By A Renewable Energy Enthusiast

In this post, I thought of writing some information for the people who are at the beginning stage of a home solar power project.

A lot of people interested in using solar energy at home may be wondering how to design a cheap solar power system. But before you jump into any residential solar project, the first question you should ask yourself is why you want the solar system?

Different people would have different answer to that question. Some people may want to reduce their home energy bill while others may want to get rid of it all together by living off the grid.

Now, some people may want to have solar energy at home because they may be living in a remote area out in the country where it is too expensive to have power utility poles and cables pulled to their doorstep. It would make better economic sense to use power generated from a solar system. This is known as a standalone solar system.

Another reason to have solar power at home is to reduce global warming. Some people are green activists and would rather use renewable energy than coal, oil or gas which has a large carbon footprint.

Another reason home owners may want to use solar power is as a backup system. You may be living in an area where the power supply is unreliable and has constant energy outage. This is happening in places where the economic growth is faster that the infrastructure growth and the electricity supply has not caught up with the demand.

When the power grid is overloaded, something has to give and that something is the power supply to your home area. A solar system can be used as a backup when the power grid is down.

These are a couple of reasons I can think of why you would want a home solar power system. I am sure there are many more reasons why home owners would consider investing money on solar components.

When you know the reason, now you can start to design the solar system based on your budget. If you have money to spend, you can engage the service of a professional solar contractor.

If you are working on a shoestring budget, your only alternative is to build the system via a Do It Yourself (DIY) approach. Both approaches has it pros and cons. To make your decision, it is best to revisit why you want the solar system in the first place and proceed from there.

DIY Home Solar Videos

Do you want to get started on a DIY home solar power project? If you do, download a free copy of the 30 Solar and Wind Power For Homes Videos e-book. The e-book will show you videos on the parts and components required to setup a solar energy system and it is free to download. To download the guide, just click on the link below.

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

When you were going up, do you remember learning about the sun at school? I can remember every year, we learn about the sun in science classes. Back then, we knew the sun is a ball of burning gasses and it lights up the earth. Now that we are all grown up, we understand that the sun is capable of much more than lighting up the sky.

A good example is the sun natural ability to generate electricity for a homemade solar power system. Nowadays, most houses are powered using gas or fossil fuel. Should you consider going green and start using renewable energy such as solar? Here are 3 good reasons why you should do so.

1) It can be reasonably low cost. Most people wanting to use solar power at home will start by using readymade solar system or solar components. While this approach is quick and easy, it can be rather expensive.

Engaging a professional solar contractor to setup the system can cost from $20,000 upwards. If you have some technical understanding and if you are good with hand tools, you can actually build the system via a Do It Yourself (DIY) approach.

In fact, there are a lot of guides on the web which will teach you how to build a homemade solar power system at minimal cost.

2) There are many DIY solar guides which you can find on the internet that will teach you how to build the solar powered system. Make sure you find a manual written in simple English without too many technical jargons.

Luckily, some of the guides come with lots of diagrams and step by step instructional videos. All you have to do is follow the instructions making the entire process fast and simple.

3) When you are using a DIY homemade solar power at home, you will begin to see a reduction in your home energy bill. No doubt the reduction may not be a lot, but if you were to multiple it with 10 or 20 years, the money saved can be quite substantial.

A good DIY solar system can last 1 or 2 decades. That is generally the lifespan of the solar components before you need to replace them.

The next time you look at a sunset, admire its beauty because it is simply amazing. The sun gives out large amount of energy every second. If you were to take the time and build a solar system, you can use the energy to power your home electrical appliances.

DIY Home Solar Power System

Want to know how to get started on a homemade solar power system? If you do, begin by downloading a free copy of the 30 Solar and Wind Power For Homes Videos e-book. The e-book will show you videos of how solar power works and the components needed in the system. To download the e-book, click here.

If you are a home owner, one of the biggest household expenses is the monthly electricity bill. With so many electrical appliances at home, the unit that consumes the most power is the heating, ventilation and cooling (HAVC) system.

During winter and summer time, you will notice a sharp spike in your electricity bill. Reason being, you are using more power either to heat up your home during winter or cool down your home during summer.

Let’s take summer time as a topic for discussion. Are there any ways to reduce your electricity bill during summer time?

One option you can try is by installing ventilation fans on your attic. The idea is to remove the hot air from the attic or roof thus reducing the temperature of the living areas below.

If you are looking for a ventilation fan, check out the Auro Solar Attic Fan from Active Ventilation Products.

What’s so special about this fan?

Well, it’s powered by solar energy meaning it does not use any electricity and yet capable of removing hot air from your roof and attic.

The Auro Solar Attic Fan uses 4 units of 10 watt CPU fan. Yup, the same type of fan used on your personal computer. They are efficient, light weight and very quiet when running.

The ventilation unit measures 12 inches in diameter and 9 inches tall. It is made from durable aluminum and tested for wind up to 200 mph.

Whenever the sun is shining, the internal fans will kick in because they are powered by a Photovoltaic (PV) panel on top of the unit. The fans will create a negative pressure hence sucking the hot air out from the bottom. It’s a smart idea of using the free energy from the sun for cooling purposes.

If you are keen on the Auro Solar Attic Fan, it is selling at $205 per unit from Amazon.com. To order the fan from Amazon.com, click here.

DIY Home Solar Energy System Guide

Another way of reducing your home electricity consumption is to supplement your power needs with a solar system.

Unfortunately, a system installed by a professional contractor can be quite expensive. A cheaper alternative is to build the system via a Do It Yourself (DIY) approach.

If you are looking for a DIY home solar guide, check out Ben Ford’s Homemade Energy Guide e-book. It is a comprehensive pdf file with step by step High Definition (HD) instructional videos. For more information, read the Homemade Energy Guide review on this blog.