If something could power your home for less money while polluting the environment less, wouldn’t you consider it? Well, solar energy does just that and more. Please read the following article and think about the benefits of solar energy. In the short and long term, it’s really a smart choice!
There are two major kinds of photo-voltaic panels. Less expensive poly-crystalline panels are not as efficient as the costlier mono-crystalline panels. Do not hesitate to invest in expensive solar panels to put together an efficient solar energy system.
If you own a pool, consider using a solar water heating system to keep it warm in the cooler months. Solar heating is much less expensive than electric or even gas heating, and it is relatively easy to install. In the first year alone, you can save about thirty percent over the cost of heating your swimming pool with electricity.
You can depend on solar panels. They don’t have moving pieces, so when you buy a system, you can rest assured that you will not have to fix anything or buy any new parts. It takes very little effort on your part to create enough energy to power your home, making these systems a very attractive option for most people.
If you’re building your home, solar energy panels should definitely be considered. Solar energy is a great alternative energy source since it hardly affects the environment at all. If you haven’t considered this source of energy, this would an appropriate time to do it.
Consider complementing your solar panels with other forms of energy production. Aside from night, your solar panels are least productive when it is cloudy, which usually means winds, rain or both. Put in some small wind turbines on your roof and micro-hydroelectric generators at ends of gutters for some power production when solar panels are not up and running.
Outdoor lighting fixtures can be completely powered by solar energy. Search for outdoor fixtures that collect energy from the sun during the day and release it after dark. While these fixtures do not require a lot of energy, these systems are very convenient because there are no electrical wires to run or short out.
If you are located in the Northern hemisphere, your solar panels should be facing south. People who live in the Southern hemisphere should install their panels facing north. Putting them in any other way will defeat the entire purpose since the panels will not have a chance to collect a large amount of energy from the sun.
If you have animals that require electric fencing to contain them, use solar powered fencing units to provide power for them. A great advantage to these systems is that they are completely mobile, and can be easily moved. If you are a horse owner who enjoys overnight horse-camping, the fencer can be easily taken along.
Decide whether you want to be on or off the power grid. Many people look forward to getting “off the grid” when they switch to solar power, however this may not be the best choice. Staying on your power grid means that when you have poor sunlight conditions you have the ability to purchase additional power when you need it. As a bonus, when you produce more power than you use, you can sell the excess back to the utilities.
Many solar systems require little or no maintenance to operate smoothly throughout the year, but you should have them service occasionally. Dirt, leaves and dust can accumulate and reduce the amount of power that your system can produce. Have a licensed installer come out regularly to preform maintenance on your system.
Solar power heating, whether for heating water or for a direct heat source, is different from solar power electric. By installing one of these systems, you can reduce your gas bill by up to 50 percent. This is on top of the savings you have on your electric bill already.
Before you start to use solar energy to power your home, you should get an energy audit. The audit will give you an idea of how much energy your home uses on a regular basis. Once you know this, you’ll be able to get a system that can provide as much solar energy as possible for your home.
There are many ways to take advantage of solar energy. One of them that many people don’t know about is leasing a system. You see, when you lease a system, you lock in a rate for about ten years, which means that your rate doesn’t go up as energy costs do go up. Therefore, you have found a way to get that solar energy into your home.
Camping
In the event you only wish to use solar energy in part, you should examine some of the smaller scale applications available. There are two ways to go about it. You must first consider solar panels that can be mounted around your windows for the charging of your electronics. You should also consider investing in small appliances that can be powered with solar panels. Every little bit shaves a little off of your electric bill.
Look into portable solar energy battery packs. These can be extremely useful when you are somewhere that does not have access to power. For example, it could be used to charge your cell phone while you are camping in a remote location. It has recently become very popular, and because of this, it is relatively inexpensive.
If you have animals that require electric fencing to contain them, use solar powered fencing units to provide power for them. A great advantage to these systems is that they are completely mobile, and can be easily moved. If you are a horse owner who enjoys overnight horse-camping, the fencer can be easily taken along.
Anything that saves us money is favorable these days, as is something that pollutes the environment less. Why not seriously think about converting to solar energy? Hopefully this article has answered your questions and sold you on the many benefits that solar energy has to offer in your home or business.