If you are thinking of going green, solar panels might give you an interesting solution. Quietly they will convert sunlight into electricity, giving you DC voltage as the final output. For your home devices this voltage should be inverted to AC.
To process the DC voltage into AC voltage there are some additional parts needed. Basically what parts to buy are determined by what set up you prefer to. The first option you may consider is on-grid or grid-tie system. On-grid is widely preferred by people because it is cheaper than other systems. Having on-grid means you send the solar electricity to the utility grid.
Why on-grid is less expensive? Since you don't need to store the solar electricity in batteries you need to purchase the solar inverter only. This cut down the price because solar batteries are quite expensive. Note that because you don't have battery back up during power blackout you will have no electricity.
The second option is to have a battery backup solar inverter. With this system your solar electricity is still connected to the grid but also backed up with the battery bank. By doing so you will still have electricity during utility outages. If you vote for this system you need to purchase a solar charge controller, solar batteries and also different type of solar inverter. Now you can see why the solar cost varies greatly.
For people living in remote places where no utility lines available or for a green energy die hard there is one solution that give you a fully independent electricity system called off-grid. You will have to buy the solar controller, solar batteries and solar inverter which is different from the first two inverters above. Other small accessories such as connectors, wiring, etc. are also need to be added to the list, same as the two option above. To have a better power coverage you may want to integrate a gas generator or wind turbines to the system in case of sun outages or cloudy days.
While the solar cost greatly varies it is quite safe to budget around $15,000 to $60,000 for your up front investment. This cost is actually depend on how big the wattage you need. A full substitution of the utility wattage is not recommended because it will jack up the cost.
Solar kits quality and the installation cost will also affect the solar cost. Different solar inverter quality means different price. The same thing applied to the installation cost. Different companies means different cost.
If you are thinking of getting a lower price then US government has a good news for you. Having renewable energy source installed in your house will allow you to get 30% federal tax rebate followed by the local tax incentive. You also get credits from the net metering system by sending the solar electricity to the grid.
Because a full electricity substitution is very expensive you can start with making 15% of the electricity needed. You might be thinking that this number is too small but it will make a difference in the long run. You can upgrade your solar generator anytime once you have enough budget.
Is it true that home solar system needs a one time investment only? The reality is some parts have shorter lifespan, i.e. batteries and solar inverters while other part such as solar panels can stand for 30 years. Most likely you will have to spend money for some parts so it would be better to have this possibility counted into your calculation.
If you are in doubt you can always search for online help. There are a lot of solar companies out there and they will be glad to help you finding the best solution for your home solar system.
To process the DC voltage into AC voltage there are some additional parts needed. Basically what parts to buy are determined by what set up you prefer to. The first option you may consider is on-grid or grid-tie system. On-grid is widely preferred by people because it is cheaper than other systems. Having on-grid means you send the solar electricity to the utility grid.
Why on-grid is less expensive? Since you don't need to store the solar electricity in batteries you need to purchase the solar inverter only. This cut down the price because solar batteries are quite expensive. Note that because you don't have battery back up during power blackout you will have no electricity.
The second option is to have a battery backup solar inverter. With this system your solar electricity is still connected to the grid but also backed up with the battery bank. By doing so you will still have electricity during utility outages. If you vote for this system you need to purchase a solar charge controller, solar batteries and also different type of solar inverter. Now you can see why the solar cost varies greatly.
For people living in remote places where no utility lines available or for a green energy die hard there is one solution that give you a fully independent electricity system called off-grid. You will have to buy the solar controller, solar batteries and solar inverter which is different from the first two inverters above. Other small accessories such as connectors, wiring, etc. are also need to be added to the list, same as the two option above. To have a better power coverage you may want to integrate a gas generator or wind turbines to the system in case of sun outages or cloudy days.
While the solar cost greatly varies it is quite safe to budget around $15,000 to $60,000 for your up front investment. This cost is actually depend on how big the wattage you need. A full substitution of the utility wattage is not recommended because it will jack up the cost.
Solar kits quality and the installation cost will also affect the solar cost. Different solar inverter quality means different price. The same thing applied to the installation cost. Different companies means different cost.
If you are thinking of getting a lower price then US government has a good news for you. Having renewable energy source installed in your house will allow you to get 30% federal tax rebate followed by the local tax incentive. You also get credits from the net metering system by sending the solar electricity to the grid.
Because a full electricity substitution is very expensive you can start with making 15% of the electricity needed. You might be thinking that this number is too small but it will make a difference in the long run. You can upgrade your solar generator anytime once you have enough budget.
Is it true that home solar system needs a one time investment only? The reality is some parts have shorter lifespan, i.e. batteries and solar inverters while other part such as solar panels can stand for 30 years. Most likely you will have to spend money for some parts so it would be better to have this possibility counted into your calculation.
If you are in doubt you can always search for online help. There are a lot of solar companies out there and they will be glad to help you finding the best solution for your home solar system.
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