A Solar Powered Home

Have you ever dreamed of the Sun providing you with enough energy to power your entire home? That dream might be more realistic than you originally thought! In recent years, a solar powered home has gone from a strange novelty to nearly becoming commonplace.

Across the globe, thousands of solar panels are emerging on people’s rooftops. An increasing percentage of the world’s population has chosen to use the Sun’s energy to power their daily lives. However, before you make this radical change, you should take some time to research the topic more thoroughly.

The General and Environmental Benefits

The advantages of using solar power are self-evident: the Sun’s energy supply is limitless. Solar power produces clean energy with no greenhouse gas emissions and can save money on electricity bills.

Another advantage of installing a solar power system is raising the value of your home. The higher value is due to the lower electricity bills, as well as the “green living” initiative that has increased the demand for homes with renewable energy sources and a lower carbon footprint.

Of course, using solar power instead of conventional forms of energy reduces the quantity of carbon and other pollutants emitted into the environment. Lower carbon levels in the atmosphere means less pollution and cleaner water and air.

The Cost

Homeowners with a solar power system can reap many benefits, such as lower electricity and gas bills, a lower carbon footprint, etc. However, these benefits come at a considerable cost, both for installation and maintenance. Solar power is commonly considered an expensive technology, at least regarding the initial costs of installation.
Overall, after the primary costs of buying the panels and installing them, the sum you will spend on solar energy depends on how much electricity you consume and how much power your panels generate.

On the other hand, the price for going solar is similar to the traditional ways of obtaining energy for your home. With solar power, the main cost is buying the equipment. However, it should be noted that the cost of installing solar panels has been getting lower and lower every year. Therefore, a solar powered home might be more affordable than most people would think!

Maintenance

Solar panels are a stationary system, and once installed, there isn’t much you need to do except keep them clean. If something is covering the panels, such as bird droppings, spider webs, or dust, that could reduce the absorption of sunlight, which would also lower the amount of electricity produced.

However, you only need to do this type of maintenance a few times a year. The most you will have to do to upkeep a solar powered home is change some parts of the system every few years.

Exposure to Direct Sunlight

The location and surroundings of your home play a big role in the efficiency of your panels. Having solar panels in Florida or New Mexico is not the same as having them in Alaska or Washington. Undoubtedly, solar panels are most efficient in direct sunlight. However, they can still work during cloudy or rainy days, although they might have reduced efficiency. That can also occur, for example, if your home is surrounded by tall towering buildings, shadow-casting trees, etc.

It’s important to make sure no shade is covering the panels during the sunny hours of the day. The more time the panels are exposed to direct sunlight, the more effective they will be at generating power. This might mean having to cut down trees on your property or around it. However, if your property is surrounded by tall buildings that are casting a shadow on your panels, there isn’t much you can do.

Final Thoughts

Switching the power source in your home is a drastic change, and you should not make that choice lightly. Nevertheless, owning a solar powered home has many benefits that might make it just the right choice for you:

1. It will make the environment around you cleaner and healthier
2.  It is a sound investment with low additional costs and low maintenance
3. The more sunlight you get, the more energy you will be able to generate (and the Sun is an infinite source of energy)

Simply dreaming about sustainable homes is a thing of the past, because today solar powered homes are more widely available and affordable, with many advantages to consider.

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