Solar Energy Alternatives For Your Home

Manufacturers

Finding Manufacturers and Suppliers At the side of the page you will find manufacturers of solar energy alternatives for your home, each manufacturer will supply information for local dealers and installers who will provide a detailed plan including options, costs and benefits. Depending on the state most suppliers will also provide information on possible subsidies and tax advantages. They should also be authorized to connect your new solar installation into local electric suppliers where you sell your excess power created back to the grid.

Dealers / Suppliers

Due to the complex nature of a Solar energy alternative, the number of local suppliers are limited to those who are authorized by your local utility to connect your home based solar installation to the power grid, so check with manufacturers for suppliers. As we build our US States we will include local suppliers by state.

Why Solar Energy

With oil price climbing and gas heating becoming more expensive, more and more people are turning to solar energy. When most people think of solar energy, they think of harnessing the power from the sun in order to generate electricity to run appliances. But there is much more to the concept of solar energy than this. Solar energy can also produce direct heat for homes as well as provide natural light.

History and Basic Technology of Solar Energy

Solar energy is not a new technology. It hasn't even sprung up in the last few decades. As a matter of fact, ancient cultures used the heat and power from the sun to generate heat and power for their daily living. They recognized its usefulness in growing crops and providing natural light. With sundials, they even used it to help them determine what time of the day it was at any given time!

In 1839, a French physicist by the name of Edmund Bequerel discovered that some materials produced electric currents when they were exposed to sunlight. That led the way for Albert Einstein in 1905 to describe this photovoltaic effect, which later became the basis for solar technology. He won a Nobel Prize in physics for his work in this field. It wasn't until the 1950s, however, when the first photovoltaic module was built. Bell Laboratories created the first module and called it a "solar battery," but it was much too expensive to gain recognition for mass production or use. After many advancements and improvements, the technology became more affordable and accepted. It gained even more momentum in the 1970s during the time of the energy crisis and has been gaining popularity since then.

The basic concept behind explaining how solar energy works occurs at the atomic level inside photovoltaic cells and panels. These panels take the heat from the sun and turn it into energy or electricity because the photons in the cells or panels push the electrons into a higher energetic state. This, in turn, creates electricity. That electricity is then routed through an inverter to change it from a direct current to an alternating current in order to supply power for appliances and electronics.

The Current Offerings in Solar Energy for the Home

The Full Service: Because of the trend towards reducing carbon emissions and the fear of global warming, companies are creating new solar energy technologies for use in the home. Solar panels are still the most common way to harness the sun's energy for the home, though. The panels are composed of many smaller solar cells that are interconnected on a grid. Together, they pull in enough power from the sun to create the energy needed to provide the daily needs of today's modern home.

How Much Does A Solar Energy System Cost ?

We put this in because we wanted to provide an idea of real costs not made up to get you to buy!!! The first thing to realize is it will depend on your home power requirements and how many hours of sun you get.
So lets take a guide of price for Watts, these figures are based on getting professionals in for design and installation and connection to Grid
$9,000 for 1,000 Watts up to $75,000 for 10,000 Watts. Remember you have a great chance of offsetting this against tax and depending on the US State you are in could even obtain incentives
Department of Energy Supported Incentive Listing Directory
Also Check Out The
American Solar Energy Society

As well as providing free electricity long term a Grid Tie System also means you can sell your excess energy from your solar installation to your local Utility Supplier and draw additional energy from them when your own solar installation does not match your power needs.

Also on many of the solar installations you can install a smaller system and add additional capacity without losing your original investment. As you can see the investment is quite large which is why a new breed of Utility suppliers are springing up who install and maintain the system and charge you a leasing cost. Check further down the page for more information on this new breed of company.

Doing Solar Installations Yourself !!

Smaller instalations for specific purposes E.G. heating your pool, domestic hot water, providing power to an outbuilding and many other very specific purposes can save significant money, but you should still take the time to gain some professional advice.

Domestic Water Heating: One option for use of solar energy is just to provide domestic hot water, this is a fairly cheap and cost effective way to start your use of solar energy for your home because the system can be a fully self contained use of solar technology.

Other Options: Solar energy can be installed for very specific purposes for example to provide the electric current for a horse or cattle fence. These are very simple self contained systems that keep a battery charged to supply an electrified fence helping to keep livestock enclosed.

Everyday Use: We take some of the most common uses of solar power for granted because they have been in use for quite a long period, a good example is the solar powered calculators most of us use.

Possible Other Solar Energy Options: As we see the increase of hybrid cars that use a combination of a traditional engine and electric power from batteries for shorter commuting journeys, we may well see more solar powered battery chargers to keep the hybrid batteries charged therefore saving traditional electricity costs and our environment. The technology is used to a lesser degree for keeping boat and RV batteries charged and may well be able to charge much larger battery banks in the future.

Changes in Technology over the Last Few Years and Future Technology Expected

With the recent surge in popularity, you can find many more products that are powered by solar energy. You probably already know that many calculators run on solar energy, but the technology has come a long way since those handy gadgets were first created. If you're thinking of things to put around your home and yard, some companies specialize in solar-powered fountains for your garden and solar-powered lampposts for a more decorative and energy-efficient appeal. You can also be more practical and find hot water heaters that run on solar power and many other appliances that are designed specifically to harness solar energy in order to operate.

In larger terms, some auto manufacturers have been working on cars that run on solar energy. The cost of making these cars and some other obstacles have held them back from producing solar-powered vehicles, but engineers are still working to perfect them and make them affordable to the car-buying public.

NASA is also working with solar power. The scientists there are hoping to install the more efficient technology in many satellites that orbit the earth and possibly use it in future space missions.

Solar Energy Leasing

As the market for solar energy continues to evolve the fastest growth is in the format of Solar energy is the option for leasing the solar equipment. Instead of needing to spend in outright costs you lease the equipment which should be a lower cost than traditional energy costs and over a number of years will provide energy at a lower cost than traditional means. The advantages are 1. You will be helping the environment 2. Over the long term your energy costs will decrease. ( Only available in limited areas but expected to grow.

Solar Energy Possibly The Next Generation Of Utility Companies

Sometimes new technology provides not only an alternative to fossil fuel based power generation, but also the opportunity to create completely new types of companies. Solar energy may well prove to be the catalyst to create new utility companies that put the equipment on your property to generate the electricity you need, and because of the high original investment charge a monthly fee for use of the technology.
The gains from the growth of these new utilities are:
Consumers:

Cheaper bills.
Consumers are helping the environment.
Your bills will depend on your usage ( Because the solar install will be matched to power use )

Utility:

No Massive Investment in Large generating stations.
Solar installations require low maintenance.
Possible Government Subsidies due to clean environment and less reliance on foreign oil.

Governments:

Investment in the technology will help balance of payments ( Less Oil Imports ).
Easier to meet Kyoto agreement.
Better environment for it's populace and the world overall.

As we promote the use of the next generation of Hybrid cars that use a combination of electric and traditional combustion engines, we should remember that those batteries will require charging which in turn will require additional power generation. If we can provide that electricity from environmentally friendly means we will all gain and help to make the world we live on a better place.

Advantages of Solar Energy

As with any type of technology, there are both advantages and disadvantages to using it. One of the biggest advantages of solar energy is that there is an endless supply of it. In fact, the sun generates about 3850 zettajoules of energy for the earth each year. As a whole, the world only uses less than one half of a zettajoule of energy, leaving 3849 zettajoules of unused power every year. As long as the sun is still in the sky, we can harness its natural power to run our appliances and electronics.

In addition to being abundant, solar energy is also versatile. The sun alone can provide so many things to sustain life on earth, including fuel, heat and light for growing crops, natural heat and light for homes, disinfection for water and much, much more.

Finally, solar energy is fairly hassle-free and safe. Once you install your solar panels or other technology that captures the energy from the sun, you're done.

Disadvantages of Solar Energy

Of course, there are a couple disadvantages to solar energy, too. The main thing that people complain about when it comes to solar energy is the cost. It can be very expensive to set your home up with solar panels and the technology to generate electricity through solar energy. It can also consume a large amount of space if you need to generate a huge amount of energy for large businesses or machines.

Another major disadvantage of solar energy is that it isn't available at night or in places where clear and cloudless days are rare. Another disadvantage is that the time of the year where you mat well use the most energy ( I.E. winter will also be the time of the year with the shortest number of daylight hours and the sun also provides less energy ) Plus Alaska, for example, would have a tough task of converting to solar energy since some parts experience many days when the sun does not shine. Homes surrounded by trees and other obstructions would also need to remove those obstructions in order to get the maximum usage from solar energy. For some environmentalists, cutting down trees to have an eco-friendlier method of generating electricity is less than an ideal tradeoff.

Idea of the Costs in Comparison to the Savings

When considering the cost of converting to solar energy and the savings the technology brings, it's essential to look ahead. You can get home kits to convert your entire home into solar energy for around $8500. That might sound like a lot of money to spend at one time, but it doesn't sound so high when you look at your future savings. You also have to consider that this is a one-time fee and your energy costs will be practically non-existent once the conversion is complete. In addition, you may also quality for tax benefits or deductions when you install solar energy technology in your home.

In terms of numbers, the average American household spends about $160 on their energy bills, according to the Energy Hog website. That comes out to almost $2000 each year just for cooling and lighting a home and keeping the appliances running. But in less than five years, your solar energy will pay for itself.

If that still sounds like a lot of money, you can consider installing some solar panels for a fraction of that cost and greatly reduce your energy bills each month. Studies have shown that this method pays for itself within about two years, but you will still have energy bills to pay as well.

Current Companies Offering Solar Energy Technology

There are a growing number of companies that offer solar energy technology today because the concept has become more popular. Plus over the last two years the investment by entrepreneurs has increased the number of companies spending on research and development.

Subsidies / Tax Benefits for Implementing Solar Energy

Unlike the current energy alternatives which are based mostly on fossil fuels which create significant damage to our environment and are a finite resource, Solar offers technology which saves on a countries imports of foreign oil and trade deficits and governments both in the US and other countries around the world are keen to promote and grow the use of Solar as an alternative. Because of this we will see many more government initiatives over the coming years to increase the use of solar energy in the home.

According to the website for the United States Energy Department, tax credits are available for businesses and households that utilize solar energy. As part of the 2008 Economic Stabilization Act, consumers can receive up to a 30 percent tax credit when they implement a solar energy system in their home or business between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016. Previously, there was a $2000 cap for this tax credit, but the new regulations no longer use that figure.

Tax credits and subsidies for solar energy are also available through state and local governments, but these vary depending on the region in which you live. California's Million Solar Roofs program, for instance, provides help and financial assistance to state residents who want to install solar technology in their homes. Similar initiatives are also available in other parts of the nation as well.

A diagram showing how solar energy is created and managed to provide environmentally friendly option for energy in your home

The Suns unlimited source of energy during daylight hours	providing the suns rays to shine on the Photovoltaic solar cells in the solar panel to make electricity	Solar panels made up of thousands of Photovoltaic solar cells to convert the suns energy into DC electricity
Power Inverter and Batteries for storage of the energy, The important brain of the process changing the DC current gathered by the Solar Panels and changing into AC ( the power used in your home ) the more power your home needs the more expensive this part of the system will be . Prior to the Power Inverter the batteries act as storage devices for when the sun has set to continue providing electricity after dark.		The more electricity required the larger the area of your roof requiring solar panels to produce the DC Current to feed into the Power Inverter.
Your electrical appliances and lights in your now green energy home, where you are helping to protect the environment and saving fossil fuels for future generations	Your AC electricity connection in to power your home	Your Utility grid connection where if you have formal permission you can sell any excess power you create with your solar energy installation back to the utilities grid.