Solar Homes: How To Convert Your Home
Today, perhaps more than ever, it is absolutely imperative that we find an alternative to fossil fuels. Heck, you don’t even need to bring the environment up to argue that point; just look at how much oil costs these days. It doesn’t look like the price is coming down any time soon, either.
If you’re looking into switching your home over to solar power, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to install a do it yourself solar panel kit, but it’s not something you want to jump into without a plan, either.
The first thing you’ll want to do is figure out the surface area of panels you’ll need to install. You’ll need anywhere from eighty to one hundred square feet for ever kilowatt of energy you hope to produce on a yearly basis.
Second, you’ll want to look at where you can actually put those panels. Look at your roof first, of course, and then consider the rest of the space on your property. Remember that you don’t want the panels being hit by the shade. The more exposure to the sun the better. You will also get better rebates depending on how well your panels are exposed to the sun.
If you can get ahold of a reputable solar consultant (yes there is such a thing!) they can help you through the shopping process when you’re ready to buy your solar panels.
In fact, keep that in mind: The more professionals you can get on your side the better. You can easily come up with a way to lay out the panels to get maximum sun exposure, but someone with a good sense of design should be able to help you improve upon your initial blueprint, while also creating something pleasing to the eye.
If you’re not ready or don’t have the cash to go all out and convert your home to solar energy just yet, but would like to take some step into the world of solar, you also have the option of switching your hot water tank with a solar powered water heater. You don’t need an acre of exposed land or anything, just enough room for a couple of panels. The water is pumped through these panels, where it is heated up via the sun’s radiation, and then pumped back into the tank. If nothing else, a one time investment in a solar water heater can cut your electricity or gas bill significantly.
If you want to find out all the latest news on tech why not subscribe to our RSS feed?
Leave a Reply