How to Convert My Home to Solar Power
Homes that use solar energy are harnessing the power of the sun. Solar panels catch and store energy. The energy is converted to what is needed by the house, such as electricity or solar water heating. Solar power is great because it saves money, there are no fossil fuels involved, it is very eco-friendly and there are no power outages in storms.
Having a solar home is one of the best "green" things that you can do for your family and your environment.
There are three options that you have for converting your home to solar energy.
- Investing in solar energy: The one that is most popular and that the media likes to advertise is also the most expensive. By investing in solar energy, there have been reports of immediate reductions by as much as ninety percent. This energy source can be used for backup when there is a power outage or during storms and hurricanes.
- Solar water heating (SWH): Heating water uses twenty five to thirty percent of a household's energy on average. The energy savings of solar water heating will quickly offset the higher mortgage rate of a new house. Savings could be as high as ninety five percent.
- A system to heat your pool: The cost of a solar pool heater could be anywhere from two thousand dollars all the way up to six thousand dollars, with pool size being the determining factor. With conventional fuel usage you can spend up to or past two thousand dollars each year. It becomes very expensive to heat your pool. The solar heating option renews the heating capability and there is no cost to operate.