Here are some of the effective strategies aimed at conserving power at residences and cut down on the monthly electricity bill.

1) Using a programmable digital thermostat.

A digital programmable thermostat is more precise than the earlier versions of thermostats. It can be set to different temperatures in a day and once programmed; temperatures will automatically get adjusted according to the settings.

In a few models of digital thermostats, you can program for two temperature settings, one for the working week when the members of the family are away from home and another for the weekend.

It is better to buy a more comprehensive model that facilitates setting different temperatures for each day of the week.

The Department of Energy recommends a temperature setting of 68 degrees for residences during winter and 72 degrees in summer. However, setting the temperature at 68 degrees, while everyone is either at work or school during the day, is not necessary. When no one is at home, there is no point turning on the air conditioner whilst wasting electricity.

On the other hand, you can program the temperature for 55 degrees while the family is away from home with a provision to automatically adjust it back to 68 degrees a little before everyone gets back home.

It is advisable to opt for a programmable thermostat for the home that is well-suited to both heating and cooling systems. Many local home improvement stores sell a range of brands of digital programmable thermostats.

2) Install a timer for your home hot water heater.

A normal electric heater keeps plenty of water heated throughout the day even if no one in the family needs it, thereby resulting in huge electricity bills. You can save a lot of money by installing a timer on the electric water heater. It is a compact gadget that allows choosing particular off and on times to run the water heater.

There can be any number of options. You can set the water heater in such a way that hot water is available early in the morning for shower, late in the afternoon for laundry work or evening for using dishwater.

You should switch on the timer one hour before using the hot water heater. If hot water heater with a timer devise is used and water is heated only when it is required there will be a drastic reduction in power bills.

Local home improvement stores usually sell different models of electric water heater timers. The Little Gray Box is among the most popular electric water heater timer available.

3) Have a maintenance schedule for all home appliances.

All electrical appliances in the home require regular maintenance in order that they operate at an optimum efficiency. Filters on heating and air conditioning systems should be thoroughly cleaned frequently and they should be changed whenever necessary.

The manufacturer’s instruction booklet provides all the information required for specific maintenance procedures. A diary should be maintained indicating the dates on which the previous maintenance was carried out and when it is due again. It is also necessary to vacuum clean refrigerator’s coils periodically.

The efficiency of the refrigerator goes down and considerably increase costs of cooling, if dust gets accumulated on the coils. By clearing the heavy accumulation of dust using a vacuum cleaner and softly wiping the remaining dust with the help of a brush will make the coils clean.

You should undertake these routine maintenance tasks once in every three months that will enhance considerably the refrigerator’s operating efficiency, thereby facilitating reduction in monthly utility bills. However, cleaning of coils in appliances once a month is necessary if there are pets in the home.

The three strategies such as installing digital programming thermostat, fixing a timer on electric water heater and periodical maintenance of electric appliances helps in conserving substantial units of energy and contributes to huge savings in monthly power bills.

Ever increasing power costs and the requirement for additional electricity over the years have prompted the consumers to look for alternative sources of power. Solar energy is one of the most popular alternative sources that more and more people are depending upon to fulfill their power requirements. Solar power is a type of renewable energy that is eco-friendly and pollution-free compared to power generated from fossil fuels.

It is easy to get a lot of information related to home on solar power systems. There are a number of websites that provide a wealth of information on solar energy and solar power systems, which can be easily downloaded for use. The instructions provided in several e-books are easy to understand. In this blog alone, we have bought and reviewed quite a number of DIY home solar panel construction guides.

In addition, a lot of material may also available on solar power locally. The first step in initiating ways and means to reduce electricity costs is to understand which type of solar panels for sale are most appropriate for the individual’s requirements.

As a solar system utilizes the existing wiring, its installation is not at all a complex issue. You can buy the solar panels either from a well-established shop dealing in solar energy systems or online. Most of the sellers offer their services to install the system free of cost.

For those who want to install the system on their own, the instruction manuals would provide step by step instructions. It is important to install Photovoltaic (PV) panels correctly in order to ensure optimum performance.

It is essential to install PV panels in such a way that they always get a lot of sunshine. It should be ensured that trees and other objects do not obstruct the sun.

The weather conditions and place are two important factors that determine the amount of power that solar panels can produce.

Another advantage with solar panels is that there is always a scope to add more number of panels whenever required. In other words, if only one or two panels are installed in the beginning, more number of panels can be added at a later date depending upon the power requirements.

This will make sure that the home is never short of electric power. Moreover, adding new solar panels is very easy. An important advantage of enlarging the solar energy system is that power that is surplus to the individual’s requirements can be sold to the other consumers in the locality. In order to do this, it is necessary to install a ‘reverse electric meter’.

This routes the un-utilized power to the local grid. When the world is getting adversely affected by climate changes, the need to control the situation cannot be overemphasized. The greatest advantage of utilizing solar energy is that it is a renewable form of energy and keeps the environment free from pollution. Those who utilize solar power will be doing their lot in conservation efforts, which the green campaigners actively support.

Apart from this, those having Photovoltaic panel at home will have an opportunity to get an additional income by selling surplus power generated by the system to other consumers. The possibility that solar power can reduce overall energy costs and also provide an opportunity to generate additional income makes installation of a solar power system at home an attractive proposition.

There is of late craze for solar energy, people have been browsing regularly on the internet to see how they can save on energy bills. I know this because I can see a steady increase of visitors’ traffic on my blog. The reports suggest that people have been looking for alternate sources of energy like solar power.

The curiosity for solar energy has been increasing day by day for the last couple of years. Solar energy has always been in the mind of the researchers for many decades, we have not been able to use this energy easily as we do not have resources to use it at homes due to many reasons.

During the early stages of the solar industry, back in the 70’s, that was when solar energy became a household buzz. However, it did not gain any momentum as it did not offer any energy savings. It was due to the fact that cost of energy was not a major concern at that time. With the rapid rise of energy cost, it is gaining much publicity these days.

Another factor which discouraged the use of solar technology was that the life of solar panels was only ten years and will start losing its efficiency first five years of its life. Thankfully, there is a lot of difference now in the technology used to manufacture Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. This is one of the reasons why homeowners are utilizing the modern solar panels.

This new technology has helped many home owners to save on electric bills. There are some instances that people have saved even 80% of their energy bills. This is the reason why PV panels are in great demand.

Another factor which has contributed to sales is the size of these solar panels which is much smaller and gives it a cosmetic look. With the advancement in technology, today’s Photovoltaic panels are much more efficient than the ones our forefathers used to buy. This means people are getting good value for their money.

Solar energy has gained so much popularity that there are many expert contractors who can install solar panels on both new and old homes. Since the demand is very high, so are the prices of these panels, but you can recover the cost within few years of the installation. Basically you can recover your investment within 8 to 15 years.

Some home owners yearning to save cost will try to do the installation via a Do It Yourself. Understandably, a home solar power system setup professionally costs a lot, that’s why people are looking for an option to do it themselves.

Many people, with some electrical skill are building their own PV system using inexpensive DIY guide such as PDF ebooks and instructional videos available on the internet. Such video guides have become instant hit as there is lot of savings when you install it yourself.

Homemade PV panels are not that costly and most of the time these are easy to install. There are people who claim to have built the solar energy panels within $200. That is a substantial saving taking into account you may need 8 – 12 panels for a small solar system.

Which ever approach you choose, it is a great option to save upon your home energy bills. You not only save money, you are at the same time contributing positively to the environment. You too can adopt it as a business to install solar system for other people, you will surely enjoy it and make a good living from it.

The ever increasing cost and need of energy have made it necessary for many across the globe to look for alternate sources of energy; solar energy being the most sought after source to meet their demands.

You, too, can turn to this source to meet your energy needs and knowing which solar panels for sale are best to cater to your needs, can not only help you to have energy in abundance but can also bring down your electricity bills.

Sun provides you this renewable form of environmental friendly energy and there are many sources from where you can obtain knowledge to use it. Download free and helpful information from the internet, read e-books and get a list of locally available materials to have in-depth knowledge about how to use solar energy.

You can install a solar energy generating system in your home easily, since the system uses the existing wiring of your house. Buy these solar panels online or from a reputed seller and avail the free installation offer.

However, if you decide to install it yourself; follow the directions as stated in the accompanied instruction manual and install it properly to reap rich dividends. Install the system facing the side of your roof or house, where there is plenty of sunshine and remain mindful of the fact that the place should be clear of trees and other things that might block the sun.

Over a period of time you can expand this system; however, the amount of energy generation is dependent on weather conditions and location. Connecting new solar panels is quite easy; hence, initially start with one or few solar panels and gradually increase these depending on your energy consumption so that you have abundant supply of energy in your home.

A very important benefit of expanding your solar power system is that it can become a revenue generation source for you, since you can always sell any excess energy to the local authority.

Global warming is a big issue, now a day and it is ever increasing. The climate change, big tsunamis, hurricanes, etc. are all results of global warming and fossil fuels play a big and negative part in it. The more you burn fossil fuels the more carbon dioxide along with water vapor is released in the environment, leading to considerable warming of the climate.

Moreover, the source is non-renewable and with each passing day, it is dwindling. The solar energy, on the other hand, is renewable and keeps the environment clean, too. Use these solar energy panels to generate the clean energy and become an advocate of green campaign.

You are not only going to help the environment but can also earn some extra bucks by producing extra energy. The prospect of cutting down the energy expense and creating an additional source of earning by producing solar energy is fast gathering momentum among many; follow suit if you do not want to be left out.

Gather knowledge about solar panels for sale, install these in your home to produce clean, renewable energy and do your bit for the environment.

Solar power is generated by converting sunlight into electricity, either directly with the help of Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, or indirectly utilizing concentrated solar power (CSP) systems, which use lenses or mirrors to focus a vast area of sunlight into a small beam.

The value of any property that gets electric supply from solar panels is generally very high. This is due to the following advantages in installing a solar power system in the house:

1) The cost of electricity supplied by the grid is relatively high when compared with solar energy.
It means that if the property gets its electricity from the solar power system, there is no need to get power from the grid or power requirement from the grid is reduced.

If no power is drawn from the grid, there is no need to pay any energy costs to the grid. On the other hand, if there is reduction in power requirements from the grid, it will result in overall savings in energy costs.

2) Solar power systems are insulated from future increases due to inflation, as the increases are approved by the Department of Public Utilities.

3) Solar power systems are eligible for accelerated depreciation for the purpose of tax. This results in appreciation in value for the property very fast.

4) Properties powered by solar energy have much higher resale value, to the extent of 17%, than the properties without solar power system.

Many surveys have indicated that properties that use solar energy were sold at an average of 20% faster than the properties without solar power systems. According to the assessment of Nevin, Bender and Gazan published in the Appraisal Journal, the benefits of installing a solar energy system in a property can be easily expressed in financial terms.

As validated by the Appraisal Institute, a solar energy system enhances the value of a home by $20,000 for every $1000 savings in annual operating costs. The underlying justification is that the savings from the reduced operating costs can be utilized on a higher mortgage without any change in the net monthly cost of ownership.

The percentage of costs recovered in a solar energy system is much higher than in any other property improvements. In other words, most of the solar systems will recover its investment much faster than any other asset; in fact, recovery far exceeds 100% of the cost.

The savings from a solar energy system is so enormous that even according to the conservative estimate; return on investment over a period of 25 years is expected to be between 220% and 350%. This reduction in costs may be much more substantial if power costs from public utilities continue to move upwards.

The latest comprehensive study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on the homes across various subdivisions constructed by several California builders revealed an interesting comparison between homes using solar power and those not powered by solar energy.

It showed that solar-powered homes were sold 20% faster and 17% more than the corresponding non-solar-powered houses. In a specific subdivision alone all the 257 solar-powered homes were sold within a year, 2 years earlier than anticipated. Certain interesting facts came to light during discussions with the home buyers.

If solar power system was already installed in the house and its cost was included in the purchase price, buyers were likely to opt for a house with a solar power system.

However, if the seller is to yet to decide about setting up a solar power system at the time of purchase, the buyer dropped the idea of buying that house altogether. The homes that utilize solar energy fetched a price of anywhere between $380,000 and $500,000 and in view of the heavy demand, some homes were sold as high as $600,000!

Another interesting aspect about the property with solar energy system is that even when the system gets old the property is expected to appreciate in value corresponding with the increases in electricity rates. For instance, the higher the increase in electricity tariff, the greater will be the appreciation in value; the ratio being as high as 20 to 1.

With the passage of time, solar energy systems get old and can generate power only at 80% of capacity up to 25 years, resulting in accelerated depreciation for the equipment. It is for this reason solar power equipment carry a warranty for 25 years till the end of their useful life.

Home buyers will be prepared to pay at least 100% of its original cost so that they can retrofit the solar power system considering the ever increasing electricity rates. On the whole, the present or future owner of the property will be assured to get back their investment on solar power system, if an occasion arises in future to sell it.

With ever increasing costs of electricity, reducing expenses on household electrical consumption is a top-most priority for many people. Many people necessarily use air conditioners during summer, which increase power costs considerably.

People can reduce the consumption of electricity, if they use fans for air circulation and reduce the room temperature rather than using air conditioners, provided if it is done properly. Following are some useful information regarding the usage of air conditioning units and electric fans.

What is Air Conditioning (AC)?

The function of any air conditioning, whether it is a central or whole house system or a window unit is to cool a space and maintain the room temperature or that of the house at cool and comfortable levels. The hot air from the atmosphere is drawn inside the system and passed through several stages and is blown across a ‘cold source’ to cool the air temperature inside the room and dehumidify the air.

Many years ago, air conditioning units used Freon and other CFC gases as coolants. However, the use of these chemicals as coolants has been prohibited as they were considered harmful for the environment. Air conditioning units consist of circulation fans, the compressor and other parts assembled in the unit.

Air conditioning units are powered by electricity. Air conditioning systems or units consume a lot of electric power contributing to huge electricity bills.

On the other hand, the function of fans is different. Instead of reducing the air temperature in the room, the fans merely circulate the air, eventually cooling the room.

Investment Costs of Air Conditioning

Despite the claims by the electric contractors that the energy efficiency of air conditioning units has improved considerably in the last decade, air conditioners still account for the maximum consumption of electricity in a house. An average American home incurs around 16% of the total electricity bill on air conditioners.

This percentage will go up to 60 – 70% during summer, particularly in the Deep South, where the efficiency levels are generally low due to high humidity. A typical window air conditioning unit consumes about 500 to 1400 watts. An average 2.5 ton central air conditioning system consumes around 3500 watts of power per hour if used regularly. This works out to hundreds of dollars per month.

Electric Fans – The Facts

As air conditioning units cool and dehumidify air in the room or house, they are much more effective in cooling than fans, which do not alter the surrounding temperature of a room, but bring down the room temperature and keep the room cool through circulation of air.

Though efficiency wise in terms of cooling air conditioners are far superior to fans, they lose out to fans in terms of power consumption. While a normal floor model of electric fan consumes 100 watts of electricity per hour, a ceiling fan consumes just 15 – 30 watts. The saving in energy costs is, therefore, enormous.

Can You Live Without AC?

Although air conditioning units consume a lot of power, it is still possible to achieve savings in energy costs and keep the electricity bills under reasonable levels. A major amount of power is consumed by the compressor and coolant pump.

However, A/C units also have fans that function without the usage of coolant. Adjusting the thermostat of the A/C units at higher temperature and the fan in the air conditioners at lower temperature will enable the fans to run more often than the cooling pump.

As it would take 35 floor fans to use as much energy as central air conditioning system, it would be better to install a few fans to utilize them as the main source of cooling and using A/C only when it is necessary. Even though using an air conditioner is a luxury, many Americans do not want curtail its use.

However, it is essential to reduce its use in order to cut down monthly expenses. According to one estimate, at least 50% saving can be achieved if electric fans instead of A/Cs are used. By utilizing judiciously both A/Cs and electrical fans, one can derive maximum benefit in terms of sufficient cooling and energy efficiency.

If you ask any electric contractor or an electrician about using aluminum wiring, chances are that will immediately say no and shake their heads. It is now well established that using aluminum is extremely dangerous, as per the Consumer Product and Safety Commission usage of aluminum wiring is 55 times more prone to fire hazards as compared to copper. Such wirings can put homes especially mobile homes which have been built between 1960 and 1970s.

The big question is why is aluminum so dangerous as compared to copper?

Thermal expansion and contraction.

Aluminum has a property of expanding and contracting at a different rate than any other electric wiring. The electric current which passes through the wire changes the temperature, the impact can be great in case of heavy load or small wire.

Aluminum heats up very fast and can create a gap when it cools as a result the contact point is pushed away. This results electricity to jump or arc to continue the path, these arcs can be as high as 10000 degrees Fahrenheit which can lead to a major fire.

Low conductivity due to oxidation.

The main concern of an electrician is oxidation, oxidation is a chemical process which is caused when aluminum comes into contact with oxygen, this process leads to coating of the wire. To make it simpler, it is just like rust which forms a coating on iron when it comes into contact with oxygen.

Aluminum oxidizes much faster than any other wiring material like copper. The coating on the aluminum wire makes it electric resistance and results in the heating of wire much more.

Very fragile material.

Aluminum wiring is much fragile which makes it more unfit to be used as electric wiring, you may ask any electric contractor. Aluminum can be easily broken, which can lead to gap in the electric circuit. This further can cause an arc which can lead to serious fire threat.

Many connections are created by looping the wire around a screw, after some time these loops become quite brittle which can cause breakage.

Aluminum wiring failure warning signs.

What are the real warning signals of aluminum wiring failing? To begin with, those houses built between the year 1960 to 1970 should remain always vigilant. The only safety lies in getting your wiring inspected by the experts periodically.

The home owners should keep a close eye on the flickering lights or if the lights brighten or fade, the burning smell of plastic and warm outlets like switches etc. other signals could be appliances which normally do not function properly. This is also true that sometimes there are no warning signals.

The best option is to completely replace the aluminum wiring by copper wiring using the services of some expert electric contractor. This may prove to be costly and messy as it may require cutting the walls to replace the wiring.

The other cheaper option is reconnecting all of the splices a copper to aluminum connector; it will significantly reduce the danger. It is also true many people are in love with their old homes, it is always better to remodel them and replace the wiring to be safe and tension free. Such steps will totally eliminate the danger of fire and ensure safety of your home and your family.

To protect your family and yourself from the harmful effects of the Ultra Violet rays of the sun and also to save your inside furniture from fading; reduce the effect of incoming sunlight to your home. You can do this either by tinting your house windows with films or by selecting sunscreens; both of these are equally effective in reducing the amount of light coming in your house.

Lesser sunlight in the rooms means lower temperature and these protective materials are especially useful in warm climates, since your air conditioner do not have to work overtime to keep the temperature down; thus saving your expense on energy consumption.

It is difficult to compare between these two, since both are equally effective in restricting the light coming in and keeping the room temperature low; you can choose any one of these as per your convenience and liking. Both, sunscreens and tinted windows reduce the absorption of heat from glass and this is measured as “solar heat gain coefficient”.

The tainted windows are advantageous but have some disadvantages, too. These windows reduce the incoming light only when you keep these closed and you can either avail the facility of air circulation or reduced temperature, but not both at the same time.

However, if you have installed decorative windows in your house, then tainted windows are going to prove beneficial, since these windows do not open. One more disadvantage of the tainted windows is that the tainted pane can absorb heat and transfer it inside the rooms, thereby unnecessarily increasing the room temperature.

You have to see to it that the film is properly applied; otherwise the heat is going to get trapped between panes, thereby stressing these and damaging the warranty of the window. Sunscreens, too, have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is generally believed that the phoenix window sunscreens are more effective, since these allow the heat of the sun rays to circulate before the window panes absorb it and transmit it inside the rooms.

Though these offer you lower visibility than the tinted windows; however this feature is not available with tinted windows. As per the Effective Windows Collaborative theory, because of this phenomenon, the solar heat gets reduced considerably, say by around 40% to 70%.

By installing the sunscreens, you will have the flexibility of opening and closing your windows for air circulation and during winter you can remove the panes and allow the sunlight to come in for heating up your rooms. Sunscreens are generally made from polyester or fiberglass and hence are economical and since, these are densely weaved; provides you not only comfort but privacy, too.

If you have storm doors and windows installed in your ancestral home, you can replace these, too, with sunscreens. To install, remove the screen from the windows and though the removal process varies depending on the style and design of your old window; you should initially determine your requirements and purpose.

Always purchase good quality sunscreens from reputed manufacturers and ensure that these prevent both UVA and UVB rays from coming inside your rooms. Log on to the internet to know more about these products from the websites which sell these. Adhere to manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning the sunscreens, since this should be done periodically.

Sun rays can gradually discolor the sunscreens and though it is not possible to remove discoloration; you can use sealers to restore their quality.

If you are looking for more home energy saving ideas, check out the Green DIY Energy program on the web. I wrote a short GreenDIYEnergy review about the program on this blog, please read it for more information.

During the warm summer days ceiling fans provide us great relief and comfort. However, choosing the right ceiling fan for a room is not as easy as it seems; you cannot just walk into a showroom a pick the one up that is visibly appealing to you.

You should consider the facts like the size of your room, the ceiling height, the quality of the components of the fan and various other details before you decide to buy the fan. An electrical contractor, who is specialized in this field, can provide you valuable tips to choose the right fan for your room, by taking into consideration the following factors.

1) Calculate the size of the room.

At the outset; the electric contractor is going to measure your room to determine its size since, the larger your room is the longer should be the blade span of your fan and if your room is too big in size, he might suggest two ceiling fans.

For a 100 square feet room, you are going to require a ceiling fan with blade span of 36” whereas if your room is somewhere close to 375 square feet the blade span should be 52”.

The contractor is also going to determine the center of your room, since installing the fan there is going to provide you air in all parts of the room and for safety reasons; he is never going to place the ceiling fan over your bed.

2) Consider the ceiling height.

The electric contractor is then going to measure the height of the ceiling to determine the type of mount required for the fan. Generally, a fan placed at 8’ or 9’ from the floor gives you the best result; however, it can even be installed at 7’ from the floor but not lower than that and some buildings make this height mandatory through a code.

If your room has low ceiling, he can install a flush mount and in case of high or sloped ceiling he is going to use a down rod to install the fan at the preferred height.

3) Select quality component.

The quality of the components of the ceiling fan is a very important factor and your electric contractor is never going to advise you to compromise on quality for price.

Always try to buy a fan having heavy, die-cast parts, since these are going to reduce the noise of the motor and would restrict the fan from wobbling. Choose mounts with sealer bearings and permanent lubrication as these last longer.

Another thing that you should check for is the weight and balance of the blades as also for a good warranty.

4) Consider alternative options.

The blade pitches of a ceiling fan range from 8 to 15 percent; your electric contractor is always going to suggest you fan blades with higher pitches, since higher it is the more is the circulation of the air in the room.

Dimmer switches, specialized lighting fixtures, controls that can program the speed of the blades to match the air temperature of the room automatically, wireless remotes, color of the fan to match your room paint, etc. are some of the other options that your electric contractor can suggest and carry out for you.

5) Evaluate your electrical needs.

Many fans use lighting fixtures; therefore, your electric contractor is the right person to suggest whether you can install these fans or not since, he can determine the type of fans that can be supported with the current electric circuits in place and whether these are required to be upgraded or not.

If you want to install fans outdoors or in damp places, your electrical contractor is going to do it with special wiring. Take his help and not only install the perfect fan in each of your rooms but also have the peace of mind.

Over the past many years, more and more people have been depending upon large utility companies for electric power; with the result these companies always dictate terms. In view of this, there has been constant search for alternative sources of electricity.

In this respect, installing a solar power system at home is much more advantageous than carrying on with large electric companies for electricity or depends on “fossil fuel”. The major advantage of having a solar energy system at home is reduced costs of electricity.

All the leading utility companies frequently increase costs of power and unfortunately, the individual consumer has no control over it. Installing a solar energy system for a home reduces considerably reliance on large electric companies for power.

Solar energy sources have become so popular these days that many people have already got solar panels installed in their residences. A house with a solar panel system will, therefore, enhance the value of the property. This is another significant benefit of having a solar panel system at home.

Houses need various types of repairs from time to time. Home repairs, normally, consist of changing broken windows, rectifying leaking taps or valves or repairing screen doors and many similar repair jobs. The need for household repair jobs usually occurs all of a sudden and most of them need immediate rectification.

However, unlike installation of solar energy systems at home, these repairs will not add any value to the house. Besides repairs, there are several maintenance jobs at home which need to be undertaken from time to time.

Some of these maintenance jobs include for example, changing water filters in a water purification system, cleaning gutters or putting a sealant on a wooden portico. Home maintenance jobs are carried out normally every year based on a specific plan to derive the best service from that item.

Just like repairs, home maintenance jobs do not also enhance the value of the house, whereas including a solar panel system as part of house hold equipment will boost the value of the house.

Extending the house by adding another room, installation of a solar power panel or adding storm windows are in the nature of home improvements.

Although these jobs are not so vital, many people still undertake home improvements now and then either for their convenience or because of certain advantages these items would provide. Solar power is eco-friendly and renewable energy source.

Minimizing air pollution is another excellent benefit that a solar panel system can offer. Fossil fuel emits harmful greenhouse gases and pollutes the atmosphere. Air pollution is reported to be the major cause for global warming.

In certain areas, the air pollution is so serious that numerous instances of breathing difficulties and asthma are frequently published in newspapers and scientific journals. In other words, minimizing pollution not only contributes to pollution-free atmosphere but also improves overall well-being of people.

Most of the local regulations do not impose any restrictions on installing solar energy systems for residences as compared to installing a wind turbine. Wind energy is another alternative source of cheaper, renewable and pollution -free electrical energy.

Erecting a windmill, therefore, appears to be a good option for generating affordable and clean energy. However, the advantage with a solar panel system is that it can be easily erected on the terrace where it will not cause any obstruction.

On the other hand, installation of a wind turbine requires a lot of open space and this aspect may invite objections both from local regulators and neighbors. Installation of a solar energy system for a residence is a major decision.

Luckily, State as well as Federal agencies offer normally several concessions to assist in reducing the cost of erection of solar panels for the residence and therefore, it is one more advantage of having a solar panel at home. Department of Energy makes available a lot of information relating to the policies of Local, Federal, Utility and the State administrations and on various incentives offered in order to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Over a period of time, solar energy is likely to be the norm in future, when all these rebates may be withdrawn. In view of this, installing a solar panel system for the residence at present is an excellent investment decision. Hence, it is a sound strategy to install solar panels at home and reap all the advantages immediately.