Wandering how solar panels work to generate renewable energy for homes? I found a video on YouTube below that gives a complete walk though of a residential solar power system.

The solar power system starts with the solar panel. This is the heart of the system. For maximum sun exposure, the panels are usually installed on the roof.

For safety reasons, usually the solar panels are wired to a power disconnect box. This is just good practice. It provides you a quick disconnect just in case there’s any problem with the system.

From the disconnect box, the cabling goes to the charge controller. When you are getting a charge controller, be sure to get one with Maximum Power Point Tracking (M.P.P.T).

The M.P.P.T is a high efficiency DC to DC converter which functions as an optimal electrical load for a photovoltaic (PV) cell. A maximum power point trackers utilize some type of control circuit or logic to search for the most optimum way to extract the maximum power available from a solar cell.

Next, you want to use a system monitor on your residential solar power setup. The monitor will give you all the key information such as current voltage, current Amps, battery charge percentage, battery amp hour from full, battery total amp hour etc. All these information is to maximize the efficiency of your system.

Now, the cable from the charge controller will go to the battery bank. The size of the battery bank will depend on your household power requirement.

From the battery bank, the power will go to the inverter. Since electric current from battery is Direct Current (DC), however, most electrical appliances run on Alternate Current (AC), there the inverter is to convert the DC to AC.

From the power inverter, the electricity can now be channeled around your home. In general, that is how you setup a home solar power system.

Home Solar And Wind Power Videos

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Related web sites: 1) Renewable energy guides review 2) Power 4 Home Review – A Complete Review of John Russel Power4Home 3) Power 4 Home Scam – Is Power4Home Just Another Scam?

How much does home solar panels cost? A lot of home owners that are considering renewable energy source may be asking this question. But before you install a solar power system for your home, you should consider the overall energy needs of your household.

Do yo want to use a battery bank to store the power generated? How many electrical components or appliances do you want to be powered with renewable energy? Depending on your budget, many specialist contractors will offer a complete package to meet your needs.

The reality is, the initial investment for home solar power system is expensive. This is because the semi-conductor material used to make solar panels are expensive. Back in 2005, home solar panels cost averaged at $3 – $4 per watt. The cost will reduce though as manufacturers find better ways to lower production cost.

There are numerous factors that influence the final costing of a home solar power system. The bulk of the cost will be in the Photovoltaic (PV) modules. When you are given a quote by the solar power contractor, about 70 percent of the cost will be the PV modules.

Next is the labor cost. Installing the solar panels can be labor intensive. Hence about 10 percent of the budget is for manpower. The other 20 percent of the budget will be used for the power inverter, batteries, PV mounts, cabling etc.

Here’s some generic home solar panels costing. A small solar power system with a single PV module that generates approximately 75 watts can cost about $900 to install. If you want a bigger system, a 2 kilo-watt setup that will meet most of your home energy needs can cost from $16,000 – $20,000 to installed.

Despite the high initial investment, a residential solar power system can reduce your overall energy cost over a time frame. Not to mentioned the added value to your home. In addition, you may also be eligible for government grants to buy the solar panels.

As an alternative, you can always build your own home solar power system via a Do It Yourself (DIY) approach. For this to work, you will need a good step-by-step home solar power guide.

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 sites: 1) Renewable Energy Guides Review

2) Top Ten Solar Power Manufacturers In UK

3) Power 4 Home Review – A Complete Review of John Russel Power4Home

4) Green Living In A Green City – Vancouver, B.C.

5) Green Living is Easy in a New Home

Are solar panels for homes worth the effort? There has been a lot of buzz recently on renewable energy source for homes ever since energy cost went up. It is obvious, one of the largest expenses to maintain a home is the power utility bill.

There are many benefits of installing solar panels for homes. But wait! Before you call a specialist contractor to setup the solar system, there is one key question you have to answer.

Are you planning to move anytime soon?

It may not seem obvious but some people will invest couple of thousand dollar for a home improvement project and then move to another location the next year. Some times situation is beyond your control, such as job related issue.

A residential solar power system can be quite expensive. If you were to employ a professional contractor, be prepared to invest upward of $5000.

Before you begin, make sure you have the permission from your local authority. Due to certain zoning restriction, some places do not allow any extension or additional loading on the roof structure.

How does solar panels for homes work? In simple terms, the solar cells inside the solar panels convert the sun’s energy into electricity. Photovoltaic (PV) cells are normally made using special semiconductor materials that allow electron, which are energized when the material is exposed to sunlight, to be freed from their atoms.

What is PV? The term “photovoltaic” is derived from a combination of the Greek word for light “photo” and “Volta”, the name of the Italian physicist, Alessandro Volta, who invented the battery back in the 1800.

The PV effect is the direct conversion of solar energy into electricity. This process does not generate much heat like domestic solar hot water or solar pool heating system do.

It also differs from the process used in solar thermal, where concentrated solar energy is used to produce steam that activates a turbine connected to a generator.

The information above are very scientific stuff, sort of like being back in high school science class. In a nutshell, when you use solar panels for homes, the solar cells converts the sun’s energy into usable electricity to power our household electrical appliances. That in effect will reduce the total energy consumption therefore reducing our home energy bill.

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 sites: 1) Solar Power Kits – 4 Essential Components of a Complete Solar System

2) Power 4 Home Scam – Is Power4Home Just Another Scam?

3) Major gas utility warms up to residential solar thermal

4) Residential Energy Credit Passes House Vote (HR 5351)