Solar energy, the renewable energy source which has been in news for the last several years has made quiet inroads into many homes, factories, businesses, into our cars and appliances and much more. But, yet it is a rather misunderstood energy.
It was expensive to commercially exploit
solar energy few decades ago. But over time due to rapid advancements in solar technology and the corresponding increase in conventional fuels solar energy cost has become comparable to other energy sources.
What options do you have to cut the sky-rocketing energy bills due to the high oil and gas prices? With fuel prices going up it is inevitable that you are faced with high utility bills due to higher heating and cooling costs.
Cutting our energy usage by using energy efficient appliances is one option, cutting wasteful energy usage is another, building green homes that use lower energy is yet another option. Another option is adopting
solar energy. Installing
home solar panels and generating electricity to power our various needs is option that needs to be explored energetically.
Solar energy is available in great abundance from the sun in the form of light and heat. Solar energy advantages are many. It is free and is not going to be exhausted in a hurry. In fact, the Earth receives enough solar energy in one hour to power the earth more than 6 thousand times for one full year. This solar energy information
States like California in the US, have already started using this energy source on large scale, and other states like Nevada, Arizona and Florida have also been adding more solar power capacity to their energy portfolios.
Investing in solar energy makes us eligible for rebates and tax incentives at both the State and Federal government level in the U.S., as well as in many other countries that encourage use of solar power. That saves us quite a bit of money.
This discount can work out to nearly 30 % of the cost installing your new solar electric system. That's a massive discount that allows home owners to install solar panels as otherwise the costs can be prohibitive.
For starters you can other solar options like solar water heaters or solar cookers. This can also reduce your energy bills quite a bit but the benefit will be lesser than if you went the whole hog.
Cost of installing home solar panels may be the biggest deterrent for you even if you are fully convinced by the benefits of using solar power. But, if it is pointed out that you can actually get a complete solar energy system that works just as fine as a professionally installed one and at a fraction of the cost - would you consider it?
You can build your own solar panels and generate solar power for less than $200 dollars for the materials costs and maybe 6 hours of your time. A do-it-yourself guide or video tutorial with all the solar energy information that you need to build panels is all you need.
There are kits available for home owners to take advantage of the sun's abundant energy. Most of these kits can be assembled over a weekend for the basic installation, but the more complex system can take a little longer. Most kits come with everything you need to from the panels to the electrical cables if it is a power producing system or water piping for the hot water systems.
Start generating your own electricity to power your various needs. Producing solar energy is no rocket science.
