Home Solar System ROI – How It Affects Your Investment?




The question that is doing the rounds is whether solar panels are economically viable; that is, do their utilities really outweigh the price. The answer can be either way, since different types of projects and even states where these are installed play a crucial role.

New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Arizona, Massachusetts, Colorado are Hawaii some of the prominent states where installation of solar panels had proved beneficial. In these as well as in some other states, a solar panel project stopped financial expenditure as early as three to five years after installation; the supply of energy was dependable and paved the way for long term energy savings.

However, if you are planning to install a solar energy project for your home, consider some or all of the following factors that can be instrumental in helping you to calculate the returns on you investment in solar panels.

• Consider your actual financial spending for electricity consumption. Keeping all the things constant, if you see that your expense per kilowatt hour (KWh) is relatively high; solar home energy system is the ideal thing for you and you can save big money on electricity consumption.

• Also consider the solar energy incentives that are available in your state or area. If your state government allows you to sell solar renewable energy credits (SRECs); a home solar energy system is not only going to bring down your electricity bill but is also going to help you earn.

Majority of the states in the United States receive a lot of sunshine and if you reside in one such state; installation of solar energy system can prove to be very effective.

Solar panels even influence the value of your homes; if you install solar panels, these are going to increase your home’s worth and decrease the price of ownership. Get an authentic quote for the solar energy system that you are planning to install for your home; it is not only going to provide you with year on year cost benefit associated with this system, but will also give you a cash flow analysis thus helping you to anticipate the time frame by which you can recover your investment and also the returns on it.

As a home owner, you can thus determine the type of monetary payback that you would like to have in your home energy system. Like many, you can choose a 10-year repayment option and can remain rest assured that your solar panel system is going to give you inflation-protected financial savings for an additional 15 years; over and above the initial 10-year period.



There are other types of solar panels, too, which can help you to recover your investment within 5 years or less; no matter, whichever solar energy system you choose, you are going to get benefitted only. With each passing day newer systems are coming which are cutting down homeowner’s power bills and this, along with positive return on investment (ROI), heavily outweighs the upfront solar panels cost.

However, the above does not hold true for some of the states where solar incentives are weak and/or cost of electricity is quite cheap. But, since the solar panels are becoming more affordable every day coupled with state initiatives for encouraging solar power; you can expect affordable home solar energy system for homeowners, anywhere in this country.

If you happen to live in a state where conditions are favorable for generating solar power, do not let this opportunity slip; install solar panels and reap rich dividends.

How Effective Are Photovoltaic Solar Panels In Cloudy Areas?




Solar panels offer a clean and economical source of energy, which benefit not only individuals investing in them but also the environment. This is because solar panels harness the natural energy of the sun and hence do not have costs of resources involved.

Moreover, they do not cause any kind of environmental hazards which are often seen while using other forms of energy such as coal, electricity, thermal power, nuclear energy etc. One concern that people investing in solar panels could have however, is how sustainable is it as a form of energy in places which are cloudy, or during cloudy seasons.

Cloud cover could affect the availability or intensity of the sun’s rays, especially during specific seasons and in certain parts of the world. Since solar panels produce energy based on the level of light they receive, they will produce power at maximum capacity when the sunlight is bright.

During cloudy seasons, the level of light is reduced and hence though the solar panel will not shut off production of power, the power produced will be diminished. In situations where the cloud cover allows the formation of shadows, the solar panel’s power production could be at about half of the full capacity.

Needless to say, if the cloud cover is very heavy or thick, the operations of a solar panel will be further diminished and could produce very little power. In places which are consistently cloudy throughout the year, solar panels may not be an intelligent solution as they will not work. The good news however, is that cloud cover can actually be beneficial for production of solar power.

Surprising as it may seem, the maximum output of power from solar panels is actually when there is cloud cover which is optimal. This enables power production which can be as high as fifty percent higher than that on a cloudless day.

How this works is that when the sun passes through spaces in the clouds, the solar panels absorb not only the direct sunlight, but also light reflected off the clouds. This enhances the sunlight absorbed by the solar panels considerably and thereby enhances the power production too.

What one needs to keep in mind however, are a couple of simple tips to harness solar energy to the best extent possible:

1. Have a sufficient battery system which can maximise the stored power on days when clouds enhance the light hitting the panels. Also the controller should have enough headroom over the rated panel output power so as to take care of the power surges in such cases.



2. Position the solar panels at a tilt towards the easterly direction on days of clear mornings and cloudy afternoons A good example which proves without a doubt that even cloudy places can harness solar power, is that of Germany, which despite being a cloudy country has done a fabulous job in harnessing solar energy effectively.

Germany has Europe’s most modern solar housing project where there are fifty solar houses that produce more energy than they use. The results have been so outstanding that the excess power can actually be sold back to the main grid.

So except in places which are consistently cloudy, and where solar panels would not be beneficial, this form of energy generation is a useful futuristic and proactive way to generate power the world over.

4 Ways To Stop Wasting Money Due To Home Air Leakages




You would be able to save a considerable amount of money if you can reduce the cost of heating your house. You can do this by making sure that all your doors and windows have proper seals and will not allow air to escape or leak in. Here are some tips that will help you seal such leaks and save on your energy bill.

1) Attending to cracks in windows.

If you find that there is space between window frames and windows you should make sure that these spaces are properly sealed. Windows are the major cause for air leaking in or out.

A simple and inexpensive way to seal such spaces between windows and window frames is to use caulking to seal up the spaces. You can make this job easy for you if you use a caulking gun. Make sure you use “weather-stripping sealant” which comes in transparent colors and does not damage the paint or the special finish used for your windows.

2) Putting in storm windows.

You will prevent wasteful loss of energy if you install storm windows. These help you save energy because they act as a buffer, trapping air between it and the proper windows. Thus, storm windows help insulate your house and prevent leakage of air.

You can opt to put in wooden, vinyl or aluminium storm windows. Wooden storm windows will have to be taken down in spring. You will not have to do this if you put in vinyl or aluminium storm windows. These can be always left in place.

3) Installing energy efficient weather-stripping doors.

Though most of the air leakage occurs through improperly sealed windows, some amount of air leakage could also occur through doors. It is necessary to make sure that the weather-stripping doors that you already have in place have proper seals.

If you find that these doors do no more than keep out drafts, you could replace them with doors that offers a better seat. Such doors may have vinyl bulb or padded strip that will effectively stop air from leaking out or getting in. You can also consider installing doors which have strips made of brass or bronze. These metal strips are attached to the door jamb.

When these doors are shut they tightly seal the doorway, preventing any leakage of air.


4) Putting in door sweeps or door bottoms.

To make sure that there is no leakage of air through the threshold, you need to install door bottoms or door sweeps. Weather-stripping the doors will seal the sides and tops of the doors but the bottom where the threshold is will be unprotected and will allow air to leak in or out.

Thresholds are subject to a lot of wear and tear and do not lend themselves to sealing the gap between it and the door bottom. This difficulty can be solved by installing either a door bottom or a door sweep. Door sweeps are usually fixed on the inner side of the door at the bottom and this will prevent air leakage through the bottom of the door. You can also use an adjustable threshold to solve the problem of air leakage.

The four methods described above will help you make sure that you stop or minimize air leakage through windows or doors, and make your home energy efficient.