Solar energy power is the “in” thing to do. As more and more of the Earth’s fossil fuels are being exhausted, people are stepping up and doing their part. Now, homeowner’s can install their own solar energy power using pre-packaged kits.
But how do you choose a solar power kit? Should you buy one or two? Will it run one appliance or your whole house?
Solar power do-it-yourself kits should come complete with detailed instructions, this is important if you are going to install it yourself. If you are having an installer put it in, make sure they are familiar with the type of solar power kit you are purchasing.
Your kit should also be expandable. If this is your first venture into solar energy and you decide you like it, you want to be able to expand on the installation, not start over with a new one. The ability to add to or upgrade is an important feature to look at.
How Much Power?
To determine the size kit you need, you need to know how much power you consume. You can run around tallying your appliances and gadgets and then research their power use and how often you use them; do some multiplications and hope you are accurate in your determination.
A much simpler and more accurate method would be to call your power company. They can give you your monthly power usage for the past 12 months and you can determine your daily average from there. You will also get a much more accurate measurement.
Armed with your average power usage needs you can purchase your solar energy kit. You might want to purchase a kit that covers only a portion of your needs and upgrade later. Doing this lets you see how solar energy performs in your home and keeps your power company as a backup.
You should also decide if you want a battery backup for your system. It will increase the cost of the system and battery backups are expensive to maintain. However, if you are going off the grid and can’t risk being without power in case of a blackout; you might want to consider installing one.
If, however, you are staying on the power company’s grid and using an inter-tied system, you don’t have to worry about that. And you also save more money by selling your excess power to them. This system requires little or no maintenance to upkeep.
Your final decision, but also an important one is the company you are purchasing from. You should do your homework to insure you are dealing with a legitimate company that stands behind its products. If you can’t find good reviews or customer comments, keep looking until you do. You can save yourself a lot of headaches.
That’s it. Now you’re ready to go install your solar kit and get on the renewable energy train. Choosing your solar energy kit takes some research but it pays off when you know you can trust the company you bought it from and that you chose a kit big enough to supply your power needs.
What are the Best Alternatives to Solar Power Kits?
When choosing solar power systems, a lot of people will go for simple but very expensive option of paying a professional company to supply and install the complete system. This option is really the lazy option as it’s mostly hassle free.
However, the main disadvantage of professional system is that they costs thousands of dollars and can take many years to start paying for themselves.
What about a Homemade Solar Power System?
If you had list of every component you need to build your own solar panels, along with easy follow instructions of how to put the system together, you could actually build a complete solar power system for less than $200.
You may not be aware, but there are now some great “how to” guides available on Internet that provide step-by-step instructions on how to build a solar power system. Some are much better than others and the best ones even include video instructions. These guides are aimed at anyone who is capable of using a drill and doing some basic wiring.
Out of all the guides on DIY solar power systems, the one I think is the best is called Earth4Energy. Rather than go into detail you can watch my 7 minute video explaining this system here: Review of Earth4Energy on YouTube.
Related posts:
- DIY Solar Power is too Futuristic?
- Homemade Solar Power System ? A Guide For Beginners
- The Solar Power Modules Story
- DIY Solar Power – How to Build Homemade Solar Panels
- Why Choose Wind Energy To Power Your Home?
Tags: 12 months, accurate measurement, accurate method, alternative energy, appliances, battery backup, battery backups, blackout, do it yourself, earth, energy, energy power, first venture, fossil fuels, gadgets, going off the grid, green energy, Home Improvement, multiplications, remodel, renewable energy, solar energy, solar power, wind power
