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How to Go Solar a Little at a Time

Source: http://boiserealestateinfo.net
Publish Date: 3/28/2009

One of the easiest and most affordable ways to go green is through solar energy, and luckily the government is also supporting the trend. Many federal and state incentives are available to help homeowners offset the cost of implementing a solar energy option. Local utility companies also frequently have programs to help pay to install or modify systems, and most electrical power companies are happy to buy kilowatts from homeowners who generate more than they use.

Solar panels, for example, can supplement the electricity you purchase from the local utility company – and the utility provider will pay you for any excess electricity you happen to generate and then feed back into the main grid. The process by which you get reimbursed for running the meter backwards is known as “net metering” and is, for many consumers, one of the most attractive features of a solar investment.

Homeowners are charged for – or given a credit for, as the case may be– the difference between what they use and how much they generate as homemade juice. If the system is sized well for the electrical needs of the household – something a good solar design engineer can do – then you will usually wind up at break-even each month. So the electric company doesn’t mail you a check, but they also do not send you a bill to pay.

Homes that are off the grid need to store electricity in batteries, but even if you are on the grid batteries can come in handy as a way to store juice to use during periods of bad weather when the sun refuses to shine. Even on overcast days; however, many well-designed solar systems still generate up to 15 percent of their rated power.

Starting Small and Gradually Growing a Solar System

Using a clothesline to dry laundry on a sunny day is the most basic way to use solar, and doing that is a great first step that also leaves clothes smelling fresh as sunshine. But modern advances in solar technology also offer the capability to shift an entire household’s electrical system to sunlight

One of the most common ways to start using solar at home is to use it to heat water. Active solar systems use pumps to circulate water through the heating unit. Passive systems rely on gravity to move the water, so they cost less but are not as efficient.
Both kinds of systems work fine, though, and many homeowners start with the simple and relatively cheaper passive method and then convert over to an active system later.
Other simple ways to go solar include using solar powered outdoor landscaping lights, solar powered electric fences (if you have a farm), or solar power to supply the juice to a workshop, garage, guest house, or water pump.
But solar-generated electricity can of course also run refrigerators, personal computers, appliances, cell phone chargers, lights, televisions – you name it.
To get the most bang for the buck, invest in energy efficient appliances. Those provide automatic savings and if you are also getting electricity from the sun, the savings are compounded – like when you get paid interest on the interest earned in a savings account.

Fortune Magazine recently reported that federal tax credit limits for residential solar systems have been lifted, so homeowners can typically get a 30 percent tax credit for the cost of the solar panels they install. Those who buy a $24,000 3-kilowatt solar system in California – big enough to power the average home – can claim, for example, a $7,200 tax credit. Add to that the discount offered through state solar rebates and the cost of the system is suddenly slashed by a full 50 percent.

To get a better handle on cost-benefit analysis, talk to the local electricity provider and find out what the company's policies are for sending electricity back to the grid. Most are happy to receive the extra power and be willing to pay the individual a fair price.

Mapping Your Solar Potential

While there are generally no site tests to be done, there are accurate ways to evaluate solar feasibility. There are detailed maps of the USA showing general yearly solar values. These show how much sunshine you can expect each year or season, so you can easily estimate how much sunlight you’ll have to fuel your system. The most important thing is to have a clear ‘solar window’ four or five hours a day that will not be shaded in the summer or the winter.

Here is a good rule of thumb to help you calculate that window:

If there is enough available sunshine to grow tomatoes in your yard, there is probably more than enough to harvest electricity – and enjoy growing your savings green alongside those red tomatoes.

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