I bought a copy of John Russel Power4Home in April 2009 because I wanted to do some research on home solar power system. The Power4Home web site keeps popping up everything I do a search query on residential solar power system on the search engine. I decided to purchase a copy and see what it has to offer.

Straight off the bat, John Russel mentioned in his web site you can start generating electricity at home for less than $200. That statement is not entirely correct.

Yes, you can start generating electricity from a solar panel with less than $200. In fact, a DIY solar panel can be made with $150.

To make use of the Direct Current (DC) generated by the solar array, you’ll need other solar components such as DC disconnect, meter gauges, circuit breaker, charge controller, deep cycle batteries, power inverter etc.

These components are not cheap. All in all, you will need at least $1000 to $1500 to make a reasonable size home solar power system. The system will be able to power most of your home electrical appliances and all lighting fixtures.

It may not be suitable to power energy hungry devices such as air conditioner unit or refrigerator. For this type of equipment, you will need to draw power from the grid.

So is Power4Home any good?

People who visited John Russel’s web site may get very excited about the prospect of using solar energy to reduce their home energy consumption. However, the budget to set up a complete residential solar system is way off.

There is a positive side to the manual though. The step by step instructional videos to make a DIY solar panel is pretty good. It is professionally done and was recorded in High Definition (HD).

If you are good with hand tool and like to start your own home solar power project, Power4Home will provide you with the information to help you get started.

If you like to see what Power4Home has to offer, click on the link below.

==> Click here to visit Power4Home now!

As part of my research to find ideas for this blog, usually I will spend couple of hours a day surfing the web for information. Some of the information I had to purchase. There are also some good info on renewable energy which are free on the internet.

The following are 3 of my favorite web sites I go to for research ideas:

1) The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE)

Here’s some back ground on DSIRE (which is a pretty cool acronym by the way). DSIRE was established in 1995 as an ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).

The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), primarily through the Office of Planning, Budget and Analysis (PBA).

This is not so much a “how to web site”, rather a web site that gives you information on state policies in regards to solar buildings.

If you are looking for renewable energy incentives and policy is the USA, you’ll find it at DSIRE.

2) Consumer Energy Center

This web site consist of information for the consumer about Saving Energy from the California Energy Commission. Generally, the type of info provided from the site are energy saving tips for homes, offices, schools, transportation, etc.

Want to know what types of rebate are available for renewable energy homes? You will find it at this web site.

3) Solar Finder

This web site caters more to home owners that are seriously thinking about using renewable energy such as solar or wind power for their house.

One great feature on this site is the “Find a solar professional” search box. Just enter your zip code and it will pull out all the specialized solar contractors nearest to you.

Is solar power system suitable in your area? To know the answer, you can use the web site solar heat map indicator.

There it is. The above are 3 of my favorite sites that I will go to for information related to solar buildings.

I acknowledge some of the info is pretty dry. The write up can be a bit technical sometimes.

When was the last time you read a new government building policy? It can be a good cure for insomnia.

Nonetheless, since I am writing about DIY solar homes, I need to know the latest news, latest policy and latest happenings in the solar homes industry. These are the portals that I will go to.

Home Solar And Wind Power Videos

Do you want to know how you can use solar modules or wind generator to reduce your home energy consumption? If you do, check out the 30 solar and wind power for home videos e-book we’ve compiled. It’s free to download.

==> Click here to download the free e-book now!

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Related web pages:

1) Earth 4 Energy Review – A quick review on the top selling renewable energy guide from Clickbank.

2) Magniwork Reviews – Is Magniwork Generator System A Scam?

3) Green DIY Energy Reviews – Is Green DIY Energy Another Scam?

There are many homemade solar system manuals now available in the market. You can get a paperback book from Borders or Barnes and Nobel bookstore and even download an e-book from the internet. But honestly, what can you expect from this kind of DIY home solar guide?

Firstly, you have to understand the type of renewable energy that will be covered by most green energy books. For residential usage, the type of renewable energy systems will be solar and wind power.

The selection of the type of system suitable for your home will dependent of a few factors. Does the place you live have good sun coverage yearly? Are there any obstructions near your house such as a big tree or hill? Are there any tall adjacent buildings? These are a few questions you have to study before investing in a home renewable energy system.

Now, assuming you have decided to go with solar power, what can you expect out of a homemade solar system guide. Generally, you will learn about the science behind the system.

This kind of manual will usually show you how electricity is generated by using the Photovoltaic (PV) cells and how a solar array will look on the roof top. You will also learn a new term call “home energy audit”.

This is where you calculate the total amount of electric power consumed by all the electrical appliances and also the amount of energy leaks on a daily basis. This will give you a base on how big the system should be for your home.

Next, you will learn the key components of the solar system such as charge controller, DC disconnect, battery bank, voltage meter, amp meter, inverter, etc. Each any every part is important for the system to work properly.

The fact is, most people that bought a home solar power system guide, would not have the skill or the experience to carry out the project. It would be a better idea to outsource to work to a professional contractor.

The home solar energy industry is a booming sector. There are literally thousands of specialized contractors that will do the job just fine.

So what is your role as a home owner? You want to make sure the contractor works within your allocated budget. The cost of a home improvement project can quickly get out of hand if you don’t manage it properly.

This is where the homemade solar system guide will come in handy. With some knowledge, at least you will know when you are being charged for parts or components not needed in the system.

Even when the contractor asks you to pump in more money on the project, you can confidently ask him to explain the reasons.

Home Solar And Wind Power Videos

Do you want to know how you can use solar modules or wind generator to reduce your home energy consumption? If you do, check out the 30 solar and wind power for home videos e-book we’ve compiled. It’s free to download.

==> Click here to download the free e-book now!

Related web pages:

1) Green DIY Energy Review – Is Green DIY Energy Another Scam?

2) Earth 4 Energy Scam – Is Michael Harvey’s Earth4Energy A Fraud?