Catching sunbeams: How solar panels are turning rooftops into little power plants
Hey guys,
Today we will tell you how to install solar power on the roof in this article.
The time I saw an electric bill with a negative balance, I thought it was an error. My neighbor showed it to me over the fence on a Saturday morning; he was smiling like he had done something. He had not done anything wrong. He had just installed panels on his roof.
That was three years ago. Now I am the one who checks the weather forecast and looks at my roof all the time. At some point I stopped thinking that solar panels are something expensive, and I started to see them as what they really are: a simple and practical way to turn a rooftop into a small power plant, a solar panel power plant using solar panels to make electricity.
Why ordinary homes are going solar
Let me be honest. I did not look into solar because I wanted to save the planet. I looked into it because my electric bill was going up every summer. I was tired of paying it. The fact that it is good for the environment was an extra but the money I could save is what really got my attention.
Here is what changed in the ten years. Solar panels became very affordable. A full set of panels for my roof that would have cost forty thousand dollars or fifty thousand dollars ten years ago now costs fifteen thousand dollars to twenty thousand dollars before any discounts. The federal tax credit reduces the price by thirty percent. My state and local government also offer discounts that can lower the price more. When I spread the remaining cost over twenty or twenty five years my monthly payment is often lower, than my utility bill.
At the time the solar panels themselves got a lot better. The old models were big and ugly. Did not work well after a few years. The new ones are nice looking, strong and work well on cloudy days. Solar panels have no moving parts so they do not break easily. They need no upkeep. I just put them up clean them every now and then and let them do their job.
The Fun of Making Your Power
I did not know that I would feel so different when I started using solar power. Now I pay attention to the sun every day. When the sun is shining in the morning it is like getting money. I find myself saying things like we made 37 kilowatt-hours of power yesterday. I really mean it is good news.
It feels really good to make your electricity. For a time people made energy by cutting wood or using water from a stream. Then we started getting power from plants far away and we forgot where our power came from. Solar power is like having a bit of control, over your own life again. The sun is free it does not make any noise. It comes to you every day whether you want it to or not.
What Nobody Talks About Before You Sign Up
I don't want to make it sound best it is. There are some issues with solar panels.
First your solar panels will not work when the power is out unless you have a battery. This is something that a lot of people do not know about. When the power grid goes down the solar panel system will shut off by itself. This is a safety feature that protects the people who fix the power lines. A battery can fix this problem. It will cost you an extra ten thousand to fifteen thousand dollars.
Second the kind of roof you have is really important. If your roof faces south that is the best. If it faces east or west that can work too.. If your roof faces north it is usually not a good idea. If there are trees, chimneys or buildings near your house that block the sun that can reduce the amount of power your solar panels make by a lot. You should always get someone to check how shade your roof gets before you buy solar panels.
Third the rules about metering are different in every state. Net metering is when the power company gives you credit for the power your solar panels send back to the power grid. In some states the rules are good. You can save a lot of money on your power bill.. In other states the power companies have made it harder to save money with solar panels. For example California used to be a place for solar panels but recently they changed the rules and it is not as good anymore. You should check the rules, in your state before you do anything with solar panels.
Does Solar Energy Actually Pay Off
For people the answer is yes but you have to be patient. It usually takes seven to ten years to get your money. After that you will have electricity for as long as the solar panels last. If you plan to live in your house for that long then it is an idea.
If you decide to sell your house before that the solar panels will still be a thing. They will make your house worth money. Some people think that solar panels can increase the price of a house by 4 percent. This is not something that will happen for sure. It is possible and it is something that people have seen happen with solar panels and homes that have them.
The Bottom Line
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