The shift to solar energy is gaining in popularity. Businesses and private residences alike are gradually converting to this cleaner source of energy. If you want to learn more about making the shift to a better and more sustainable source of power, read this article for tips that can help you get started.
If you decide to put solar energy panels on your home, remember to keep them clean. Your solar panels must reflect the sun’s rays in order to store the sun’s energy for use in your home or business. If they are dirty, they can not effectively do this. By keeping them clean, you will get the most bang for your buck!
Find out if your local energy provider offers meter rollback programs. Once you have a solar energy system, you should consider joining one of these programs so you can sell the energy you produce to the main grid and draw the same amount of energy instead of purchasing an expensive battery system to store your power.
As you prepare to buy a solar power system, don’t underestimate the importance of recommendations. Talk to everyone you know, whether they are friends, family members or even coworkers. You may be surprised by the number of people that have experience with these systems. They can tell you what they found out along their journey and guide you in the right direction.
Before you pull the trigger and buy a system, take a look at how long the manufacturer guarantees the product for. You want a fairly long warranty because the system will have to pay for itself over time and help you begin to generate a profit. Therefore, make sure the warranty is for at least 25 years.
Before purchasing any solar panels, make sure they are government certified. This may seem like a small deal, but it really affects your bottom line. Many of the government rebate programs require that your solar panels are government certified. If they aren’t, you’ll be missing out on some of the cash back opportunities out there for you.
We rely heavily in the United States on foreign energy sources, especially oil. This is money that is going to another country. By making the switch to solar energy you are helping to reduce the US’s dependence on foreign energy, and helping to keep the earths natural resources from becoming ultimately depleted.
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.
Before making a choice on how many solar panels you use make a list of all the electrical appliances you use and the wattage and hours utilized by each one. This will be helpful in determining how much solar power you will need. No matter if you decide to install the equipment yourself or have someone else do it, this information will help your choices.
When switching over to solar panel, take the time to evaluate all of your energy needs. Solar panels are far from cheap, and there might be more cost effective ways that you can reduce energy consumption in your home. By reducing consumption, you can reduce how many panels you need, thereby reducing your overall purchase and install costs for a solar system.
Set up time every few years to clean the areas around your solar panels. These panels don’t take a lot of maintenance, but you want to upkeep the area around them so that you lower the potential for issues. Clean out leaves, remove any debris, and test all of the fittings to make sure all is well.
When you are serious about your move to solar energy and begin using panels that sink more than 6 watts, invest in a solar controller. These small controls help maximize the efficiency of the charge cycle and prevent any wasted overcharging from occurring. When there is a lot of energy at stake, these are a must have for your solar-home.
If you are interested in joining the green movement and helping the Earth, harnessing power from the sun is the way to go. It’s natural, it’s clean and it’s renewable, which means that you can’t use it all up. Therefore, not only can solar power help you save money on your electricity bill, it is also good for the environment.
Maximize the power output of the space you use for solar panels. This means you should invest in quality panels that can produce high amounts of energy without taking up your entire roof. Maximizing the power output of your panels will allow you to easily expand your system if you need to produce more energy.
Solar power could benefit you, even if you live in a region that sees a lot of clouds year-round. Many people are under the misconception that solar energy is only useful in areas that see a lot of sun. The current technology actually can use the energy that penetrates the clouds to power your home.
Contact different vendors and ask for quotes before you invest in a solar energy system. If possible, get quotes for different types of panels or mounts and compare the efficiency of each system to figure out which one corresponds to your needs and budget. Stay away from vendors who offer extremely low quotes or do not give you details on how they calculate the quote.
If your roof has shading, it doesn’t matter how much sunlight you get. Don’t trust any claims that solar panels can still run efficiently even in the shade. This simply is not true.
Making the transition to solar power is not a difficult thing to do. It does take careful planning. Do your research carefully on companies who can help you make the transition. Lay out a realistic budget. If you follow this advice in this article and plan ahead, you can make a successful transition.
Columbia SC
