Solar panels that are used to make electricity is not a new thing, and have be around for decades. Back in the days when they were first used, they were large and bulky, and didn’t have the technology to be able to make a lot of difference. Still, these experimental models did have a purpose. Not only did they produce much-needed alternative energy, but they also paved the way for smaller and more powerful models. The other thing they did was start to make it possible for the average person to use solar panels for residential applications.
How would installing solar panels save you money? For starters, using the sun’s rays is natural, free, and abundant. If set up correctly, they can power your home and take away the need to rely on utility companies for electricity. This can not just reduce you bills, but eliminate them altogether. There are also panels that can heat your water as well. While these may not make your water hot enough to take a comfortable shower, it will make the water warm enough for clothes washing, and to increase the base temperature to help cut down on the energy that hot water heaters use.
That isn’t all of what installing solar power can do to help save you money. The right system, hooked up to your existing power grid, can actually pay you. Yes, that’s right, pay you. How this works is if your solar panels create more electricity than you can save in the back up batteries, and use, if it is hooked into the power grid, that extra energy feeds back into the utility system. You have now just become your own power plant, and utility companies by law have to buy this energy from you. Of course, once you have your system set up and connected to the grid, you need to contact your local company and a contract has to be set up first.
Sure, there are some initial costs with setting up an alternative solar power system. But because of new technologies, these costs are coming down greatly. The inverters are cheap, as well as the deep cycle batteries. The photovoltaic cells used in putting together the solar panels themselves can be purchased cheaply and in bulk. With just some basic tools and materials, you can build solar power systems for your home yourself, and can have them up and running in a very short amount of time. Some of the systems can be made for around $200, depending on the cost of the building materials, and quality of inverters and batteries.
No matter what the costs though, you ROI, or return on investment is going to be much more, and the savings starts within the first month of usage. The longer the system is in place, and the more you do on your own to conserve electricity, the higher and faster the savings will be. In addition to solar energy systems, you should also cut down on power usage. One of the ways to save energy is to change out your old tank water heater for an inline, one. These units only come in when you are using hot water, and shut down when the water is turned off.
To learn how I saved money on my energy bills – read about my experiences here: Small Solar Panels.
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