Health & Fitness
Is Solar Right For Your Home Or Business
Solar energy has long been touted as being beneficial to the environment, cleaner and ultimately more effective in reducing our carbon footprint. But is it right for you?
The looming question is whether or not Solar Electric Panels and solar powered electricity is right for your home or business. It is always smart to get as much information about both the energy provided and what kinds of appliances or heating and cooling systems it will affect. In addition, solar energy has long been touted as being beneficial to the environment, cleaner and ultimately more effective in reducing our carbon footprint. In addition, finding a renewable source of energy means you save loads of money on your electric bill.
- How much energy does a photovoltaic panel typically produce? An average solar panel produces approximately 150 to 300 watts of power, which is the reason multiple panels are mounted on rooftops and the sides of homes to meet consumption needs. For example, the average refrigerator needs about 600 watts, with a laptop computer only requiring about 80 watts. 10 solar electric panels in a cluster will provide between 1500 and 3000 watts of power.
- What do I do if I need more panels? If you installed your own system, simply add more panels to meet your needs. It’s that simple. No additional equipment is necessary other than more panels, which will provide more capacity. If you had someone else install your solar powered electricity system, consult with them as to how many more panels you may need, than have the company install them for you.
- Will all my appliances be served by my solar system? Yes, with a power inverter as part of your solar electric system and with sufficient panels, all of your appliances should have enough electricity to operate. Bear in mind that appliances are usually the biggest electric consumers in the home. If you are considering purchasing a smaller system, you may want to convert some of your appliances, such as your stove, hot water heater, washer and dryer to natural gas. You may have to buy a large solar power system if you want all your appliances to be electric.
- How will the climate affect my solar electric panels? The outside temperature does not negatively affect the solar panels. In fact, solar panels are more efficient in cooler temperatures. While the electric production difference between a 70 degree and a 90 degree day may only be about 10%, the fact remains that the outside temperature has little impact on the panel’s ability to harvest light from the sun.
- How exactly does a solar energy system help the environment? It’s cleaner as it reduces an individual carbon footprint. For example, the average American produces in excess of 50,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. Converting your energy source to solar reduces that footprint by nearly 15,000 pounds per person per home per year, clearly a significant savings when multiplied by thousands, even millions of individuals.
- How much money will I save? When you get a solar proposal for your home or business, you will be able to foresee your projected savings for twenty years. Those monthly savings will combine to surpass your original investment. All the savings becomes your return on investment. Your return on investment will depend on the rate you pay at the beginning along with some other factors. You’ll be able to calculate your specific return on investment from any home solar proposal. And having solar will increase the value of your home and help you sell it faster if you choose to sell.
