| Understandably, the larger the system is, the more | | | | does. However, a stationary roof installation or |
| power it will produce. Different solar systems are most | | | | free-standing panel set-up does well if sited to catch |
| suitable for certain applications, and one properly | | | | the most sun on an average basis. |
| chosen, designed, and installed will be more effective | | | | Your daily electricity usage can be read on your utility |
| than one with less than optimum components. | | | | bill. An average daily use is 1300 Kilowatt hours and |
| The end result should dictate the type of solar power | | | | such a whole house system can cost about $20,000 |
| used. If what you want is a warmer swimming pool, | | | | when professionally installed. The most affordable and |
| you can place solar photovoltaic panels on your pool | | | | user friendly systems are connected to the grid with |
| house roof, but it will be more efficient to use heat to | | | | 'net metering', when the electricity produced is sent to |
| heat water rather than electricity. In this case, you will | | | | the utility grid for storage; the homeowner is only billed |
| find a solar collector, which transfers heat without | | | | for energy not produced by the solar panels and |
| making it into electricity first, more direct, efficient, and | | | | therefore drawn from the grid. |
| affordable. | | | | A off-grid system must produce more energy than the |
| Photovoltaic or PV cells absorb the heat from the sun | | | | batteries used for storage require to maintain their |
| - the energy - and other parts of the system convert it | | | | charge. Any energy over that is available for other |
| to electricity and deliver it to the unit which will use the | | | | uses. In this kind of system, solar power is easy to |
| power. The first cells and wiring systems lost as much | | | | control. Wind power, in contrast, is often too little or too |
| energy as was delivered, but newer crystalline silicon | | | | much and causes more problems than it solves. |
| cells and solar film devices are much more efficient. A | | | | How much power does solar power generate is a |
| home system will pay for itself in less than one quarter | | | | matter that is confusing to those who do not know |
| of the time if the newer technology is used. | | | | how energy is produced and made usable for |
| Outer space is the best place to collect sun energy, | | | | personal consumption. However, it is an industry where |
| since the atmosphere of the earth blocks much of it | | | | many researchers are working to make this free, |
| before it reaches the surface of our land or water. Of | | | | clean power available to more and more people. I |
| course, none of us can launch a satellite or have the | | | | have personally managed to build my own home DIY |
| antennas to catch the energy beamed down. The | | | | renewable energy system by following an online |
| most efficient way to gather the sun is to have a | | | | system which you can find out more about at my |
| rotating dish, which follows the sun like a sunflower | | | | website link below. |