Solar Energy For Your Home

  

Using solar energy for your home is one of the easiest ways to reduce your electric bill. You can recover your investment more quickly now because the systems are so efficient and now there are tax rebates.

Solar hot water is the most basic and efficient way to use solar energy for your home. Your electric hot water heater is probably the biggest consumer of power in your house. An electric hot water heater is much more expensive to operate than a simple solar hot water system.

Solar hot water

With solar hot water you can make your own system, buy a system and install it yourself, or hire the entire project out to a solar contractor. It is a matter of how much time you have, how much money you want to spend, and how much ability you have.

Preheating your hot water with a solar collector is the easiest way to use solar energy. You can make a difference with a little effort and a little money.

By using this technique, you won't even need a typical solar panel. For very little money you can have a passive solar heating system by using a plastic barrel and a sunny room. This simple arrangement is easy to do and can make a huge dent in your hot water bill.

New construction

The best way to have solar energy for your home is to include it as an integral part of the design, before anything is constructed. The way the house faces the sun, and the slope of the roof are just a few of the things you can consider with new construction. With new construction, you receive the most benefits of solar energy.

While you are planning your house, make sure to find a builder who has experience in building an efficient house. There is a vast difference in experience and even willingness among builders when it concerns energy efficient housing.

Do your homework by asking questions to the right people, such as a solar representative. Because you planned ahead, your home will be lovely, comfortable and very efficient!

Do it yourself kits

Obviously, most people are already in the house they are hoping to make solar, at least as much as possible. By buying a do it yourself kit you can make a good start. There are several types of kits available, but generally they are designed for the weekend warrior.

You will be able to buy what you need at the local hardware store, and will make a solar panel, a windmill and a generator. You will need more than one solar panel to power your entire house, but these kits will help you get started. You will be able to reduce your electric bill by supplementing your conventional source of power.

Climate

In the not-so-distant-past solar energy for your home was unrealistic in northern areas that have many cloudy days. The systems are more efficient because of newer technologies. Nearly every area can make use of solar energy now that the photovoltaic cells have become more efficient.

Jon Arnett, Randy Hough and company have been involved with energy saving programs for many years in such places as Alaska, Wisconsin, Norway and Croatia. Recently they constructed a passive and active solar heated villa in Croatia, which is beautiful and efficient at the same time (plus it is right on the Adriadic Sea). Check out their website: http://www.SolarOnYourOwn.com to help you in your quest for reducing your energy dependence. Find out how you can save money, save energy, and save the earth!

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