In this post, I am going to explain a residential solar power system that is intertied with the power grid. Generally, there are 3 types of home solar power system.

Types Of Home Solar Power Systems

According to Michael Harvey of Earth 4 Energy e-book, the types solar systems are:

1) Grid-intertied solar power system

2) Grid-intertied solar power system with battery backup

3) Off-grid solar power setup

One thing is for sure, you can’t tie in your home solar system to the grid on your own. The power utility companies don’t like that.

You need someone who is qualified and certified to do the connection for you. You have to engage the service of a professional solar contractor.

Tied In To The Power Grid

Here’s the general idea behind a solar intertie system. Assuming you engage a solar contractor to build a solar generator system with the solar module, charge controller, DC disconnect, meter gauges etc for your home which connects to most of the household electrical appliances.

The system is also tied in to the main power box, which means you are tie in to the power grid.

With an intertie setup, the solar system in generating more power than your house is using. Your power meter essentially is spinning backwards because the excess energy is going right back to the utility grid and being used by someone else drawing power from the grid.

Imagine a big bank account. You can withdraw or make money deposit. In this case, the money is electricity. When you have excess power, you are depositing money into the bank account (power grid) and someone else can make a withdrawal.

The best thing is, you are being paid for your contribution to the grid. In actual sense, you are a power producer…well a small one anyway.

A Little Help From The Government

The concept of solar intertie system is such an important concept that the state and federal governments are legislating that utility companies must allow their solar-producing users to tie in with the power grid.

Generally, utility companies don’t like small time solar power producers. It increases their technical risks, not to mention decreasing their revenue.

In some states, the power companies must pay you the same rate that they charge their normal customers for power. If the costs of energy were to spike, you will receive a bigger payout for your solar power contribution.

However, in some other states, your contribution will be paid less, but this situation is changing with legislation. It would not be a stretch to say that the viability of the entire home solar power industry depends on the concept of grid intertie.

Your Home, The Power Generator

If the payback rates are high enough, it would make more economic sense for home owners to invest in a residential solar power system. Their Return On Investment (ROI) period will be shorter because they are being paid by the power utility companies.

Imagine when there are hundreds of thousands homes with solar system and power is being feed back into the grid, we would be less dependent on fossil or coal to generate energy. The national power grid would be supported by multiple small solar producers.

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) 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?

If you are planning to setup a solar power system at home via Do It Yourself (DIY) approach, you will reach a stage when you have to pick out the proper solar components.

When you go to any hardware store, you can start nitpicking the details and dissect the performance of individual components in order to compare the operations and efficiencies.

But in order to do this, you have to be quite well versed with the science behind electronics and electrical engineering.

It is fair to say, not everyone has that kind of knowledge. Nonetheless, some people do.

Shopping For Solar Components In The Hardware Store

Assuming you have some general information on electrical components and you head over to the hardware store, there are a few things you have to be aware off.

The sale clerk will have recommended a particular equipment to you simply because it’s in their best interest. There may be a promotion running by the manufacturer or they are getting a bigger sales commission.

Components Selection Criteria

When you are selecting the right components for your residential solar power system, the key criteria is “reliability”. Unfortunately, you can’t get the reliability factor from the product data sheet.

Imagine this, when your solar setup is connected to the grid, anytime your equipment fails, it is costing you money.

The fact is, the system is not making you any money as it should when the solar system is down. Any downtime will increase your Return On Investment (ROI) period.

Reliability is critical when choosing the right solar component.

How Do You Measure Reliability?

How do you choose a product which is reliable?

This is the tricky part because there are no universal testing standard. Each manufacturer will have their own testing criteria. This makes it difficult to compare data sheets because you are not comparing apple to apple.

Here’s a suggestion. Purchase a whole solar power system instead of individual components.

This is because a complete system would have proven track records.

Alternatively, read up on a couple of consumer guides to find the best option. But beware, since the industry is moving at such a fast pace and new products are appearing in the market, getting the right information might be a challenge.

Ultimately, when you are spending large amount of money on a home solar power system, it is wise to be a little prudent and conservative.

Avoid new fancy gadgets with shinny lights. Go for the brands and models which have been in the market for some time.

At least they have a proven track record. When in doubt, choose the tortoise instead of the hare.

If you are looking for a reliable home solar power system, check out the Sunforce 39191 Solar Kit. The Sunforce solar kit is comprised of 10 units of the 123 Watt Polycrystalline Sharp solar panel.

These panels are designed for RV’s, homes, boats, back-up and remote power use with 12 Volt battery charging solar power stations, and much more! Truly a value pack.

==> Click here to visit Sunforce 39191 Solar Kit @ Amazon.com

Related web pages:

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

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

Solar buildings and homes are fast becoming a fad. Home owners are starting to invest in residential solar equipment and that has lead to the solar industry boom.

There are many benefits of using solar power for homes. I’ve came up with a list of 6. It is not a comprehensive list. If you want to add to the list, feel free to add in the comment section below.

1) Subsidies

The government wants home and building owners to invest in green technology such as solar. Personally, I think it is a self serving interest.

Going green is a strong positive environment message that can get a lot of votes. This is a good thing because everyone wins in the arrangement.

The best way to promote solar power is to get more people to invest in it. The best way to do that is to offer subsidizes. Do you know in some part of the country, you can get a discount on home solar system of more than 50 percent due to subsidy?

What better way to get the government to pay you for going green?

2) Mitigate pollution to the environment

Want to reduce your carbon footprint?

Start using solar power for your household.

When you use energy from the sun, you are drawing less power from the grid. Less power demand equals less oil or coal being burned to generate electricity. Hence, less carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

3) Investment hedging

Do you know solar components can be a good investment hedging? Chances are, residential solar technologies are going to get more popular in the future.

Therefore, houses that use solar equipment will increase in value.

If the costs for global crude oil were to rise, and probably it will, energy cost will increase in tandem. That will make solar homes more desirable.

A lot of signs showing costs will go up, not down. That’s a good way to hedge your capital investment.

4) Lifestyle insurance

When energy cost goes up, your household is not affected too much because you are using less power. If you have a tied in system, your energy cost may increase a little but still manageable.

In general, you have an assurance of your family lifestyle.

5) Home value appreciation

By simply installing a solar power system, it will automatically increase your home value without raising your property taxes. Not only will you save on your monthly power utility bills, the money saved is not taxable! What more can you ask?

6) Intangible benefits

Some of be benefits of using solar energy is not measurable. For example, playing a role to clean up the environment. A lot of people may be saying they want to go green and that’s about it.

By using a residential solar system, you are taking proactive action! When you put solar panels on your roof, your neighbor will notice. Maybe they will be nicer to you…

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