Harnessing The Energy Of The Sun To Lower Your Electric Bill
Posted on: 25 February 2018
While it is true that solar electric panels are not new, they are becoming more efficient and less expensive that they were just a few years ago. Solar panels are becoming more common on the roofs of homes and businesses as people look for ways to better use the resources around them to lower costs and decrease their carbon footprint. But are they right for your home?
Lowering Your Monthly Costs
Solar energy is out there and unlocking its potential is just getting started. One of the most common things you may have seen is the roof of a home with solar panels positioned on it. Why are they there and what do they do, you ask? They are there to convert solar energy into electricity that you can use for free and in some cases, sell back to the electric company. While the solar panels alone are not enough, they are the starting point as they do that hard job of collecting the energy and converting it to energy that can be stored in batteries for use in your home. And while there is an upfront cost to installing a solar system, the reduction in monthly electric bills every month will mean that eventually, the system will pay for itself and maybe even bring in money for you.
Installing A Solar Electric System
When you are ready to consider a solar electric system for your home, talk to a contractor that has experience installing these systems. It is okay to ask a lot of questions during the first meeting. If you are going to go this route, you need to understand how it works and if there are any safety concerns that you want to consider. There is roof mounted, ground mounted, and even sun tracking systems out there, so until you have all the details, it is hard to know what you need for your home. The majority of home systems are set up on the roof of the home, are very low maintenance and don't look bad at all. Where on the house they are installed depends on the orientation of the home. The contractor will determine the best place to put the panels for efficiency and how many panels are needed for your home.
Wiring It All Up
Once the solar panels are in place, they need to be wired into the home. Finding an electrician that works with these systems is typically the job of the contractor but if they leave it to you, ask around and see who friends or family might be able to offer. In these systems, the electrical cables run from the panels to the converter where the energy is converted to electricity that can be used in your home and stored in the batteries to keep your home in electricity day and night. Once the system is installed, all you have to do is let it do its job. And if you have a surplus of electricity, you may want to talk to the electric company about selling some back to them and further offset your costs.
To learn more, contact a company like Solar Source.
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