Home Solar Power System Investment – Adding Value To Your Property




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.

Solar Homes Canada – Will Residential Solar Generator Work For Canadian?




People in Canada daily hear on the news channels regarding soaring prices of electric power and its generation and the impact it has on environment. One of the best methods to solve these dual problems is to switch over to other options of power resources.

Alternative forms of energy consist of solar energy, wind energy, energy tapped from tidal waves and hydro-power. Canadians have been utilizing solar energy for a long time. Solar power meets their individual requirements at residences and is considered more economical than traditional thermal power.

Although installation of solar power systems at homes is very useful, for a major effect on environment making it pollution-free, generation of solar energy should be on a much higher level. However, the question is whether generation of solar energy on mass-scale is a viable option and if so, can Canada, as a nation, begin to utilize more solar energy?

Yes. It is a realistic proposition to produce solar power on extensive scale in Canada and the electricity generated would be sufficient to meet the requirements of a large segment of population. Contrary to the perceptions of people of other nations, Canada is not a country that is fully covered with snow, trees, mountains and polar bears.

On the other hand, there are lots of regions in Canada that get sunshine to generate sufficient solar energy to supply electricity to literally thousands of residences. Southern Ontario, Quebec and the Prairies are ideal for setting up huge “solar farms”.

The world’s biggest solar farm is actually located at Sarnia, Ontario and supplies solar energy to more than 12000 residences. This is due to the progressive program, known as Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) introduced by the Government of Ontario. This program is aimed at motivating people to build up renewable energy sources at domestic level as well as on a large scale.

With the impetus provided by the Government, needless to say, there has been significant increase in the usage of solar energy in Ontario. The northern part of Canada would be an excellent place to utilize solar energy in the small villages and towns.

Most of the people in these villages and towns depend upon diesel for fuel and oil for heating. The prices of these products are already very high and if costs of transportation are added, these items would no longer be affordable to a common man. This makes people to be extremely careful in utilizing electricity.

The consumption of electricity will go down further, if supplies of diesel do not reach the towns in time. This is because there will not be sufficient fuel for both municipalities and individuals to run gasoline generators to produce electricity. Under these circumstances, solar power is the most viable alternative.

This is partly because the electricity produced by solar panels is first stored in batteries before it is distributed to the entire house. The batteries can store electricity for hours or even several days’ consumption. The batteries can be filled in just a few hours depending upon the number of solar panels installed and their power ratings.

Although the solar panels require clear sky and bright sunlight for optimum generation of electricity, even poor sunlight is sufficient to produce power. In those places, it is essential to position the solar panels to face the Sun, irrespective of the season.

Earlier most of the solar energy generated in Canada was used for other than normal requirements. They were utilized mainly for drying wood and heating water. Nevertheless, it is the beginning of a change and Canada is fast emerging as one of the world leaders in using solar energy.

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Use Energy Saving Bulbs Before Installing A Home Solar Power System




The cost of domestic power is an expense we feel we can do nothing about. Yes, it is a necessary item we get used to paying.

If we run our own business, the position is quite similar; energy consumption and its cost are to be taken without demur; there are so many fronts to be involved with on an ongoing basis anyway.

However, just spare some time to view the options for energy consuming gadgets / equipment that are available today and you may be surprised with the amount of saving you can make on the cost of energy.

To take measures in this direction, the areas that should be a priority have to be identified first. You have to be conscious about the cost involved in bringing about any changes; else there is a possibility that you end up spending more on the changes compared to the resultant saving on energy consumption.

Like, if you think about installing an alternative source of power such as a home solar generator, the existing load pattern has to be carefully seen; if necessary the comparatively higher energy items may have to be kept out of the circuitry powered by the new source. This will reduce the cost you incur on the changes.

Do not underestimate the quantum of saving that comparatively smaller items when put together can give you. The basic idea that should not be lost sight of is that the cost you incur on the additions/changes should come back as saving on cost of energy quickly enough. We take a practical example.

Solar power is by now a well known system for cheaper generation of power. Before, however, going ahead by getting solar power system installed, it’s worthwhile starting with the most basic need of power needed for lighting purpose in your home.

Generally, a far more number of lighting bulbs are found spread over your entire house than those that are regularly being used. It is advisable that the aggregate power required for the bulbs being used daily is taken into account for your estimate of the output of solar system.

There may be little use spending a fortune on a higher output system only to find it being used under capacity. You may work out your need for solar panels on the following lines:

Existing total number of bulbs at home: 45
Bulbs in regular use: 15
Power consumption (for bulbs in regular use): 1200 watts
Output of an average solar panel: 170 watts

Number of solar panels required: 8 (with 10% extra provision)

Taking the cost of each solar panel to be $450, you will incur a total cost of $3600 for panels.

Let us see how much can be saved by replacing bulbs with CFLs.

Total power consumption for lighting will easily come down to 400 watts (33%) and so getting just 3 solar panels at a cost of $1350 will suffice; installation cost being kept at the same. This means you are saving $2205 even after providing $45 for cost of CFLs!

Likewise, working out the saving by replacing some other gadgets, you may be amazed at the total saving you would make. You will for sure find the inconvenience when the change is being given effect involving a couple of visits to the electrical stores and the noise created by the labor completely melt into the resultant savings on recurring cost of energy!