My Own Solar System: Installing Solar Panels at My House

Do Your Homework

• Do your homework before you begin your home solar energy project. Review renewable energy incentives at www.energystar.gov, find out about state incentives at http://www.dsireusa.org/index.cfm and find out about energy efficient mortgages at http://hes.lbl.gov/hes/makingithappen/financing.html. Your solar project may qualify for state and/or federal tax credits, rebates, grant programs, subsidies or pilot energy programs. Review the last one to two years' monthly service on utilities to know your usage, help choose the size system you want to install and calculate your payback period. In "Solar Power Your Home for Dummies," Rik DeGunther claims that you can expect to recover nearly 100 percent of your investment in solar and that the home improves in value equal to the amount of the investment.

Start Small or Go Big

• Depending on your plans for solar energy, you can build a new home with solar systems for heating and cooling, electricity and water heating, convert an existing home to solar and renewable energy systems, or you can start small to try out solar energy first. If you want to permanently reduce or eliminate your heating bills, install radiant heat flooring connected to a solar water panel collection system, and reduce air conditioning needs with a simple airflow system. You may want to go big and install an off-grid system to generate all the energy your home consumes and even sell excess to the utility companies. Or start small with a 3- to 6-panel array of solar panels, a storage battery and a power inverter to start immediately generating usable electricity to power appliances or a small greenhouse.

Know Your Solar Panels

• Some solar panels use photovoltaic cells to capture solar energy and turn it into an electric current stored in a battery and used by plugging into a power inverter. Some solar panels use water (or some other fluid such as oil) flowing through tubes under glass or shiny metal fins that conduct the sun's heat to the fluid to heat it and transfer warmth. Solar panels generate energy measured in watts or kilowatts, so you should know how much energy in watts you want to generate and what the output is of the panels you want to buy or build.

Location, Location, Location

• A southern location unimpeded by shade from trees or buildings is the ideal location for solar collection panels. If your home's southern side is shaded at midday, locating panels elsewhere may be necessary. A site survey will determine if the site will support solar collection and the best position to install the panels. A visual inspection of the area at midday is the first step in determining location, along with evaluating the slope and angle of the roof if that is where you plan to put solar panels. You may want to pay for a professional solar system siting survey.