A solar power system produces DC power directly from the sun using panels of photovoltaic cells. When the sun isn’t shining, solar panels don’t work. That's a problem for homeowners, who are usually away from home in the daylight hours. This problem is solved by battery packs. The solar panels generate electricity while the sun is out, then this power is stored in batteries for use in times when the sun isn't shining. One of the major expenses of installing a solar power system in your home is the purchase of an inverter. Inverters convert DC power to AC power. Although photovoltaic cells and battery packs produce and store DC electricity, most home appliances run on AC power; therefore you’d have to convert from DC to AC to use solar power in most commercially available appliances. A typical inverter runs anywhere from $3000-$5000. There are smaller inverters that can be used for each individual appliance for around $150, but the problem here is that you would have to purchase an inverter for every appliance you intended to run.
Generally when homeowners plan for their energy consumption needs, they base their power needs on the rates of consumption found in traditional AC-power homes (around 8900 kWh per year). If you are starting from the ground floor by building your own green home, power consumption needs can be greatly reduced. The average power consumption in a green home is only around 900kWh per year. The more energy cuts you can make, the more affordable your system will be. The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination and resourcefulness.
It may be that you are not ready to take the plunge and go all-out in creating a sustainable home. If that is the case, there are still many alternatives available to you that would reduce your need for non-renewable resources. One possibility is to use your local power company as a storage facility for your solar home. In this arrangement, you are still on the grid, but you have access to your local power company for peak times when your usage may exceed your energy production capacity. Conversely, during your downtime when you're not using much electricity, a federal mandate requires that your local power company buy from you any electricity you produce but don't use. Unfortunately in many states, you have to pay the retail rate for their electricity, but they purchase any you sell to them at wholesale rates. Check with your local company if you're interested in this approach.
How much would a good stand-alone solar power system cost? The prices vary greatly depending on available sunlight in your area, consumption demands, and system options, but as a ballpark figure, if you’re planning to buy a solar power system based on the average power consumption of an American home (8900 kwh), plan to spend anywhere from $25,000 to $30,000 for a stand-alone system. If you can reduce your consumption to the 900 kWh range, you can expect to pay as little as $5000 to $10,000 for the system. So you can see that it pays to make as many cuts as you can. This may sound expensive up-front, but when you consider that you’ll be eliminating your monthly power bill, it can actually be less expensive in the long run.
It's up to you to decide where you can make cuts and how much you're willing to invest in sustainable power. One thing is for certain, on-the-grid power rates will continue to rise, and so any changes you can make will pay off over time, not only by decreasing your power bills but also by reducing our demand on non-renewable resources that damage the environment.
Generally when homeowners plan for their energy consumption needs, they base their power needs on the rates of consumption found in traditional AC-power homes (around 8900 kWh per year). If you are starting from the ground floor by building your own green home, power consumption needs can be greatly reduced. The average power consumption in a green home is only around 900kWh per year. The more energy cuts you can make, the more affordable your system will be. The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination and resourcefulness.
It may be that you are not ready to take the plunge and go all-out in creating a sustainable home. If that is the case, there are still many alternatives available to you that would reduce your need for non-renewable resources. One possibility is to use your local power company as a storage facility for your solar home. In this arrangement, you are still on the grid, but you have access to your local power company for peak times when your usage may exceed your energy production capacity. Conversely, during your downtime when you're not using much electricity, a federal mandate requires that your local power company buy from you any electricity you produce but don't use. Unfortunately in many states, you have to pay the retail rate for their electricity, but they purchase any you sell to them at wholesale rates. Check with your local company if you're interested in this approach.
How much would a good stand-alone solar power system cost? The prices vary greatly depending on available sunlight in your area, consumption demands, and system options, but as a ballpark figure, if you’re planning to buy a solar power system based on the average power consumption of an American home (8900 kwh), plan to spend anywhere from $25,000 to $30,000 for a stand-alone system. If you can reduce your consumption to the 900 kWh range, you can expect to pay as little as $5000 to $10,000 for the system. So you can see that it pays to make as many cuts as you can. This may sound expensive up-front, but when you consider that you’ll be eliminating your monthly power bill, it can actually be less expensive in the long run.
It's up to you to decide where you can make cuts and how much you're willing to invest in sustainable power. One thing is for certain, on-the-grid power rates will continue to rise, and so any changes you can make will pay off over time, not only by decreasing your power bills but also by reducing our demand on non-renewable resources that damage the environment.
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