RESIDENTIAL SOLAR TECHNOLOGY

Different homes may choose to use residential solar energy to different extents. Some homes may have just a few solar outdoor lights. Other homes heat their water off of a residential solar energy system. Still other homes may rely solely on residential solar energy.

A lot about how beneficial solar power can be to you depends on where you live. If you live somewhere sunny all year, you will harness more solar energy than someone living in Portland.

With the rising cost of energy prices, solar home kits are becoming popular. Kits offer all the essentials needed to receive rays from the sun than can power your entire home. Solar power at home:

• Decreases your energy bills – some consumers report up to a 50% decrease in energy bills when using solar home kits to supplement energy consumption.
• If you install a solar home kit, you will have at least some power in case of a power grid failure. Kits offer a great supplemental source of power, but not a primary source of power.
• Most home kits do not include the array wiring between the modules and battery bank. These will need to be purchased separately.
• You get what you pay for. Wattage generally increases with the amount you spend on your solar home kit. More expensive models have more solar panels, which means more energy.

Solar energy is created from solar panels and solar cells and liquid systems. Residential solar energy is an active solar system. Active solar involves mechanical systems as well.

Passive solar systems, on the other hand, are systems that harness natural sunlight and reduce energy use. In other words, a passive solar home is built in such a way as to best take advantage of the sunlight. Passive solar homes have sustainable design strategies.

Passive solar design may include large windows to gather light, fans to distribute heat, stone flooring, and open spaces. Passive solar heating works by creating building features that will absorb heat, release it and circulate it.

One idea of passive solar design is to have a large deciduous tree next to your house. The tree will shade your home during the summer, but in the winter it will shed its leaves and allow the sun to reach your home.

Residential solar energy systems can be costly to set up. But after initial costs, require very little maintenance, and eliminate energy costs altogether.

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