Did you know that you can power your entire outdoor living space with nothing more than propane? That's right! Everything from the cooking appliances to the lights can be powered using propane. Our blog will show you all about utilizing propane for light, energy and heat. You will get some ideas that can inspire you to create a space that doesn't require electricity to be run whatsoever. We plan to show you all of your options and present you with unique ways to create an outdoor living space that you, your family and all of your friends will envy and want to spend time in.
Installing solar panels on your home's roof is a great way to help reduce the cost of your electricity bill every month. As you are considering making a solar panel installation on your home, here are two items to consider in the power upgrade.
Determine Your Home's Solar Power Needs
It's important to first figure out how much energy you will need from your solar panels. Call your power company and find out how much power you use over the year so you can calculate what your average usage is. Or you can collect this information from your utility bills, if you have copies of them at home or access to them online via your computer.
With this information, you will need to calculate your average daily rate by dividing your total yearly usage by 365. Then, take your average daily rate and divide it by 24, as there are 24 hours in a day. This will calculate your average watt usage to guide you in deciding how many and what size and type of solar panels you will need to install.
According to Energy.gov, to generate 4,000 watts of solar power you will need anywhere from 320 to 1,200 square feet of solar panels on your home's roof. Depending on the efficiency of your solar panels, the size of solar panels needed can vary, as they are available in 4 to 12 percent efficiency. A panel with a higher efficiency will require less square feet in size to create more watts of power.
Calculate the Solar Panel Cost
Wattage Cost
The amount of solar energy you want to capture to use with your home's energy use can determine the cost of your panel system and installation. The most recent costs in 2016 show that the average homeowner will pay anywhere from $3 to $4 for each watt to install their solar panel system. So, for a 4,000 watt system, it will cost you on average between $12,000 and $16,000 before any Federal solar tax credit discounts are taken off the cost. You can calculate your Federal solar tax credit to be approximately 30 percent off the price. Then, after you install your solar power system, you may be eligible to receive rebates and tax incentives from your local government and state, so check with these offices to find out what is available to you.
Equipment Cost Savings
Keep in mind you can usually save on the equipment costs when you buy your solar panel system through an installation company. As these types of businesses have a direct relationship with the solar panel distributors and they buy the equipment in bulk, they can pass on to you discounts they receive on the equipment. Otherwise, if you were to buy one or two solar panels on your own, you would end up paying a higher retail cost and lose out on potential savings.
Other Equipment and Costs
Along with the panels, you have to pay for other costs, such as installation equipment, an installation permit, a fee to connect your solar power to the power grid, and a battery bank and inverter. Then, if your home's roof does not face south or has dormers or skylights, there can be additional costs to fit the solar panels to your home's roof to capture the sun's full rays.
Because your home will only capture solar power from the sun during the sun's peak hours, you may need to install a battery bank and inverter on your system if you want to have access to solar power 24 hours a day. A battery bank and inverter will store solar power for use during the sunless hours but can double the cost of your system. If you are installing solar panels to simply supplement your home's power usage off the electrical power grid, you won't need a battery bank, as the solar power from your panels will help reduce your home's energy use and your utility bill.
Solar Loans
To help you deal with these extra costs with the installation, consider a solar loan. You can shop around to find a no-money down and low interest loans for your solar panel investment, allowing you to pay over time for system installation.
Keep these two tips in mind when you are considering a solar panel installation on your home. To learn more, contact a company like AAA Solar Source.
Share16 November 2016
