Solar Energy for the Homeowner

Welcome to the solar energy revolution! We are all going to be involved in the drive toward energy independence, that is, becoming independent from foreign oil. Gasoline is selling for more than six dollars a gallon in both Germany and the U.K, and we know that, for all kinds of reasons, it's bound to go up much more in the not-so-far future. Coal is plentiful here in the U. S, but the efforts to clean it up are going to be painful and slow in coming. The transition to solar power is also going to be painful and costly, but eventually it will begin to pay for itself. For homeowners especially, a move toward solar energy is really a wise investment, whether they are building new or doing remodeling.

Some banks are beginning to loan money for solar retrofits. The solar energy facts clearly show us that once the payoff is complete for such a loan, the homeowner is ahead a great deal-even as much as the whole of his total former energy costs. We have many suppliers in this country who can design systems for every environment and climate.

We're going to look at four main systems for a homeowner to consider when going solar:

-Solar hot water
-Solar electric or photovoltaic
-Geothermal heat pump
-Wind turbine

Solar hot water is a terrific investment due to low cost and high efficiency. Space heating can be incorporated for a slightly higher expenditure. An outlay of three to ten thousand dollars could lower your energy demands from thirty to fifty per cent. Our solar energy facts show us that hot water represents the second highest energy demand in U. S. households.

Solar electric or photovoltaic is another of my personal preferences because this is an arrangement usable by almost every household. A system consisting of photovoltaic panels with a grid-tie unit eliminates the need for storage batteries, and if supplied with enough solar panels, can even pay a homeowner for excess electricity generated. The costs for such a system are probably going to run from five to twenty thousand dollars. Photovoltaic coupled with solar hot water can be an ideal solution for many homeowners.

Geothermal heat pump- Although geothermal is not really solar energy, it is certainly renewable energy. Geothermal uses the constant temperature of the earth along with a sophisticated heat pump to either heat or cool the home. There are also designs which supply hot water as a part of the process. The installation of this scheme requires either a well be drilled or extensive trenching be done. The cost of this along with the heat pump may be somewhat costly. Photovoltaics or wind would also be an important part of any complete project.

Wind power is an extremely good source of power for anyone who lives in an area of plentiful wind and preferably doesn't have neighbors too close. If a grid-tie is not possible, storage batteries can be installed. Costs for wind power machines can range anywhere from five hundred dollars for a small unit to as much as twenty thousand for a high end grid-tie unit with a sixty foot tower.

When we lok at headlines that say, "Pump prices rising despite glut of gasoline" (Chris Kahn-AP) or this: "Oil prices rise again" (APA), the solar energy facts assure us that by investing in solar power we can go a long way toward guarding our energy future. With the abundant sun's energy in the southwest and the winds available in other parts of the country, our goal of energy independence is much brighter.