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Producing one's own energy is a dream of many people. While it may not be immediately possible to produce 100% of the electricity a home needs, getting solar panels for your home is much easier than you think. It's a simple, and surprisingly affordable upgrade that can cut electricity bills and add value to the re-sale value of a home.
Let's look at a few of the ways it can be done:
1) Solar Photovoltaics: Solar PV systems produce DC current, which can be used with DC appliances or converted to AC by means of an inverter. More and more of today’s electronics run on DC, which requires those little power supplies that plug into the wall which convert the AC to DC. This could be an opportunity in the future to power these devices directly from solar PV, eliminating the efficiency losses that occur when converting from DC to AC and then back again. Learn about the pros and cons of solar photovoltaics here.
2) Solar Hot Water: Also known as "Solar Thermal." This is the easiest and cheapest type of solar energy that you can have on your home, and is primarily used for heating water - for showers, swimming pools, etc.
3) Rebates and incentives: With responsible policies at local, state, and national levels, the cost of solar has been dropping significantly over the years. There are even services (see advert below) that will allow you to "rent" your roof to a solar provider at zero immediate cost to you. You can even sell the extra electricity you make to your neighbors.
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