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Beginners Guide to Solar Power Panels

Posted Posted in Solar Energy Articles     Comments Comments Off
Nov
6

One of the first thing many people ask when they are looking to install solar power panels is how much will it cost. While it might seem like there would be a simple and straightforward answer, there are several elements to consider. Of course the total cost reflects how many panels must be installed. The number of panels required depends on 3 factors: 1) The location of your home, 2) the square footage of your home, and 3) your current and expected future electric prices. Each of these is important for consumers looking into solar power, and should be understood before requesting a free quote on solar power panels..

The location of your home actually has the most to do with final costs than any other consideration. If you live in an area with an abundance of daily sunlight, such as Nevada or Arizona, you will need far fewer panels than if you live somewhere that is overcast a lot, or the intensity of the sunlight is just not that strong. Some of this can be overcome by paying extra for more efficient panels, but this can make the installation unfordable, or push the payback period by a few years. If you are looking for solar panels, make sure you understand what is reasonable for your location by doing a bit of research. Some areas it is easy to eliminate the monthly power bill, while in others it may only make sense to try to reduce the power bill rather than eliminate it.

The second thing to understand when looking at installing solar power panels is the square footage of your home. One thing most do not consider is the square footage of the home vs. the surface area of the roof. Remember a two story home is often twice the square footage as a single story, yet has the same surface area on the roof. Depending on your location, there simply may not be enough roof space to completely offset your electricity use, especially if you have a multi story house.

A last consideration is the current and expected future electric rates. Obviously the higher your current rates, the more sense it makes to convert over. Some areas have much higher rates than others, and this has a direct impact on how long it will take before you have recouped the cost of installation. One additional factor always taken into account is the expected rate increases for the next 10 years at least. The faster rates are expected to rise, the better the proposition is to convert to solar power panels.

Now that you understand a little bit about solar power installation considerations, it is time to request a free quote. There are experts standing by ready to give you the information you need to make the right decisions. Please fill out the information on the form above, and an expert will contact you shortly to begin your free quote. Your information will be kept confidential and will only be used to contact you in regard to your interest in solar power panels.