There are obviously costs involved in setting up residential solar panels. Today, we’re going to look at these and balance them up with the financial gains you’ll experience. It’s a busy day, so let’s get right in:

Cost #1: Equipment.

Equipment forms the largest part of the entire solar power setup. These are PV panels, inverters, battery bank, regulators, et cetera. Equipment cost can be spread out over time if you want to expand your solar power generator over time. Perhaps your goal is to be able to build up one more solar panel every weekend. Thus your cost really spreads out over time. It can really be less taxing on your wallet this way.

Cost #2: Installation

If you want to do the installation yourself, you won’t have to worry about this cost. But if you want to get a professional or contractor to do it for you, remember o budget for this as well.

Cost #3: Interest

If you took up a loan to pay for your PV panels and other photovoltaic components, the interest is going to build up and this must be factored into the overall cost as well.

Cost #4: Permits, Fees and Taxes

In some locations, you’ll need to pay for permits and fees when you install solar panels over your roof or on your property. Generally, most states let you install solar panels without imposing taxes on them. But be sure to check with your local authorities so you know if you need to pay for any taxes.

Cost #5: Clearing Refuse

If you need someone to clear out any refuse for you, you may need to pay for their service.

Now these are all costs…how about the benefits, I hear you ask. Well, here are the financial gains you’ll enjoy:

Benefit #1: Lower Energy Bills

The most obvious benefit is the reduced (or eliminated) electricity bills. If you are adding solar panels gradually to your collection of “solar harvesters”, your energy bills will gradually reduce and may finally be eliminated.

Benefit #2: Hedge Against The Rising Cost of Energy

The cost of energy is set to rise as inflation and scarcity forces its price upward over the long term. We all experience this effect — everything seems to get more expensive! Yet when you’re tapping energy from the sun, it doesn’t get more expensive then when you first bought the photovoltaic equipment. Therefore while the rest of the world pays for electricity through their nose, you can quietly enjoy cheap electricity using solar panels.

Benefit #3: Appreciation

The price of your property will probably appreciate because you installed an asset. Depending on the valuation, you may get back what you paid for. This mean you’re really using all the energy for free through the years. If you built your own residential solar panels, you’re definitely going to get back more than you invested in equipment and other photovoltaic components.

Continue Reading:

1. Benefits Of Using Residential Solar Panels
2. Why Are Solar Panels The Best Investment For Your Home?
3. Residential Solar Panels — Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Solar Panel Installation

Solar panel installation may be a daunting task for most people — it requires you to know where and how to site your solar panels. Moreover installation on roofs exposes you to the danger of falling. You are also at risk of electrocution while wiring your inverters.

But we do not have to be discouraged. Knowing what to do can help us tremendously and keep us away from danger. Some important installation know-how can make your job much safer and easier. Here are some points to consider before you install your solar panel…

In the northern hemisphere, we’d like our solar panels to tilt towards to south so that it can receive the most sunlight throughout the year. If we have a south-facing roof, all we need to do is line the solar panels along the surface of the roof. Otherwise we’ll need additional brackets to tilt the photovoltaic panels toward the south.

The roof is usually the best place to site your solar panels, but there are exceptions. Therefore you have to do a thorough survey to know where is the best place to locate your panels.

During the survey, you’ll have to take into consideration shading from plants and nearby structures. Shading has an adverse effect on solar energy production. The amount of electricity generated by photovoltaic cells reduces by a significant percentage with slight shading.

Through different seasons of the year, the position of the sun changes. So you’ll have to take this into consideration. An easy way to find the location that receives the most sunlight throughout the year is to use a Solar Pathfinder. This instrument shows you at a glance where shadows will be at different times of the day and different seasons of the year.

If the ideal location is on your rooftop, you’ll have to find out the maximum loading your roof can withstand. If the solar panels are too heavy, you will need to provide additional reinforcement to the roof structure before installation.

After the location is finalized, actual work can begin. You’ll have to get the correct solar panel mount to fix them at the ideal place — there are pole mounts, roof-ground mounts and flush mounts.

When installing on roofs, we frequently use flush mounts. This is the cheapest and easiest way to mount small solar panels. These are metal brackets that support both ends of a solar panel. It elevates the solar panels a few inches away from the roof to form a gap in between. This allows air to flow through, cooling the solar panels. It is vital to moderate the solar panel temperature so as to maintain the efficiency of photovoltaic cells.

Roof-ground mounts are grid-like structures that are used primarily for large solar panels. They can be installed on the ground or on roofs. A pole mount is used mainly for supporting a small, single solar panel.

After the solar panels are fixed, you’ll have to run and connect the electrical cables. The actual connections depend on whether you want a grid-tied or off-grid system.

With proper solar panel installation, each panel will be able to withstand strong winds and work efficiently for decades. You can also expect your property to increase in value with a solar energy system installed.

Continue Reading:

1. Solar Pathfinder – What Does It Do For You?
2. Installing Solar Water Heaters
3. Solar Panel Efficiency