2010-7
21

The Facts and Advantages of Home Solar Energy Systems

Category: Solar Energy Systems | 2 Comments
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Written by: Ken Anderson, Solar Energy Systems

It is likely that you understand that solar electricity is renewable energy that is converted from the sun.  Another name for solar electricity is photovoltaics or PV for short.  You might be more familiar with this technology as you probably own a solar watch or solar calculator with PV cells.  Watches and calculators are the simple applications of PV/Solar cells.  Photovoltaic technology can be used for powering lights, residential structures, commercial structures, electric fences, water pumps and many other applications.  The focus for this article will be on residential applications.  There are viable reasons for using Solar Energy Systems for powering your home.

Complete solar home systems save money on electrical expenses, saves energy, are a clean power source and it can come with tax credits.  Residential PV systems can range in price depending on the power needs of the residence.  The good news is that your electric bill will show a good return over the years since you are literally “selling” back energy to your power company.  Solar Energy Systems involve having solar panels placed on the roof of your home where they can receive the most direct sunlight without obstruction.  Photovoltaic systems (PV) are the most common systems found in residential applications.

PV systems can be used to power your whole house.  Professional installers set your system up to connect to the power grid which is how the energy is bought back (so to speak).  The only time the power company energy kicks in is when the PV system is low on resources.  A common myth is that solar panels do not work when it is overcast.  The truth is that even on overcast days, PV systems can work even if it is limited.  The savings can be dramatic.  For instance, if you are currently paying $300 for electricity you are likely to see at least a 60% savings (more for some areas).  Some people have reported paying under $30 for a month of electricity in their home with Solar Energy Systems.  Utilizing high efficiency appliances and lighting will create even better results with PV systems.

There are a few factors you will need to consider before installing a PV system for your home.  1)  You will need to consider you energy needs.  You should contact your local power company to find out the guidelines and requirements for grid connection.  This simply means your PV system needs to be the right size to handle your energy needs.  2)  The placement of you panels is important in getting the optimal use of a home solar system.  Solar panels require direct sunlight to function.  3)  Finally, you will need to consider your household budget.  Even with rebates, Solar Energy Systems can be very expensive.  They range from around $5000 to $40,000 depending on the size and your energy needs.  One final note:  Solar panels also keep your attic cooler in hot months which will reduce the need for pushing you’re A/C to its limits.

The Facts and Advantages of Home Solar Energy Systems - Written by: Ken Anderson, Solar Energy Systems It is likely that you understand that...
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2010-8
8

Things to Know About Connecting Solar Energy Systems to the Grid

Category: Solar Energy Systems | No Comments
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Written by: Ken Anderson, Solar Energy Systems

Those interested in saving money on their energy bills by installing solar energy systems should make sure to learn as much as possible about these systems and how they work before they purchase their system. Because they will generate more energy in the summer and less in the winter, it can be helpful to have your system connected to the grid for the local power company.

It is a good idea to speak to your local power company before purchasing and installing solar energy systems since they can help you determine what you need to do in order to connect your system to the grid and get credit for any extra energy you produce. This will help you to fund your energy use during the times when your solar panels are not producing as much power. Most power companies can arrange this. If not, you can set up a system where extra power is stored in batteries for use during the times when your system doesn’t produce more energy, such as during the nighttime.

In order to hook up to the grid, you are going to need to have your photovoltaic (PV) system, along with an inverter that will convert the energy produced to AC from the DC current that is produced by the system, and a net meter that will keep track of how much energy is produced versus how much you use. When the system generates energy the net meter will move backwards, and when you use energy it will go forwards so that it keeps track of net energy usage. These components are all connected by a number of wires.

It is important that you choose a qualified professional who specializes in solar energy systems in order to make sure that everything is installed properly and that you are correctly hooked up to the grid. They can also make sure that you get the best system for your needs. Although there are some do it yourself systems available, professional installation is usually required to qualify for the various incentives that are offered by the state and federal governments for those that make their homes more energy efficient or renewable energy systems.

Things to Know About Connecting Solar Energy Systems to the Grid - Written by: Ken Anderson, Solar Energy Systems Those interested in sa...
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2010-8
16

Investing in Solar Energy Systems: Things to Consider

Category: Solar Energy Systems, Uncategorized | 1 Comment
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Written by: Ken Anderson, Solar Energy Systems

Those who want to save on their home energy costs while being more environmentally friendly have a number of different options that they can choose. One that is becoming more commonly available is the option to install solar energy systems. However, there are a number of different factors that you need to consider before investing in this type of system.

There are a couple different types of solar energy systems that you can choose from. These include the photovoltaic (PV) systems that consist of a number of modules (or solar panels) that are connected together. These are usually hooked into the utility grid so that extra energy that is generated can be sold to the electric company, or else hooked to batteries that will store the extra energy for your future use. There are also systems to use with solar powered water heaters, which just heat the water of the home and don’t generate energy for the rest of the home.

Those installing PV solar energy systems will want to look into how much power they use, and how much energy they could expect to generate in their location with any given number of modules. This can help them to determine how many modules or panels they will need to install to meet their goals for energy production. Many people start off with a smaller number of panels and then add more in the future if they are needed. There are a number of solar power professionals who can help you to figure out how many panels you would be likely to need.

Another thing to keep in mind is the cost. Solar energy systems can be quite expensive to install. There are a number of local, state, and federal tax incentives and rebates that can help to cover the cost, but it will still be a bit initial investment. Over time you should recoup the cost, but this will take a number of years to achieve. Before installing your system you will want to look into the different incentives that are available, as each will have its own requirements and you will need to follow the instructions so that you will qualify for the rebates and incentives that you are interested in.

Investing in Solar Energy Systems: Things to Consider - Written by: Ken Anderson, Solar Energy Systems Those who want to save on their h...
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2010-9
14

Solar Energy Systems Q&A from Ken Anderson

Category: Solar Energy Systems, Solar Panels | No Comments
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Written by Dr. Ken Anderson, SolarEnergySystems.com on September 14th, 2010.

I did an interview for a Florida newspaper and I thought I’d share the information with my readers.  Comments are always welcome! Enjoy.

1.) What are you thoughts about high capital cost for solar systems and the amount of time it takes to pay for them through cheaper utility bills. What makes photovoltaic’s so expensive?
Solar Systems currently cost more than coal, that is obvious.  Compared to the coal industry, which is a $250 billion dollar industry, the solar industry is very small.  As with any business, volume makes the price go down.  The coal industry is the Wal-Mart of energy, and that is a gross understatement.  The solar industry has been in a catch-22 as are all newer technologies trying to compete against a well established technology.  What most people don’t understand is how huge the coal industry is and what an enormous task it is to compete with an industry that has been refining its process for over 100 years.  Its a bit like putting a newborn into a boxing rink with the heavy weight champion and expecting them to win.  The cost of Photovoltaic Solar Energy is dropping at a rate of 20% per year, so it is projected to be “competitive” with coal in the next 5 years, which is a pretty amazing feat in itself.  There are other Solar Technologies that hold even more promise such as parabolic trough technology or solar power towers.  Keep you eye on these technologies as they become more mainstream.  These are already much cheaper than photovoltaic technology and they provide a very elegant solution to the energy storage problem because they can store “heat” just like a water heater tank does, and then convert that to electricity up to 15 hours later.

Photovoltaics are “expensive” mostly because they have never been a volume commodity at the scale of coal.  Economies of scale are the only way that photovoltaics will ever compete with coal.  Unfortunately, installing solar on your home isn’t a good model for a high volume commodity market; it just doesn’t scale well, but it still helps the ultimate objective: increase the demand of solar and the supply will follow at a much cheaper cost.

Also, First Solar is now manufacturing thin film photovoltaic solar panels at a cost of less than $0.80/Watt.  They have quickly become one of the worlds largest photovoltaic suppliers.   Improvements to thin film solar technologies continue to drop the prices of photovoltaics and they are now becoming a truly viable competitor to coal.

2.) Storing solar energy remains a big problem. How far away is the technology to solve the problem of storing solar energy on a large scale? As I mentioned above, solar energy storage is a problem that can be solved using Solar Thermal power plants.  The current state-of-the-art solar thermal power plant can store up to 15 hours of energy.  This is plenty of storage to meet most needs.

3) What about maintenance? One person I spoke with estimated that maintaining a complex solar power system cost one percent a year, so, for example, a $50,000 system would cost $500 each year.
- Maintainance is a bit tricky to quantify and it depends on how you look at it.  PV systems are inherently stable and don’t need much attention unless something “happens” such as a lightening strike or other environmental reasons (hail for example).  PV’s are nice in that there are no moving parts to wear out.  The other critical piece of the system is the inverter and this could fail, but the failure rate is pretty low.  Again, lightening is the biggest problem with failure, so that is somewhat unpredictable based on the location it is installed at.  Over a 30 year life cycle, you may or may not have to replace the inverter which runs about $0.80 per installed watt.  For a $50k system (which yields about 6kW) would run about $5k if replaced, or 10% of the cost over 30 years; or around 0.3% per year  Hail is another potential cause for damage, but the panels are currently very robust to hail damage.  A typical panel can withstand a golf ball impacting the surface at 50 miles per hour!  Pretty impressive.  In a nut shell, it seems like 1% maintenance costs for home systems is probably a good guess (maybe a little on the high side), but there just aren’t many statistics out there to give a good indication of overall averages.

Utility scale maintenance costs are a little easier to quantify, but I’m not privy to their cost of maintenance.  I have heard that they spend 1 cent per kilowatt hour which would be closer to 5% maintenance, but seems pretty high considering what I said above.  However, with Utility scale solar, they will have “solar tracking” whereby the panels track the sun.  This ads moving parts, so perhaps this is the added maintenance costs.  They also employ people to “clean” the panels because typically utility scale solar is located in the dessert where you get sand storms, etc.

4. How important are rebates to the question of mass acceptance? And you do get a firm and consistent state policy in places that encourages solar power usage by residents and small business operators I think rebates are important for a few more years while the price of solar energy drops close to coal. Home solar will always be more expensive than coal just because it isn’t leveraging volume pricing.  Would you put a small coal plant in your home?  It just would never be economical.  Now don’t get me wrong. I think solar on the home is fantastic for those that can afford it, but it just won’t scale in such a way that it will be financially viable to replace coal.   I think a more economical direction to go would be solar energy co-ops.  I’m currently working on a project I call SolarNow in which people enter into an energy co-op at the level of neighborhood or city (email me if you’d like more information: ken@solarenergysystems.com).  They can therefore get volume pricing and get solar much cheaper than installing it on their home.  Colorado created a bill that was passed allowing for the concept of “solar gardens” which is essentially a co-op.  I think this is the future direction of PV installation just because it leverages people’s money better.  However, legislation is typically required to get such a measure through, so right now home installation is the only alternative.

5. On a similar note, will public sentiment ever come around to accepting a government regulation that essentially forces higher efficiency standards and less dependency on fossil fuels? People are very scared about an overreach by bureaucrats in many areas of life. Essentially forcing the public to the water and making them drink could make things ugly. How can the case be made to the public?
People never like to be policed and always resent the government when it passes laws.  I always prefer the option of a carrot to a whip.  I think having very good rebates for energy efficiency is key.  You get much more bang for your buck to increase your homes efficiency.  It is crazy for someone to install solar energy and not improve their homes efficiency first.  I think a good option would be requiring people to pass an external energy audit before getting a rebate for their solar panels.  It will cost tax payers much less in rebates and will save energy at the same time.  I also think that any reasonable person who is interested enough in renewable energy to fork out $20k to $30k wouldn’t put up much of a fight to improve the energy efficiency of their home.  It just makes sense.   I would like to see the government give free energy audits to people who are interested.

Solar Energy Systems Q&A from Ken Anderson - Written by Dr. Ken Anderson, SolarEnergySystems.com on September 14th, 2010. I did an ...
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2010-10
19

Top 10 Solar Panel Manufacturing Companies

Category: Solar Energy Systems, Solar Panels | No Comments
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Have you ever wondered who leads the world in solar panel manufacturing?  Some well established big players are still forces to be reckoned with; however, there are many new players on the block that are giving the status quo a run for their money.  Several chinese companies are jumping into the mix and leveraging their expertise in low cost manufacturing.  While this may not be good news for the other solar panel manufacturers, the added competition is causing the price of solar panels to drop dramatically.  Recent data from GTM Research shows that China’s PV module manufacturing grew from 30 percent of the global total in 2007 to 40 percent in 2009. China’s three largest PV module manufacturers — Suntech Power, Yingli Green Energy, and Trina Solar — all rank in the top ten PV panel producers globally and account for a total of 1,941 MW of panel production in 2009.

These numbers are from a 2009 report from Photon International.  2010 is adding up to change the landscape a bit; but overall these are the companies to keep an eye on.  The total global installed PV power in 2009 was around 7.5-8.5GW.  The total production capacity of solar panels exceeded 12.5GW.

The top 10 Solar Panel Manufacturers for 2009 are:

  1. 1100 MW First Solar
  2. 704 MW Suntech
  3. 595MW Sharp
  4. 586 MW Q-Cells
  5. 525 MW Yingli
  6. 520 MW JA Solar
  7. 400 MW Kyocera
  8. 399 MW Trina Solar
  9. 397 MW SunPower
  10. 368 MW Gintech

Thin film PV is on the rise and new manufacturing facilities have been coming online in 2010.  Thin film constituted  16.8% of total global PV manufacturing which is an increase of 12.5% from 2008. The top thirteen (the last four are tied) thin-film producers were:

  1. 1100.0 MW First Solar
  2. 123.4 MW United Solar Ovonic
  3. 94.0 MW Sharp
  4. 60.0 MW Sunfilm1
  5. 50.0 MW Trony
  6. 43.0 MW Solar Frontier
  7. 42.0 MW Mitsubishi
  8. 40.0 MW Kaneka
  9. 40.0 MW Moser Baer
  10. 30.0 MW Solyndra
  11. 30.0 MW Würth Solar
  12. 30.0 MW EPV
  13. 30.0 MW Bosch (formerly Ersol)

1 Estimated

Top 10 Solar Panel Manufacturing Companies - Have you ever wondered who leads the world in solar panel manufacturing?  Some well establi...
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2011-1
7

DIY Solar Panels – A Review of the Top Guides

Category: Do-It-Yourself Solar | Comments Off
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DIY Solar Kits

January 2011
“I never would have guessed how easy and cheap it is to build my own solar panels and cut my energy bill to almost nothing.”

I was pretty skeptical about the whole concept of DIY Solar Panels until a good friend of mine tried it using a “do it yourself Solar Power Guide” he found online that took the guesswork and mystery out of it. For months, all he would talk about was how easy and cost effective it was. He couldn’t get over the fact that he had completely eliminated his utility bill and was even making some extra money on the utility company. He saved thousands over purchasing the panels at full retail price. He was able to build a solar panel for less than $200 in materials.

I decided to visit his home and see it for myself. He showed me the basics of bulding my own solar panels and then proceeded to pull out his electricity bills before and after installing solar. I was sold.

I decided to go for it and purchase an online homemade solar Panel kit that contained all the schematics and instructional videos I needed. I had been thinking about doing this for years, but never thought that somebody like me could actually do it. If only I would have done this years ago, I would have saved so much money.

I started with my friend’s recommendation of GreenDIYEnergy’s How to Build Your Own Solar Panels kit. My friend had actually bought a few different kits before he found the one he liked (the better ones have a money back guarantee). This gave me some confidence in his choice. If you are like me, I always appreciate a recommendation, and I thought my readers would appreciate one as well; so my friend and I set out to evaluate all the kits that we could find so that people could save the time and money and purchase the best kit with confidence. You could spend days going around and around trying to find the best one, so take our advice and save your time. It was a fun project, and I now enjoy the benefit of not having an electricity bill myself.

After reviewing every DIY Solar kit we could find (7 total kits), it was pretty clear from the start that there were only three that made the cut to write about, the rest were pretty bad in comparison. You can tell pretty quick which companies have a good product and which ones don’t.

As of January 2011, I can tell you that there are no other DIY solar kits available that are as good as the three listed below:

#1 – Green DIY Energy
#2 – Earth 4 Energy
#3 – Homemade Energy






Top Choice. A great value!

After reviewing many Solar Power kits on this subject of making a solar panel, GreenDIYEnergy’s Solar Power Kit came out on top for me. They did a fantastic job in putting their kit together and their customer service was great. Their approach on how to build solar panels is simple, professional, and easy to use. In addition to being a great reference guide, they have several How to Build Your Own Solar Panel videos to explain the process step by step which makes it quite simple for even a novice like myself. You don’t get that “home movie” feeling that a lot of other DIY videos suffer from.

DIYBoxGreenDIYEnergy gives you detailed plans on how to build a solar panel. They provide wiring plans and they give you a guide on how to install and mount solar panels to your roof. They also have some great guides that will show you how to calculate how much energy you are saving. It is a dream come true for any person wanting the energy saving of Do it Yourself solar panels without the big price tag. It is put together in such simple manner that even a complete novice in Building Solar Panels will be able to purchase the equipment, put it together, and have it running very quickly.

The other thing I loved about this Solar Power kit is that they give you information about Federal and State rebates that are available when you build solar panels for your home. This is something that is essential to understanding so that you can benefit from all the money being pumped into solar energy incentives right now. Yep, even more saving! Oh, and don’t forget that they throw in a guide on how to build a wind turbine. This alone was worth the $50 to learn how easy and cost effective it is to utilize wind to generate your own power.

There is a pretty big discount on this guide right now that wasn’t there when I purchased the kit. It looks like the discount will be removed any day, so check out the website now to see if this discount is still available. At this discounted price, you really should try it out, you always have the 100% money back guarantee if you’re not happy.

< Visit Their Web Site >

Features:

  • Easy to use Do It Yourself Guide books
  • Instructional Videos
  • Detailed DIY Solar Panel Plans
  • Huge Energy cost savings
  • Make Your Own Solar Panels AND Make Your Own Wind Turbine included
  • Free Technical Support
  • Fully Illustrated DIY Solar Guide
  • Bonus guide on how to How to Find Free Solar Panels
  • Bonus guide on how to How to Maintain Your Do It Yourself Solar Panel System
  • 60 day 100% Refund Policy

DIY Solar Kit 2nd Place



Runner up, but still a great value!

Our #2 choice for learning to make a solar panel is the Earth4Energy Solar Power kit. This product consists of a 90 page ebook and 3 instructional videos and has been seen in Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. They have a six part guide to Do It Yourself Solar Energy including a chapter on how to make a wind Turbine:

1) Introduction To DIY Solar Energy

Earth4EnergyBanner.jpg 2) Building Your own Solar Panels

3) Solar Help Package

4) Earth4Energy DIY Solar Video Series

5) Make A Wind Turbine!

Earth4Energy was also very easy to follow. My own experience says you should set aside at least 2 days to buy the parts and get it fully installed. Not bad for putting together a Do It Yourself solar panel.

This guide assumes absolutely no knowledge of wind or solar powered home energy systems. The 90 page, fully illustrated guide gives step by step instructions that make it so simple you can even turn it into a fun family project for the weekend.

Best of all, the materials required are readily available and cheap – I was able to access all the parts needed for just $194.37. Given that its proven to decrease your electric bill by as much as 80%, you could well recoup your investment in less than a months time. The Earth4Energy Solar Power Kit is suitable for any type of home and is aimed squarely at helping the complete ‘novice’ who just wants to save money while doing his or her part to help the environment. Best of all there is an unconditional 60 – day money back guaranteed and it is actually quite easy to get your money back if you aren’t happy.

< Visit Their Web Site >

Features:

  • Basic enough for complete Build it Yourself Solar novices
  • Homemade Solar Panel AND Wind guides included
  • Video “How to make a solar Panel” Tutorials
  • Step by step guide where to buy cheap material to build a solar panel and wind power system
  • Step by Step guide on how to build a solar power generator from scratch
  • Step by step guide on how to setup the DIY solar and wind generator to power your home
  • Step by step guide on how to build wind power generator from scratch
  • Free 24 hour Technical Support
  • 60 day money back guarantee


DIY Solar Kit 3rd Place



Honorable Mention:

The HomeMadeEnergy Solar DIY kit is my third pick, and it too focuses on creating Homemade Solar panels for home energy needs, but it also covers wind energy as well. They report up to an 80% reduction in energy costs and the home made energy system has loads of case studies from people who have had great success using it.

The difference between this and the top two sites was simple: customer service. I had a difficult time getting responses to the most simple of questions. A full, hands-on support system is vital if a relative “novice” is to install either system, and I just wasn’t happy with the results.

One great thing about HomeMadeEnergy’s Solar Power kit is that they update their guides on a monthly basis. They collect the information from users and also publish their latest discoveries when it comes to renewable energy and Making Your Own Solar Panels. This is a nice feature in that your E-Book won’t get outdated, so if you get distracted on another project for a few months or a year (who me? Never…), you can pick it back up knowning you can get a free updated copy.

< Visit Their Web Site >

Features:

  • Do It Yourself solar panels AND Do It Yourself wind power generator
  • Video Homemade Solar panel Tutorials
  • Monthly updates
  • Step by step Make your own solar panel guide
  • 60 day money back guarantee

DIY Solar Panels – A Review of the Top Guides - January 2011 "I never would have guessed how easy and cheap it is to build my own s...
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2010-11
27

Don’t Break the Bank: Ways to Finance Home Solar Energy

Category: Financing Solar | No Comments
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Most people would love to install solar panels on their home and truly “go green”, but they stop short because of money.  Many people think the only option to pay for solar power is to put cold-hard cash on the table at the time of installation.  While this may be the “best” option in terms of overall cost (by the way… so is paying cash for a home, but most people didn’t do this!), most of us don’t have the extra $20k to $60k sitting around burning a hole in our pocket.  For the lucky few who can afford this, great!  However, for the rest of us normal folks, we would still like to go green and have some other options.  Well, there is good news.  There are some creative ways of financing your desire to go green.

Let’s first talk about the traditional ways of financing solar and then we can get to the new and upcoming ways that are starting to come about with the recent increase in interest in alternative energies.  Let’s make this quick and simple.
1) Pay cash – This is great for saving money in the long run but is limited to the more affluent.
2) Home Equity Loan – Also a good option, but limited to those that have a good amount of equity in their home.  Be careful because if the loan kicks you over 80 or 90% Loan-To-Value, you may be paying a more interest than necessary.
3) Refinancing – There are several options as far as wrapping the cost of your solar installation into the mortgage of the home.  This is perhaps the cheapest on a monthly basis because you can amortize the loan over 15 or 30 years and thereby drop the monthly payments.  In doing it this way, you should have a net savings over your old mortgage plus your old utility bill.  Freddie Mac has programs that will finance up to 10% above your base loan as long as the total loan is below $240k .
4) Build your own solar panels – Okay, perhaps this isn’t a method of financing, but ultimately it could enable the more tech savvy to be able to afford solar energy for their home.  Heck, you can save 50 to 75% off the cost of going solar by doing it yourself.  Besides, there are many great Ebooks out there that make building homemade solar panels easy even for a novice with video tutorials in addition to detailed plans and equipment/supplier lists.  If you are curious, we’ve written a review article of the most popular E-Books on the web.
5) Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) – If you can give up the attachment to owning your own solar panels there is a way to help the financial burden of installing solar power in your home.  PPA’s are a hot topic right now so keep an eye on this.  A PPA is a financing tool that allows a independent company to install solar panels on your house and then sell you back the electricity it generates.  They own the panels and the electricity they generate, but you get the benefit of going green and most likely a little drop in utility costs since they amortize this long term.  They typically request that you kick in about 33% (on average) of the cost of installation, but they take this into account when setting the fixed rate they charge you for electricity.  The more money you kick in, the cheaper the fixed rate.  The great thing is that your rate for your solar generated electricity is fixed over the agreement period, so as public utility costs go up you can sit back with a big grin on your face.
6) Lease – Another great candidate for creative financing is leasing your panels from an outside company.  There are companies that will take care of everything as far as costs and installation and you simply lease the panels from them by paying a monthly lease payment that is equivalent to paying your utility bill, but cheaper.  There are a couple of really nice features with this option: there is less money required down than the PPA option (typically 0 to 2% of installed cost), system maintenance is handled by the leasing company, and the homeowner gets 100% of excess production.

To summarize, the financial market is starting to view solar energy as a good investment and therefore many new programs are being developed to help the homeowner convert to green energy.  Solar companies are also figuring out ways to alleviate the costs to the homeowner by PPA’s and lease agreements.  In addition, more traditional sources of financing like banks are starting to figure out that financing solar can be a lucrative endeavor.  Couple all of this with government incentives and the push towards a “green energy economy” and you have yourself a great opportunity to finally fulfill on your dream of going solar.

Don’t Break the Bank: Ways to Finance Home Solar Energy - Most people would love to install solar panels on their home and truly "go gree...
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2011-2
8

Solar Power for Homes – Saving Money and Making Energy

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Solar power for homes everywhere is readily available as long as you can handle the startup costs for installing the panels. Making your decision on what type of system you want will help you determine the approximate overall solar panels cost. Also, thinking about whether you want to install the system yourself or not and whether you want to make the actual solar panels or not will also be a factor in the total project cost. As for the panels, if you want to make them yourself you will find that there are solar panel kits available for those who want them but if you don’t, finding solar panels for sale should suffice.

If you choose to use the solar panel kits, you must first learn how to make a solar panel and then learn how to make solar panels and connect them together in working order. DIY Solar power is one of the most preferred methods of solar power creation and the best part is that DIY solar panels can be made from home. Before you jump into something you don’t know much about, you should start by understanding how solar panels for homes actually work before you attempt to learn how to make solar panels.

Simply put, DIY solar panels, just like all other solar panels, collect the rays of sunshine that the sun casts out and converts it into pure, renewable energy able to power just about anything. Some people have even gone as far as to either install the solar panel kits themselves or have a professional install the system so that they can power their entire home. If you are able to completely convert the traditional power you use at home to solar power, you’ll be able to save money while saving the earth one step at a time.

DIY solar power is a great way to start living more friendlily towards the environment and the best part is that many countries will give you a tax deduction and/or additional rebate because of your participation in solar panels for homes. They offer this type of rebate because you are using a renewable, environment safe way of powering your home and your efforts are essentially rewarded by the government. More and more people are starting to drive electronic cars and other similar earth-safe devices to avoid the use of fossil fuels and concentrate of using only renewable energy sources which is the main reason as to why many people get discounts and rebates for environmentally safe activities.

Don’t be deterred about installing a solar power system in your home just because of the solar panels cost. Once you’ve paid that cost, the panels will effectively and indefinitely continue to save you money. In fact, some individuals are known to produce so much power from their solar power systems that the electric companies end up paying them for the energy produced! When you think about it, you could build such an efficient system that it would actually make you some profit!

Solar Power for Homes – Saving Money and Making Energy - Solar power for homes everywhere is readily available as long as you can handle the ...
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2011-2
8

Solar Panels Cost – The Types and Systems That Make All the Difference

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The solar panels cost will be a huge factor in how much your entire system is going to cost. If you are planning a large scale project, such as solar power for homes, you need to understand the various types of panels as well as the sub-types of panels. Thermal panels are the least likely to be used because they are typically used to heat something up like a pool or greenhouse. Photovoltaic panels are definitely the type you want but this is where it gets confusing.

For instance, looking up solar panels for sale, or even solar panel kits if you are planning on DIY Solar panels (do it yourself solar panels), will show you a variety of panel types to choose from. Systems designed to produce solar power for homes will be of the largest systems around and it is quite obvious why a system like that wouldn’t fit into the DIY solar panels and DIY solar power categories, not to mention there won’t be any solar panel kits for it either.

However, if you actually want to take part in DIY solar power, going online will be your best bet but in the end, you will need to know a few more things. The solar panels cost, specifically, are determined on what type of panel you choose and how many panels are required for your preferred amount of power production. There are several main types of solar panels for sale throughout the internet but out of all of them, three main types are considered the most recognized.

Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells that differ in size, efficiency and fragility depending upon what type of panels you choose. Monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous crystalline silicon are the most well know base structures of what makes up solar panels. When learning how to make solar panels and definitely before attempting how to make a solar panel, you need to research about why type of panel will meet your needs best.

Monocrystalline silicon cells are more expensive because they are harder to produce in a laboratory of any kind. However, they seem to be the ones with more power and more efficiency in the collection, creation and delivery of power through the cells. Polycrystalline, also known as multicrystalline, is the most common type of solar power cells used for almost any type of project because they are less expensive than monocrystalline due to the fact that they are much easier to produce scientifically.

Also, if you have ever used a solar powered, handheld calculator you might have noticed a dark strip consisting of 3-4 dark blocks, or squares, right in a row in the top corner of the device. This strip is actually amorphous crystalline silicon and is the least powerful of all cells but as we know, it definitely has a few noteworthy functions. All in all, whether you are learning how to make solar panels or you want to become self sufficient with enough solar power for homes to be ran off of, solar panel costs are what you should concentrate on first.

Solar Panels Cost – The Types and Systems That Make All the Difference - The solar panels cost will be a huge factor in how much your entire ...
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2011-10
6

Choosing a Company to Do Your Solar Panel Installation

Category: Home Solar Panel Systems, Solar Energy Systems | No Comments
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Next to “How much does it cost,” one of the most common questions for people considering retrofitting their homes with solar panels is “How do I choose the best company to do my solar panel installation?” Since the average cost of a 5-kilowatt solar panel installation ranges from $30,000 to $35,000, naturally you want to make sure the people you hire are knowledgeable and trustworthy professionals. Here are a few considerations to help you make the most informed decision.

Credentials

Is your solar panel installer certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners? If so, you know company personnel passed a rigorous series of exams and worked in the field for at least two years. Sure, there may be perfectly good installers who are not NABCEP-certified, but if you’re looking for the gold standard of achievement, this is it.

Licenses/Insurance

Since your solar panel installer will be climbing around your roof, the “danger” element cannot be ignored. In the event of a tumble, you want to know that the solar panel installer is fully licensed, bonded and insured, so you won’t end up footing the emergency room bills. The bare minimum insurance that a responsible solar panel installer will carry is general liability insurance, worker’s compensation insurance and a contractor’s license.

Reputation

Is your solar panel installer in good standing with the local permitting authorities, utility companies and citizens? One way to get the inside scoop on a local business is to look them up on the Better Business Bureau website (www.bbb.org), where you can see: How long they’ve been in business, Where the company is located, If they are an approved member of the BBB, What grade they received (A-F), Whether any complaints have been filed against the company over the past 3 years, and How those claims were resolved.

Quality

Never choose a company for your solar panel installation solely based on price. For example, one solar panel installer may offer rock-bottom rates because they subcontract work out to a third party of independent contractors or to workers who are not properly certified/licensed. Or they may be cheaper because they install low-quality brands manufactured overseas. You also want to make sure the solar panel installer offers a fair warranty. Since most solar panel installations take 5 to 10 years to recoup the cost, your warranty should be at least 10 years. Most high-quality installers will uphold a 20-25 year manufacturer warranty and guarantee craftsmanship for at least 5 years.

Location

The local solar panel installer is always preferable to the “new guy in town” who just rolled in from another state. Local installers understand the weather patterns and local building codes in your neighborhood, which are two factors that greatly affect the installation and maintenance of your solar panel installation.

Payment Options

A good solar panel installer will work with you to find a method that is affordable for you. Make sure the quote you receive explicitly indicates what sort of payback and monthly electrical bill savings you can expect. Also make sure you know what percentage of your energy needs the system will cover.  Most companies will offer you the option to make a capital purchase, power purchase agreement or lease the equipment.

Once you’ve called three different providers to bid on the project, you will have a gut feeling about who the best candidate is. GO WITH IT! But before you sign on the dotted line, be sure you ask for and phone a few referrals to find out if the solar installer is as candid as they seem.

Choosing a Company to Do Your Solar Panel Installation - Next to “How much does it cost,” one of the most common questions for people consi...
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2011-11
6

How to Choose the Best Solar Panels for Your Home

Category: Home Solar Panel Systems, Solar Energy Systems, Solar Panels | No Comments
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Purchasing a solar energy system for you home can be a daunting task.  Whether you hire a company to install solar panels for your home or whether you do-it-yourself, you still have to understand whether you are getting a good product that will last over time.  With so many choices out there, its hard to know where to start.

Warranty
The good news is that almost all companies that sell solar panels for your home have a 25 year warranty or more.  The trick is purchasing the panels from a reputable company that will be around for the long haul.  Yes, you might be able to purchase the panels a little cheaper off the internet from a fly-by-night company, but the truth is that you’ll regret it in the long run.  Even though purchasing solar panels for your home from a more well established company may cost a bit more, the slight increase in solar panel costs may be worth it if a panel goes out and you need to replace it.  Cheaper solar panels in the short term isn’t always cheaper in the long run.

If you aren’t installing solar panels for your home on your own, find a reputable company that has a long standing reputation, even if they charge a bit more.  The added customer service and labor warranty that these companies provide will benefit you in the long run.  Just having a single panel go out could cost you over $1000 in parts and labor to replace it; but it if is under a parts AND labor warranty you simply need to make a call.  In addition, when leasing solar panels instead of purchasing them (see our article about Financing Solar Energy), the solar company that leased you the panels is on the hook for making sure the panels are working in optimal condition.

Local or Foreign
Some people are afraid to purchasing panels from foreign countries.   While it is always better for the economy and local manufacting to buy American when you can, the truth is that most of the leading solar panels manufacturers are not from the US.  China, Japan, and Europe have many of the top solar panel manufacturers (see Top 10 Solar Panel Manufacturers) and expect China to keep capturing market share.  The US is still one of the top exporters of solar panels and has the number one solar panel manufacturer in the world, First Solar, however First Solar sells thin film panels for utility scale solar and since the panels don’t have a very high efficiency, they typically aren’t sold into the residential solar power market.

Expect a lot more change in the solar panel industry in the next five years.  There will be a lot of consolidation of companies and prices will continue to fall which means many companies will go out of business.  Solyndra is just the beginning.  However, this shake out is inevitable when you are dealing with such a booming market that demands rock bottom prices in order to compete (albeit with subsidies for now) with coal.  Purchasing solar panels for your home is a good investment both financially as well as environmentally, and we can only hope the trend of solar panel costs keeps going down so that someday in the near future the costs are on par with coal without any subsidies.

How to Choose the Best Solar Panels for Your Home - Purchasing a solar energy system for you home can be a daunting task.  Whether you hire ...
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2011-11
9

The Facts About Solar Energy

Category: Home Solar Panel Systems, Solar Energy Systems | No Comments
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1. Solar Energy makes financial sense today – With current state and federal incentives, purchasing solar panels for your home is a good investment.

Solar Energy Facts

A recent study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory showed that homes that installed solar panels increased in value around $5/Watt (download study here: http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/emp/reports/lbnl-4476e.pdf).  In addition, you save a lot of  money on your electric bill every month. The combination of these make solar energy not only financially viable, but a good investment to save you money.
2. Solar Panels are easy to take care of – Some people are concerned that the upkeep of panels is difficult.  On the contrary, you really don’t have to do anything to your panels unless you really want every last watt out of them, and even then you would perhaps rinse the dust off the panels once every couple of years.
3. Placement of your panels – Solar panels need direct sunlight to work, so it is important to determine where to mount your system and how much energy your panels could generate. The amount of energy generated depends on the size of the system and the number of kilowatt-hours the system is capable of producing. The best direction to point your panels is south (if you are in the Northern Hemisphere) at an angle that is equal to your latitude.  For example, in Colorado the best tilt angle is around 40 degrees.  However, don’t be disheartened if you want to keep them at your roof angle for aesthetics, having a slightly different angle won’t hurt you too bad, but this is something you might want to discuss with your solar installer.
4. Your solar energy needs – Once you know how much energy your system is capable of generating, the next step is calculating the monthly energy needs of your household. You can contact your local utility for this information. You should also inquire about the utility’s specific requirements for connecting your solar power system to the grid.  There are also some nice solar calculators out there that can give you descent estimates of how many panels you will need to install to handle your monthly household usage.
5. Your budget – Solar power systems are expensive, and while rebates are available, there will generally be a substantial investment required. The initial cost of a solar panel array can range anywhere from $5,000 all the way to $40,000.  The good news is that many states allow leasing and other creative financing options and its possible that you might not have to pay anything out of pocket.

The Facts About Solar Energy - 1. Solar Energy makes financial sense today - With current state and federal incentives, purchasing solar panels...
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2011-11
20

First Solar Accomplishes 5GW Milestone for Solar Panel Installations

Category: Home Solar Panel Systems, Solar Energy Systems, Solar Panels | No Comments
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First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) today announced cumulative production has reached 5 gigawatts (GW), or 66 million solar modules, capable of generating enough clean electricity to power approximately 2.5 million homes. The company began commercial production in 2002 and has since grown to become one of the world’s largest solar module manufacturers, with 36 production lines on three continents.

“This milestone helps advance our mission of providing clean solar electricity at affordable prices. Our ability to scale high volume production has been a key factor in reducing the cost of renewable energy,” said Tymen DeJong, First Solar Senior Vice President of Global Manufacturing.

First Solar recently announced that implementing technologies and processes derived from its research and development (R&D) program produced a world-record 17.3 percent efficient cadmium telluride solar cell in July, resulting in average module conversion efficiency of 12.4 percent from its best-performing production lines during the third quarter.
Efficiency gains have also enabled the company to begin production of 87 watt modules, which produce higher amounts of electricity when installed in the field.

Five GW of solar generation displaces 3.3 million metric tons of CO2e annually, the equivalent of taking 650,000 average cars off the road or planting 84 million trees each year.
On a life cycle basis, systems using First Solar modules also have the lowest carbon footprint and fastest energy payback time—the amount of time a system must operate to recover the energy that was required to produce it—of any other photovoltaic technology. This enables systems using First Solar modules to provide the greatest and fastest environmental benefits.

About First Solar, Inc.
First Solar manufactures solar modules with an advanced semiconductor technology, and is a premier provider of comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) system solutions. The company is delivering an economically viable alternative to fossil-fuel generation today. From raw material sourcing through end-of-life collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on creating value-driven renewable energy solutions that protect and enhance the environment. For more information about First Solar, please visit www.firstsolar.com.
My Power solar pv panels

First Solar Accomplishes 5GW Milestone for Solar Panel Installations - First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) today announced cumulative production h...
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2011-12
14

Thin Film Versus Crystalline Silicon: The Price Wars

Category: Solar Energy Systems, Thin Film Solar | Comments Off
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Silicon Solar Cell

Thin film solar has been touted for years as being a revolutionary advancement in solar energy. The worlds largest solar company, First Solar, (see The Top 10 Solar Panel Manufacturing Companies) is a thin film solar company that has made huge advances in thin film technology and has captured a large portion of the worlds utility scale solar energy market. First Solar is manufacturing solar panels at the cost of around $0.75/Watt. So it looks like the revolution in solar power is happening, right?

Well, not so fast. Solyndra was a thin film solar company, so why didn’t it survive. Most people keeping up with solar trends have heard about the infamous Solyndra debacle and how that company borrowed over $500M in funds backed by our tax dollars and then went belly up last summer. One of the biggest reasons that Solyndra failed was because they couldn’t compete with the the large drops in crystalline silicon prices. Why the huge price drop? Some of the price drop is legitimate, but there is a high degree of debate over what legitimate means. Most experts agree that China’s oversupply of silicon panels has lead to them selling panels at below their manufacturing costs and that is why they are being investigate for unfair trade practices. However, whether they were intentionally trying to drive American solar panel manufacturers out of business or whether it is just basic economics of supply and demand; we may never know.

What we do know is that there is a glut of panels on the market and this is driving prices down artificially and just like any other over supply situation, there will be a time period of pricing adjustments before the true market cost of panels can be truly know. So the reality is, we don’t really know what a healthy market value is for a solar panel, and it might take a few years for that to be realized. Prices could increase as the supply and demand comes more into balance; however, with improvements in manufacturing and technology the prices could fall. Its anybody’s guess what will happen and that makes things pretty tough on anyone thinking about investing in solar energy.

Additional Reading on this topic can be found at Will Crystalline Solar Kill Thin Film.