Your Guide on Solar Panels

Installing photovoltaic panels at your house help you save money. It also helps you to reduce your carbon footprint. If you don’t know where to begin, this article will help you get started.

Solar-powered houses are not common recently just as they were a decade ago. However, nowadays, installing solar panels become more popular due to tax incentives and the growing concerns about climate change.

Having solar panels will reduce your home’s carbon footprint about 35,180 pounds of carbon dioxide every year. You’ll need to plant 88 trees every year to offset that amount of carbon dioxide.

You must be confused with the flood of solar panel professionals and financial planning experts. It gets harder to know exactly where to begin. This guide will help you know all about the costs of solar panels.

What are solar panels?

 Solar panels are photovoltaic (PV) cells. These batteries use sunlight, convert it into energy, then transmit that energy to an inverter which transforms it into electricity to power the house.

Installing solar panels isn’t as easy as putting cells on a rooftop. Additional wiring needs to be installed. panel placement is essential to creating an effective system. So, this project is best left for the professionals.

For better results, you have to hire a solar pro who:

• Provides a strong warranty. Be sure the inverter is covered for at least 10 years and the panels are covered for 20 to 25 years.
• Uses panels made by a trusted manufacturer. That way your warranty will still protect you if the manufacturer goes belly up.
• Doesn’t outsource the installation. There will be more accountability if things don’t go according to the plan.
• Is licensed and bonded.
• Can supply at least two recent customer references.

Costs:

 The price of solar panels has dropped 60 percent in the last ten years. Together with tax credits and subsidies, that’s helped decrease the average costs between $18,000 and 22,500.

Lease, buy, or finance?

 Solar leases became a rapidly popular choice to defray the up-front costs. Leasing companies will pay for repairs and maintenance.

On the other hand, a permanent installation comes with tax advantages and will also raise the value of your house, as the new buyers would be more than happy to save energy without the hassle of installation.

Low-interest rates make it easier for homeowners with good credit to get a good deal on a loan. If you decide to go this way, be sure that your loan payment is less than your average electricity bill to ensure that you’re still saving money.

Note: Going solar will normally increase your homeowner’s insurance premium; expect to see it rise by a few bucks per month.

Typical project length:

Creating additional wiring and installation usually take a few days. It can take about a few weeks to a few months between the moment you sign the contract and the actual installation.

Permit: Required. That’s why there is generally the time between signing the contract and installing a system. The types and costs of permits differ by the municipality; your installer will usually get them for you.

Project considerations: 

It clear, that your roof needs to receive direct sun during the time of day when the sunlight is strongest, usually between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., for your system to work effectively.

Trees, tall buildings, and even a chimney can all impact your panels’ sun exposure. Various types of panels react in different ways to shadow; some reduce output, and others shut down altogether. The more hours your panels are exposed to full sun, the more efficiently they’ll generate power.

The amount of solar radiation the ground receives during a certain time also varies relying on the area you live in. This is called insolation, and it’s why a solar-powered home in Manitoba is less efficient than one in Saskatchewan.

Number and Size of Panels

 The size of a system depends on two factors: insolation and the amount of energy needed.

Look at your electric bill to know the number kilowatts of energy you consume on an average day. Multiply that by .25, and that’s about how big a system you’ll need.

As for the number panels you’ll need, that depends not only on output per panel but also on insolation and the number of hours per day the panels will receive direct sunlight.
In case you decided to go solar at home, contact solar panels professionals in your area now and hire a reputable pro.