| One of the more interesting ways to add value | | | | home panels on a smaller scale, even if all they do |
| to your house whilst at the same time reducing | | | | is power attic fans and circulate hot air out of |
| your power bill is by adding solar home panels to | | | | your house in the heat of the day. These can |
| your house. With the housing market in the | | | | provide significant savings over the course of the |
| doldrums, and the specter of rising energy prices | | | | summer, and can pay for themselves faster than |
| from various sources coming into play, most | | | | a full-on home solar electricity system. This would |
| home owners are more and more likely to | | | | be a good start if you decide to build up your |
| consider home solar electricity as a way forward. | | | | system in stages. |
| There are a number of benefits to using home | | | | You also need to look at how much power you |
| solar electricity and a lot of questions to consider | | | | actually use. Installing solar home panels is a good |
| when installing solar home panels. | | | | thing to include as part of an overall conservation |
| The first thing to consider is installation costs - are | | | | program, where the house is switched over to |
| you going to buy the solar home panels, get them | | | | more energy efficient appliances. (If your |
| installed, and have an electrician run the wiring? Or | | | | refrigerator is more than ten years old, for |
| have you considered a DIY home solar electricity | | | | example, odds are that a modern replacement will |
| project? Also, while solar home panels are the | | | | use 25% less energy, for instance). Even |
| most obvious addition in a home solar electricity | | | | switching to lower power bulbs, like going from |
| installation, they're not the only part that needs | | | | incandescent to compact fluorescents, can make |
| consideration. You will also need a DC to AC | | | | help reduce your total home power budget. |
| converter, and you'll want a battery bank to | | | | In some counties and areas, if you generate |
| store the electricity for use later. | | | | more electricity than you're using, the utility |
| The next thing to consider is whether or not | | | | company is obligated to use net metering, or |
| there's a tax incentive program for home solar | | | | relative buyback metering. In places where this |
| electricity in your area; a lot of municipalities have | | | | holds, you can often times get a home solar |
| them, and there's word that there may be | | | | electricity installation run to pay for itself in less |
| increased federal tax incentives for home use of | | | | time - and you get to see how much electricity |
| solar energy and wind energy resources in future | | | | you sold back to the electric company. |
| budgets. The reason why these tax incentives | | | | (Sometimes, they'll even send you a check for |
| are important is because of the cost-benefit ratio | | | | the difference, or just apply it as a credit against |
| of installation. | | | | future bills.) However, one unspoken advantage of |
| Calculating the cost benefit ratio of a home solar | | | | this type of system is that it reduces the amount |
| electricity installation boils down to working out | | | | of material outlay you have to buy. You no longer |
| how much electricity you use, how much you'll | | | | have to buy a battery array if your excess |
| generate once your solar home panels are | | | | power is fed back into the grid and you get a |
| installed and in use, figuring out how much money | | | | credit. While the battery array is the least |
| the difference will save each month, and then | | | | expensive part of the solar home panels setup, |
| dividing your installation cost by that number (your | | | | it's also the part that needs direct maintenance |
| annual maintenance costs should be deducted | | | | and replacement the most often, so this can |
| from the sum of a year's worth of savings as | | | | make a difference in your overall savings. |
| well). So obviously, any tax credit will reduce this | | | | There are also some geographical and landscaping |
| return on investment time as it will bring down | | | | considerations for a home solar electricity |
| the initial investment cost. | | | | installation. A solar home panels setup needs some |
| One of the older metrics for comparing solar | | | | space that faces to the southern horizon to be |
| home panels to their installation cost was to | | | | effective, and the amount of ambient sunlight |
| assume that you'd sell the house at some point | | | | may make a difference to payback timeframes. |
| during the 'buy-in' period; depending on the state | | | | To conclude, you will need to take into account all |
| of the housing market, that may or may not be | | | | of your own particular circumstances when |
| a valid assumption, but a home solar electricity | | | | considering a solar home panels project for your |
| installation will always attract buyers and increase | | | | own home - power usage, situation, location, for |
| the value of your house. However, making and/or | | | | example, and obviously cost. One thing is for sure |
| installing the solar home panels yourself will | | | | - you will find the cost of a DIY home solar |
| obviously reduce this 'buy-in' period - it's surprising | | | | electricity installation extremely advantageous and |
| how economically you can build your own home | | | | it's really not as complicated or as expensive as |
| solar electricity installation. | | | | you may think. If you want to realize your return |
| One should also avoid getting 'locked into' the idea | | | | on investment quickly, making and installing you |
| that sunlight has to be stored as electricity in | | | | own solar home panels is definitely the way to go. |
| batteries; you can get a lot of benefit from solar | | | | |