Solar Power - is it cost-effective? Should you consider
installing solar panels in your home
Solar power - you'd better hurry as there are only
about 4 billion years of sunlight left!
Solar Power - Is It Worth It? by :
J.R. Ferrara
This is a never-ending debate that will ultimately depend on your
point of view. There are certain factors involved in answering the
question such as:
- Where do you live
- What is your current electric supply
- How much does the solar power equipment cost
- Do you define “worth” in monetary terms or in terms of its impact
on the environment
Before you can consider these factors, I’d like to point out certain
long-held misconceptions about solar power that are untrue:
- It’s too expensive
- It won’t provide enough power for large appliances
- It won’t work during the winter
- It will only provide power when it’s sunny
- It is very difficult to install and will only last 5 years
- It’s unreliable and useless at night
- It’s inefficient and not worth it.
A Look at the Facts
The amount of sun’s energy reaching the earth depends on where you live.
If you’re in a sunnier place, the solar power equipment will pay for
itself faster. Less sunny places can still make use of solar power,
however.
Installing solar power equipment may cost you, but the upkeep costs are
negligible, compared to the cost of being connected to the grid and
paying a monthly electric bill. The kind of equipment you need depends
on how much electricity you need. If you need a lot of electricity, your
initial cost of installation will be high, but of course, this will be
offset by the high cost you’re already paying for electricity off the
grid.
Your solar power can be connected to the grid to pass on the extra
electricity you are generating. This is known as net metering and adds
to your credit. Connecting to the grid will cost you, depending on how
far the grid lines are from your home.
Solar power becomes much more attractive when it combines with other
solar technologies. A building with passive solar heating and water
heating will require less electricity from your solar power source.
Modern buildings, made with energy efficient materials will put less
pressure on your solar power equipment. This in no way means that older
buildings with poorer energy efficient materials can’t use solar power.
Solar power, once installed, will pay for itself within a reasonable
time.
After considering the above, it all comes down to the ‘worth’ of
installing solar power. Is it only the monetary cost one should
consider, or the total cost to the environment? It all comes down to how
much you value the environment.
About the author
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www.tech-tips-now.com
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