Home Solar Panels: Do They Make Sense For You?

Title: Home Solar Panels: Do They Make Sense For You?

Solar panels generate electricity from the sunlight that reaches your home on a daily basis. Using sunlight to provide electricity for your household is good for the environment, because no resources are depleted and you're not creating any hazardous waste. However, you might be concerned that there is not enough sunlight where you live.

While the Northwest doesn't receive as much sunlight as the South of the United States, there is plenty of sunshine to power your home with solar panels. In fact, Germany receives far less sunlight than the Northwest region, but Germans have been using solar panels effectively for a very long time.

Are Solar Panels Efficient?

The next question you need to ask yourself is whether using solar panels is efficient enough to provide your home with the electricity it requires. When homeowners move off the grid, they're often required to make a lifestyle change in order to make do with the electricity they can generate on their own, such as living without air conditioning and dramatically reducing energy consumption. This is certainly not necessary when using solar power.

In the past, solar panels weren't as efficient as they are today you had to install large solar panels just to power a light bulb! Fortunately, with advances in technology, it's extremely plausible to switch your household from mainstream electricity to solar energy. In fact, you'll probably be able to sell some of the electricity back to the city.

Are Panels Cost Effective?

The installation of solar panels cost as much as or more than a new car. Nevertheless, it's a cost-effective energy source because solar panels last for a long time and require only minimal maintenance. Another great thing about solar panels is that you can often find incentives and attractive financing terms that make it affordable for you to switch to solar energy right now.

How the finances work out partially depends on whether you're still hooked up to the regular power grid. In return for selling energy back to the city, you might qualify for different government grants and incentives.

Depending on the cost of the installation, your power usage, and your financing arrangements, solar panels are an investment that will pay off in about 3 to 5 years. If you don't plan on staying in your home for that long, installing sonar panels might still be a good option for you because they could increase the resale value of your home.

Is Your Roof Sunny?

How much energy is generated through your solar panels depends on the weather as well as on the exact position of your roof. The perfect roof for solar panels faces south without any shading and receives plenty of sunlight during the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. However, your home doesn't have to meet these exact criteria to be suitable for solar panels.
Your home solar panels in Seattle will still generate enough power to get your meter running backwards even if your roof faces east or west. However, if your roof is in the shade, that could be a deal breaker. That's why you should have a solar energy expert make a thorough inspection of your home before making a final decision about installing solar panels.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Using-Refurbished-Solar-Panels-To-Power-Your-Home/1827094%3Futm_source%3Dtwitterfeed%26utm_medium%3Dtwitter