Creating A More Energy-Friendly Environment

What Every Homeowner Should Consider Before Bringing Solar Home

Whether you're looking to improve costs, meet off-the-grid energy needs, or update your home to a more efficient source of power, solar can be a great investment for any homeowner. Solar energy is a great way to harvest power that's readily available, but preparing your home for this improvement takes planning. So if you're ready to become more energy independent and increase overall efficiency, here's what you should first consider before bringing solar to your home.

Understand Your Needs

Whether you decide to hire a professional for installation or attempt a do-it-yourself kit, configuring the needs of your solar design can help you maximize the potential returns on your new equipment. When properly installed, solar options can provide enough power not only to light your home, but to also be returned to a local energy grid, which can sometimes earn you money or tax credits from power distributors.

First take into consideration what your primary needs are--whether you're powering an entire house or just equipment that's located in a remote location to your home. Consider the amps of power you'll be averaging for all of the things you want to power, so that you can then adequately cover your needs with the right size and number of panels. Well and pool pumps, barns, garage areas, or even appliances you use frequently can all be powered by solar, but they won't require as many panels as you would need to power your entire home.

Optimizing The Design

Beyond selecting the right number and size paneling, optimizing the design of your installed solar panels can be accomplished by seeking out the best light. Roof top placement can sometimes offer the most direct source of light, with minimization of shade from trees and adjacent buildings. But even in you decide to install your new panels on the ground outside your home, you should still consider whether to place them in the South-facing direction or on the West side of your home.

Locations in the Northern hemisphere or United States regions can generally benefit from a South-facing solar panel, as this is the direction that may provide your home with optimal time exposure. But in some cases, you may need to consider switching to a West-facing design, which can take advantage of a stronger mid-afternoon to evening sun that provides higher kilowatts needed for powering heavy draws in summer months, like currents required for your AC.

For more information, visit websites like www.renogy.com.


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