I had a discussion with a friend of mine who is thinking of setting up his own home solar power system. The discussion reached a point where we were talking where to put the solar panels worth over $15,000.

There were many places which were discussed, some of the places were roofs, picnic shelters and carports. As a matter of fact, it is very difficult to locate a place where a bunch of Photovoltaic (PV) panels can be installed.

You need to consider many things like exposure to sun, the condition of roof, vandalism and the space availability on the roof. My suggestion was to build another carport and to me, it seemed to be a good idea. Apart from parking your car, the structure can be used to shield your car from the sun and rain. Now, it can also be used to generate electricity via the solar panels.

In the discussion, my friend mentioned the word “Pergola” which was a new term for me. To me, a Pergola sounds like an Italian opera, where there is lot of water around with a boat and an Italian man singing romantic songs.

To feed my curiosity, I went online and did a search on Pergola. As it turns out, it is a wooden structure usually built on a yard. Initially, I was a bit disappointed that my friend gave the suggestion because we live in a hot and humid area. I could visualize moisture damage on the wood and it needing regular replacement or repainting.

However, I saw some pictures of Pergola which already had solar panels installed on it. It is like something built on heavy timbers and does not have sidings.

If you were to installed PV panels on a Pergola, the following are some of the pros and cons:

• It looks nice, but weather may spoil its looks.
• Providing partial shade for your garden or a quiet place to drink tea in the afternoon.
• Allowing vine maple to creep on it which you have to trim sooner or later.

All in all, a Pergola can be a good place to set up the PV panels. Firstly, you need to custom design the Pergola to fit your yard and it should be directly under the sun for most of the time.

The roof trusses have to be designed so that solar panels can be installed easily. The type of timber used has to be of high quality so it will last a long time.

The solar panel roof is to be made water proof so it can offer shade when it rains. You can use metal roofing and attach the solar panels to the ribs of roof. The general idea is to create a double function of the structure of the Pergola.

However, my main concern is the cost of constructing the Pergola. If the investment is too high, it wouldn’t make any economic sense to go ahead with it.

When people choose to go green with their energy needs, they start thinking about installing solar panels at their home. It doesn’t mean that you can buy the first solar panel that you find in the market.

The solar panel you buy should be capable of producing the amount of power you need at home. If you look at your monthly electricity bill, you can find out how much electricity is consumed at your home during a month. If you divide the electricity consumed in a month by 30, you will get the amount of electricity you need for a day.

Electricity produced by a Photovoltaic (PV) solar panel is directly proportional to the amount of sunlight it gets. The longer it is exposed to sunlight, the more energy it can produce.

To find out the wattage of electricity produced by the solar panel, divide the amount of electricity you need for one day by the number of hours the solar panel is exposed to sunlight. If you think that the solar panel will get sunlight for 6 hours, divide your daily electricity need by 6. The resulting figure is to be then multiplied by 1.15.

The product you get is the wattage of electricity your solar panel can produce in a day with 6 hours of exposure to sunlight. Checking the wattage of the solar panel before you buy it is important to ensure that the panel produces enough electricity for your needs.

Another important thing you should check before buying your solar panel is the size and direction of your roof. If you think that your roof is strong enough to support the weight of the solar panel and other installations, you can contact any solar energy company to install the panel on your roof. If your roof is facing the south, it will still be better.

Remember to engage a company that has a clean track record and experience in installing solar panels. Poorly installed solar panels may not produce the amount of energy you expect. To compare the installation costs charged by different companies, it is better to take quotes from all the companies serving your area.

By comparing the solar panel installation quotes and checking on the business record of all the companies, you can easily find out the right company to install the solar panels at your home. Before the company arrives to install the PV panel, choose the area of your roof suitable for installing the panel.

The area you choose should face the south. If there are any obstacles which might prevent the solar panel from getting sun light, remove them beforehand. While the technicians install the panel, check whether they are following the right procedure.

Once the solar panel is installed, clean it from time to time to remove the dust and debris that may get deposited on it. If the panel is covered with dust, its efficiency to produce power may be affected. A well maintained solar panel is expected to produce electricity for a period of 30 years.

Other than regular cleaning of the solar panel, there are no additional costs once the solar panel is installed. This is the reason why installing solar panel at your home is encouraged. The energy produced by the solar panel is stored in batteries and it can be used whenever you need it.

The greatest advantage of installing solar panel is that the environment is not at all harmed in the power production process. There are no harmful gases produced by a solar panel.

Advancement in solar energy technology has made it possible to light not only the interior but also the exterior of a house. Solar outside lightings serve different purposes; they light the outside areas and add beauty to your surroundings. They help to reduce the amount on your electricity bill.

No wires are required and you don’t have to be afraid of getting electrocuted. Outside solar lightings are available in different styles and designs to suit everybody’s preferences. These solar lamps don’t need any maintenance once they are set up. The batteries are incorporated into the design of the outside solar lamps.

The outside solar lamps can function without any human interference. They have their own solar cells to convert sun light into electricity, batteries to store the electricity produced and LED bulbs to give out light at night. The batteries are expected to last for 3 to 4 years.

A LED bulb is quite different from an incandescent bulb. A LED bulb gives out brighter light than an incandescent bulb. The light from a LED bulb is more dispersed whereas the light produced by an incandescent bulb is confined to the bulb itself.

The life span of a Led bulb is much longer than the life of an incandescent bulb. LED bulbs don’t produce any heat while they burn but incandescent bulbs give out heat when they light.

Solar outside lamps with LED bulbs can be fixed at any place but incandescent bulbs need wires to connect them to power supply. All safety measures must be in place for an incandescent outside bulb but a solar outside lamp doesn’t need any of the safety precautions.

The place you choose to set your solar outside lighting should be clear of any obstructions. The solar panel should get plenty of sunlight to charge the batteries fully. If there are any tree branches, remove them before installing the lamps. Once the lamp is installed, it will take one or two days for the batteries to get fully charged for the first time.

Once the batteries are fully charged and the outside solar lamp is operational, you have nothing more to do. The only things you need to do from time to time are to clean the solar panel of its dust and replace the battery after three or four years.

The outside solar lamp has light sensors which will automatically turn on and off the light. When it is dark, the lamp lights itself and at dawn, the lamp turns off automatically. Solar outside lights are available in a variety of designs and styles. They are used both for lighting purpose and for decoration.

Solar lights which resemble animals when lit will be beautiful additions to your garden. There are also solar lights which turn on whenever a motion is detected in their vicinity. They are very ideal to scare away thieves. Solar outside lamps will be very suitable to decorate your home during Christmas.

With solar lamps to light your home and its surroundings, you don’t have to worry about a heavy electricity bill. Even when the mains electricity fails you, you will have light at your home. You can also be proud of being friendly to the nature.