Solar Power For Your House

Despite the increasing popularity of clean energy for home use, for many people it may still appear as a distant dream or something that only other people do. But the fact is that these days, renewable energy is within reach for many of us. It is quite likely that you can get solar power for your house if you want to.

The cost of solar power has decreased significantly in the last decades. On top of that, in many areas local governments offer feed-in tariff schemes whereby costumers can sell back to the grid any excessive energy they produce. These days, solar power for your house has never been a more attractive proposition.

The highest cost involved in getting solar power for your house is the upfront cost, which can range between $10,000 and $40,000. However, these costs will be made up for in the long run by the free energy you�ll get from the sun.

Solar panels are the most popular way to get solar power for your house. Currently, solar power is available to home owners in various ways, mainly through photovoltaic panels (PV) and solar house heating. Solar panels, or photovoltaic panels (PV), are designed to harness solar power as it hits the earth. These are crystalline silicon panels that capture sunlight and turn it into electricity, which is then stored in a battery bank. When battery charges drop below a certain level, the solar panels recharge the batteries. If you are looking to install solar power for your house, remember that photovoltaic panels can be mounted on a rooftop or a freestanding solar array rack.

As to solar heating systems, these are designed to reduce the need for conventional water heating by about two thirds, according to an estimate by the U.S. Department of Energy. It is a great, established way to get solar power for your house because it decreases your dependency on fossil fuel and conventional electricity. Typically, solar house heating systems have two parts: a solar collector and a storage tank. The collector heats the water and the heated water is held in the storage tank, ready for use. A conventional system co-exists with the solar system in order to provide any additional heating, when necessary.

Besides helping the environment, solar power for your house can provide a source of financial savings. The U.S. Energy Policy Act implemented a 30% tax credit for consumers who install solar water heating systems. To quality for this tax break, the systems must be certified by the Department of Energy's non-profit partner, the Solar Rating & Certification Corporation (SRCC). However, in Florida and Hawaii residents can use their area�s own certification programs. Finally, if you want solar power for your house the easy way, you may like to consider passive solar power. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, passive solar design does not require equipment such as mechanical and electrical devices. �The difference between a passive solar home and a conventional home is design. The key is designing a passive solar home to best take advantage of your local climate�, it says. Passive solar techniques can be applied to new buildings while existing buildings can be adapted or �retrofitted� to passively collect and store solar heat. Window location and glazing type, insulation and air sealing, design for summer comfort and landscaping are some of the key concepts related to passive solar techniques.