Home Solar Power: Is It Really Feasible?
Go to: Previous Article Next Article
As the price of solar system equipment goes down, the feasibility of installing a home solar power system goes up. OK. Basic economics of supply and demand.
Even at an affordable price, however, can you make it work for you?
Here are a few factors that will help you make the decision...whether you're getting ready to build a new home, or if you're just curious at this point about whether you could convert to solar energy:
1. The first thing to know is the number of sunlight hours per day...what's referred to as the insolation factor. At http://www.nrel.gov, you can find a solar map created by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory that will help you determine the insolution factor for your building site. Then you'll also need to know any specific additional obstructions the sun might have...like trees, other buildings, or a hillside.
2. What's the cost of electricity in the area you plan to live? What you're looking for is the average cost per watt of electricity, so once you know how many watts you'll use (conventional or solar) you can calculate your average electrical savings per year to determine your payback period for any price differential between solar and conventional installation. If you only plan to be in your new home for a year or two, you probably won't be past the break-even point yet for energy savings.
3. What rebates and tax incentives are available? Maximizing federal and state incentives can really help offset the initial cost of installing a solar power system. If you have a solar system installed professionally, you may be looking at $40 to $60 thousand dollars for the average American home. Getting a rebate or tax credit of 10 to 60% can go a long way toward putting the initial cost of installing solar more in parity with a standard system.
Let's be honest here. No matter how good your intentions are, and how strong your determination is, if you live in an area, or on a site that simply isn't going to get enough direct sunlight to generate enough power for your solar energy system, it may be time to look at other options. For most of the United States, though, that isn't the case. Unless there are obstructions that simply can't be overcome, most sites will receive adequate direct sunlight to make solar energy installation feasible. But...if that isn't true for you, there are other renewable energy possibilities.
Well, if you've determined solar will work for you, some good news is that photovoltaic cell cost is decreasing rapidly due to new mass production techniques. Shrinking production costs means more readily available, and more affordable solar power components. This, in turn, means home solar power will increasingly become more feasible.
And it's only the beginning. Development of new innovations and applications is still in its infancy. In what's been called a new technique that "could slash the cost of solar panels" Princeton University researchers state "By overcoming technical hurdles to producing plastics that are translucent, malleable and able to conduct electricity, the researchers have opened the door to broader use of the materials in a wide range of electrical devices. Plastics could represent a low-cost alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO), an expensive conducting material currently used in solar panels." This article, sited in http://www.nextbigfuture.com, is only one example of ongoing solar energy development.
There are many new developments that are resulting in smaller, more efficient solar energy systems at a much reduced price. That means that, with the exception of those areas or sites with no or very low insolation factors, the most feasible and therefore best option of choice for homeowners, and businesses, will be solar energy.
Everett Sizemore, a consumer product review expert for comparethebrands.com, says of the feasibility of solar power: "Out of all of the renewable energy alternatives we have today, solar power is still the most feasible for the majority of households in America. With federal, state, and local government incentives, the lowering cost of solar panels and improved efficiency, going solar is cheaper than ever."
Like individual homeowners finding new and better ways to generate solar electricity on site, electrical power plants are also making huge strides. In one of the newest, most feasible designs, a molten salt storage loop enables power plants to store and generate electricity whether the sun is shining...or not...for fairly long periods. The goal is to get several molten salt storage loop plants over a fairly broad area, connected in a grid similar or identical to current utility grids, to take advantage of all solar opportunities, and always have enough stored electricity to constantly generate power.
Home solar power is simply no longer a fairy tale...on the grid, or off the grid...home solar power is rapidly becoming the most feasible energy source.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
- Credit Cards A big selection of Cards in all flavors: Bad Credit Cards, Secured Cards, Prepaid Cards, Credit Cards for Canada, Low Interest Cards, etc -
Word Count: 835
Reduce Your Debts Without Bankruptcy. See How Much You Can Save. Free Debt Analysis
