | | | | per year! This is a lot of energy! Did you know |
| budget, there are many systems to choose from. | | | | that the Sun puts out more energy in one hour |
| You can start with a small system that can | | | | than the entire world consumes in one year? |
| power one or two of your home appliances, or | | | | Even though home solar systems have become |
| you can go all out and get a large system that will | | | | more affordable, they are still quite an investment. |
| meet all of your home's energy needs. | | | | If you have a medium sized home a solar |
| Solar energy is measured in kilowatt hours or | | | | powered system can run as high as $40,000. Do |
| kWh. To put that into perspective, 1000 watts | | | | not let these numbers scare you away. When |
| equals 1 kilowatt, so 1 kWh is 1000 watts of | | | | figuring the cost versus the benefit, look at a |
| electricity per hour. Use this formula to figure the | | | | time frame of ten to twenty years. |
| energy needed: (the item's amps) multiplied by the | | | | To level the playing field, many government |
| voltage (110v or 220v) equals the kWh per | | | | entities are offering different tax breaks and |
| month to operate. So, an item with 2.2 amps on a | | | | rebates as an incentive. Be sure to look at any |
| 110 volt system will require 220 watts or.22kWh | | | | programs your state may have for home solar |
| to operate. | | | | systems. Some area governments are even |
| Now to bring the costs into focus, a small solar | | | | providing financing for solar energy systems. |
| power system that can run your computer and a | | | | Over the long haul, people like to think that |
| few small electrical items will typically run around | | | | electric bills are a thing of the past. In fact many |
| $700. A larger system that can produce one | | | | solar energy system owners using their systems |
| kilowatt (kWh) which can reduce your electric bill | | | | to take full advantage of reselling solar energy. |
| by as much as 50% will run $10,000. | | | | Net metering provides the owner of a solar |
| How do solar energy systems work? Solar panels | | | | powered energy system the opportunity to sell |
| convert sunlight into electricity. Sunlight, our most | | | | their excess, unused energy back to their utility |
| powerful light is then absorbed by solar panels. | | | | provider. You can then make your solar energy |
| Photovoltaic (also called PV systems) refer to | | | | system make you money. |
| solar powered systems. | | | | Solar energy can eliminate the need for a home |
| We are seeing more and more everyday items | | | | to be dependent on the power grid. The costs to |
| that use solar power. Calculators and watches are | | | | run electric lines from the grid is astronomical. |
| now powered by PV systems. The more | | | | This make a solar power system an incredible |
| sophisticated systems can not only power your | | | | savings. Remote, third world countries are now |
| home, but they can create enough energy they | | | | choosing to go with solar powered systems |
| can even be used to provide the power for cell | | | | rather than run power lines. |
| phone towers. | | | | If you want to get the most out of a home solar |
| Solar cells are integrated to produce the solar | | | | powered system, first start by cutting back on |
| panels. You may have seen them on the roofs of | | | | the amount of energy your home uses. Be sure |
| buildings and houses. Semi conductors made of | | | | to consider the big picture when looking at the |
| silicon make up the PV cells. Sunlight produces | | | | initial investment price. |
| solar powered energy when it is absorbed by the | | | | As more people are choosing to go with solar |
| semi conductors and then converted into | | | | energy as their main source of energy, we will |
| electricity. More energy efficient panels called "thin | | | | see less greenhouse gas emissions and less global |
| film" are | | | | warming, which will benefit everyone. |
| The square footage of your house and the | | | | |