Is Home Solar Power Right for You?
Your monthly electric bills keep going up no matter what steps you have been taking at home. You have tried everything from turning down the air conditioning to replacing all of your light bulbs, all to no avail. There has never been a better time for you start looking at home solar power as an alternative to the even increasing cost of electricity as the cost of the average system designed specifically for residential use has come down significantly.
Home Solar Power Has Become Very Popular
The number of homes in the US that use a home solar power system to provide some or all of the electricity they use on a daily basis has soared in the past few years. For many it has been the escalating price of electricity that has been behind this conversion, for others it is the desire to reduce their carbon footprint on the planet by curbing their reliance on power generated by fossil fuels.
A recent survey found that well over 10,000 homes here in the US are completely off the grid and use nothing but solar or a combination of solar and wind to provide all of the power they need. At the same time over 250,000 homes use solar panels to supplement their power usage and this number is growing exponentially. In fact this form of alternative energy has become so popular that the federal government is continuing to offer tax credits to those who install systems that meet established guidelines.
Proper Planning Is the Key to Success
As with any major project, you will find that the key to installing a successful home solar power system lies in proper planning. While there are a number of home improvement projects that you can improvise and adapt as you go, the only way you are going to have a successful solar energy system in your home is to start off with a good plan of action.
The best place to start is by talking to an expert in home solar power systems. He can sit down with you and calculate your home's actual energy consumption and use this information to help determine that size of system you will need to augment or replace the amount of power your home regularly uses. At this point you will need to make one final decision and that is whether you want a full system that will let you go off grid or are simply looking to augment your power consumption and reduce your utility bill.
