Okay, here’s the scenario. You’ve decided to use solar power for your home to cut your monthly electricity bill. You want to build the system on your own because you have some construction and electrical wiring skill. You are very eager to get started. You’ve come up with a budget and started sourcing for the parts and component from the hardware store.

Did you missed out anything?

Have you check your district “Code” in regards to putting up a DIY solar array on your roof?

It seems this is the boring but necessary part of the whole home improvement project.

Checking for the building code is a major red tape hassle. The people at the government agency seem more concerned in getting forms filled and stamping it. Nonetheless, this is one important part of the project that you shouldn’t miss.

Why do you have to follow the code for your DIY home solar system? I came out with 4 points on the subject:

1) It is the law.

Code is basically the law. It will be a good idea for you “not” to break any laws in your district.

Laws are there for a reason. I am not a lawyer, but I know it is important.

Your neighbor might not like the solar panel that you put up on your roof. It may be blocking his view or he is just a nasty person. You can go ahead to build your solar array but your neighbor may turn on you.

He can call the authority and the bureaucrats will come over with a stop order. You will be asked to remove whatever you’ve done (even if you finished your home solar project) and then hand you a fine.

All of this because you did not follow the law.

2) A minimal safety standard.

Codes are there to provide some level of safety standards. Especially if it involves electrical and plumbing works on your house.

If there is a problem with the system and if your house were to caught fire, the insurance company will want to know that you’ve follow all the safety codes.

If you don’t know what the codes are, how can you follow them? If you don’t follow the codes, do you think the insurance company will approve your claim? You have a slim chance on that. Check with your insurance agent on this matter.

3) Protecting yourself, legally.

If you were to outsource your home solar power project, you can leave all the issue with codes to the solar contractor. But make sure they get all the permits required.

If they fail to get the permits, they may land themselves or you in a legal problem. More importantly, it is impossible for you to sue the contractor if something goes wrong. That is one messy situation you don’t want to get yourself into.

4) Reducing your legal liability.

You want to reduce any legal liability you may have to face if somebody is injured on your property, especially from injury caused by the solar components.

Play it safe, go for the safer route.

5) Getting your rebates and warranties.

Some districts give rebates to home owners for using renewable energy for homes. But in order to enjoy the rebates, the solar system has to be built according to the code.

Some solar component manufacturers insist that you get a professional to install their equipment or you will void the warranty.

The 5 points above is not a comprehensive list. If you have any thoughts why we should follow all local codes for a home solar power system, feel free to include your feedback in the comment section below.

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Have you ever thought of using a renewable energy source such as solar power for your home? When I did my personal financial planning, I realized that my largest monthly household expense is the power utility bill.

It used to be the bank mortgage on the house. Since I have paid off the housing loan, the next biggest expense is the electricity bill.

Is it the same for your household?

There has been a lot of write ups mentioning the benefits of a home solar power system. There is a chance we can reduce our monthly power consumption by drawing energy from a solar system.

Now I have been thinking. There are generally 2 approaches we can take if we want to install a solar array on our roof.

We can build it on our own via a Do It Yourself (DIY) approach or we can engage a professional solar contractor.

I did more thinking and came up with 6 points on the subject.

1) Cost of the project

If we were to construct the solar array via DIY, obviously we will be able to save cost on the project.

If we use a contractor, we will be paying more because he will mark up all the parts and components. Not to mention the higher labor cost.

2) System problems

There are multiple components in a residential solar power system and each part has to work in conjunction with another part.

What happens when there is a problem or the system wouldn’t work?

If we did the project on our own, we have to fix it. If we outsourced it, the contractor will fix all the bugs in the system.

3) Safety risk

I don’t know about you, but I am not comfortable climbing on to the roof.

I have a height phobia.

Climbing on a ladder while carrying heavy solar modules and heavy tools strapped to my waist sounds like a very dangerous thing to do.

For a professional contractor, he may have a lot of experience climbing on to roofs and know how to keep himself safe.

I give safety issue a heavier weighting on the project.

4) Warranties and insurance

Some home solar kit has a clause on their system. If you are not qualified and install the system on your own, their warranty may not apply.

A similar issue with your home insurance. If there are damages or your house caught fire because of the homemade solar system, the insurance company might not cover you.

If we were to engage a contractor, at least they can get the system certified.

5) Tax incentives

Some tax incentives only apply when the home solar system is installed by a qualified and licensed contractor. If we were to build the system ourselves, we will be missing out on this portion.

6) District codes

Some districts have strict codes on home improvement projects. A DIY project may be against the law.

After going through the 6 points above, I realized it is a much better idea to engage a professional solar contractor to construct a residential solar system.

As a home owner, what should we do?

My guess is, we should at least get some basic knowledge on the science of a residential solar energy system.

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?

How much do you know about home solar power system?

Many home owners like the idea of getting free energy from the sun. The idea of using renewable energy such as solar for residential usage makes a lot of sense. But not all solar systems work the same. Different locality will yield different output.

Engaging a professional solar contractor to install the solar system can be expensive. Be prepared to invest upwards of $40,000.

Does your home really need a solar array? To give you a better understanding on solar power, consider the following 8 things.

1) Sunlight

How much sun light does your home get on a yearly basis?

Go to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory at www.nrel.gov or National Climatic Data Center at www.ncdc.noaa.gov and see how much sunshine your area is getting.

Obviously, a solar system works better if it is installed in an area with generous amount of sun.

2) Snowfall

How much snow does your roof retains?

Particularly, you want to know which side of the roof holds the most amount of snow. You want to place your solar panels on the side of the roof with least amount of snow to avoid being inundated with heavy snow.

Heavy snow on the solar module might damage the glass glazing.

3) Cloud Cover

If your house is located in a cloudy region, you still can use solar energy. The only drawback, the solar energy is generally diffused or spread out.

As a result, you may need a large array to capture more of the sun’s ray.

4) Smog

Do you stay in an area with heavy smog?

Air pollution and smog affect the amount of sunlight you can expect to receive on your solar module. If you do live in an area with heavy air pollution, expect less system output over an extended period of time.

In other words, you won’t be getting the optimum efficiency from the solar system

5) Air Density

The density of the air around your house can also affect the effectiveness of a residential solar system. Generally, you get better solar exposure in the mountains with less air density. When you are nearer to sea level, the air is thicker therefore scattering the sunlight.

Here’s a tip. You can make a quick estimate on how clear your air is by simply observing how blue the sky is on a clear day. Thick air scatters more red light, and so the appearance of the sky is less blue and more white.

6) Surrounding Temperature

A PV system works best with lower surrounding temperature. The semiconductors inside the solar module generate more electricity when it is cool. Therefore, you can get more system output on a cold, clear day than a sunny day.

7) Frequency of Fog Cover

If you’re living in an area that’s foggy and misty in the morning but the mist burns off in the noon, you want to orient your solar panels more westward to optimize the amount of sunlight you can achieve over the course of a day.

This factor is very similar to cloud covers.

8) Wind

How much wind does your house get?

Strong wind can damage the solar array. Since the PV modules are located up on the roof, a strong gasp of wind might blow it away. If your home is getting strong wind on a consistent basis, you may have to invest on stronger and heavier supports for your solar system.

I hope the 8 points above are useful for you.

A residential solar power system has a lot of benefits and more people should use it. Nonetheless, you must know the different factors that might affect the end results, especially when you are about to make a large capital investment.

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!

Do you like the information on this blog? If you do, you can subscribe to our RSS feed for the latest blog updates.

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?