As more and more people choose to switch to a renewable power source such as solar energy, more and more do-it-yourself options hit the market. Building and installing solar energy panels is not a difficult job, there are even kits available that package all the materials and instructions together in one package.
But how do you choose a solar power kit? Should you buy one or two? Will it run one appliance or your whole house?
One main ingredient in the kit should be a set of clear and concise instructions. A solar power kit is only good if it is installed correctly. Check the advertisement carefully to make sure there are detailed installation instructions and look for recommendations by satisfied customers.
Your kit should also be expandable. If this is your first venture into solar energy and you decide you like it, you want to be able to expand on the installation, not start over with a new one. The ability to add to or upgrade is an important feature to look at.
I Use How Much Power?
To determine the size kit you need, you need to know how much power you consume. You can run around tallying your appliances and gadgets and then research their power use and how often you use them; do some multiplications and hope you are accurate in your determination.
Alternately, and probably simpler, would be to call your power company and have them access your records for the past year. They can tell you what your average monthly use is then you can divide that by 30 days to get a daily average.
Using that information you can purchase a kit to eliminate whatever percentage of power use you want. You might want to start out with say a 20% reduction to make sure it works like you want it to. If you're satisfied you can always expand your solar energy grid to cover more of your home.
Another factor you should look into is whether or not the kit comes with a batter backup. You should decide ahead of time if you desire a battery backup or if you are okay being without power should blackout occur. Battery backups will increase the cost of the system dramatically and they are expensive to maintain.
On the other hand, an inter-tied grid feeds power back to your electric company to reduce your power bill and you are also still connected to the power grid in the event that you don't produce enough solar energy for power, and it is a battery free set up so virtually no maintenance.
Finally, make sure you check out the dealer you are buying from. Read some reviews to make sure they are reputable and stand behind their product. You don't want stuck with an expensive box of panels that don't work.
Choosing a solar power kit is not difficult; it just takes a little time. You need to know how much power to generate and you need to feel confident you are dealing with a reputable company. Once you armed with that information you are ready to go solar.
Other Choices to Solar Power Kits
You could of course pay for a professional installation of a solar power system. The main advantage of this is that you have peace of mind in that should anything go wrong in the warranty period you are covered for repairs.
However, because professional systems are so expensive it takes years for the energy savings on your electric bill to pay for the initial installation. It would be far better if you could start making real money savings almost straight away.
What about a DIY Solar Power System?
If you had a shopping list of all the parts you need to build a solar panel system and step-by-step instructions on how to wire the system together, you could actually build your own solar power system for under $200.
There are now several great guides available on Internet that provide crystal clear instructions, illustrations, and videos on how to make and install your own solar panels. These guides also teach you how to build your own wind turbines. The guides I've looked at are aimed at anyone who has basic DIY skills, not DIY experts.
Out of all the DIY guides on renewable energy systems, my recommendation is Earth-4-Energy. You can get a quick insight into this guide by watching this YouTube Video Review of Earth4Energy. - 16477
But how do you choose a solar power kit? Should you buy one or two? Will it run one appliance or your whole house?
One main ingredient in the kit should be a set of clear and concise instructions. A solar power kit is only good if it is installed correctly. Check the advertisement carefully to make sure there are detailed installation instructions and look for recommendations by satisfied customers.
Your kit should also be expandable. If this is your first venture into solar energy and you decide you like it, you want to be able to expand on the installation, not start over with a new one. The ability to add to or upgrade is an important feature to look at.
I Use How Much Power?
To determine the size kit you need, you need to know how much power you consume. You can run around tallying your appliances and gadgets and then research their power use and how often you use them; do some multiplications and hope you are accurate in your determination.
Alternately, and probably simpler, would be to call your power company and have them access your records for the past year. They can tell you what your average monthly use is then you can divide that by 30 days to get a daily average.
Using that information you can purchase a kit to eliminate whatever percentage of power use you want. You might want to start out with say a 20% reduction to make sure it works like you want it to. If you're satisfied you can always expand your solar energy grid to cover more of your home.
Another factor you should look into is whether or not the kit comes with a batter backup. You should decide ahead of time if you desire a battery backup or if you are okay being without power should blackout occur. Battery backups will increase the cost of the system dramatically and they are expensive to maintain.
On the other hand, an inter-tied grid feeds power back to your electric company to reduce your power bill and you are also still connected to the power grid in the event that you don't produce enough solar energy for power, and it is a battery free set up so virtually no maintenance.
Finally, make sure you check out the dealer you are buying from. Read some reviews to make sure they are reputable and stand behind their product. You don't want stuck with an expensive box of panels that don't work.
Choosing a solar power kit is not difficult; it just takes a little time. You need to know how much power to generate and you need to feel confident you are dealing with a reputable company. Once you armed with that information you are ready to go solar.
Other Choices to Solar Power Kits
You could of course pay for a professional installation of a solar power system. The main advantage of this is that you have peace of mind in that should anything go wrong in the warranty period you are covered for repairs.
However, because professional systems are so expensive it takes years for the energy savings on your electric bill to pay for the initial installation. It would be far better if you could start making real money savings almost straight away.
What about a DIY Solar Power System?
If you had a shopping list of all the parts you need to build a solar panel system and step-by-step instructions on how to wire the system together, you could actually build your own solar power system for under $200.
There are now several great guides available on Internet that provide crystal clear instructions, illustrations, and videos on how to make and install your own solar panels. These guides also teach you how to build your own wind turbines. The guides I've looked at are aimed at anyone who has basic DIY skills, not DIY experts.
Out of all the DIY guides on renewable energy systems, my recommendation is Earth-4-Energy. You can get a quick insight into this guide by watching this YouTube Video Review of Earth4Energy. - 16477
About the Author:
If you are looking for more information on solar power, wind power, and other renewable energy resources then read more of my articles here: Renewable Energy Resources.
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