Learn how to build your own solar panel for your home so that you can save money on your utility bills

1. Solar Panels for Home Use
By Paul Siras from http://www.BuyHomeSolarPanels.com
Solar energy is becoming a widely used source
of alternative energy. There are two types of
solar energy conversion that can benefit the
homeowner. Solar thermal and Photovoltaic.
Solar thermal energy is used to collect the heat
from the sun and most commonly used as low
temperature heating for swimming pools.
Medium temperature collectors are typically
used to heat water for residential and
commercial use. High temperature collectors
usually produce electric power by concentrating
sunlight with a lens or mirror.
Photovoltaic solar arrays are the most commonly used method of collecting the
sun's energy and is also the most cost effective solution for homeowners to take
advantage in energy savings. Solar panels for home use are a great
investment, which not only saves the homeowner money but also actually can
raise the value of the home. Additionally, if the solar power generated exceeds
the amount of energy being used by the home they supply, excess power can be
sold back to the utility company. With solar power being a renewable energy
source though, there are variables that affect its performance, such as cloudy
days and nighttime for example.
There are many options when considering solar power for home use. You can
utilize a grid-tied system, which is the most common. In a grid-tied system, as
stated above, the excess power gets cycled back into the power grid, which the
utility company must credit to you.
Grid-tied systems usually consist of the solar panels, a few wiring boxes, a
disconnect switch and an inverter to make the power generated usable. There
are many advantages in using a grid-tied system such as not having to setup an
elaborate storage system of battery banks to store the power for nights or
cloudy days, but also there are disadvantages when the power is not being
stored such as blackouts still leaving you powerless.
Hybrid-solar generator systems are yet another option, most commonly used in
remote locations or entirely off-grid homes. These systems are similar to grid-
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2. tied except they typically utilize a wind turbine or gas generator as well as solar
panels. Battery banks are used to store power and these systems are often
complex and require more maintenance. Also, these systems are quite
expensive depending upon the circumstances surrounding the home's need for
power. In other words, when considering the cost of bringing grid power to a
remote location, say atop a rural hill, a hybrid-solar power system coupled with a
wind turbine might be a much less expensive option then paying for power poles
and traditional power to be brought in.
Overall, solar panels for home use can be a
viable and attractive option to many
homeowners all over the world. The options
today are much more advanced and efficient
then most people realize. With the correct
education, the option is there to even construct
your own solar panel array, which, once
completed, could provide your home with solar
power for only a few hundred dollars.
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