| Solar power electricity - is it the ultimate renewable | | | | once the sun has gone down. |
| resource that could save you thousands of dollars on | | | | I guess my bottom line here folks is that going solar |
| your power bills? Or will it burn a mighty hole in your | | | | does NOT mean you can call your local power |
| bank balance? | | | | company and tell them to shove their electricity. |
| You need to know the answer to that question before | | | | Believe me, you'll still need them! Now, let me give you |
| you spend $15,000 to $25,000 having solar electric | | | | some solid reasons FOR checking out solar electric |
| power installed in your home and then have to wait | | | | power systems. |
| 20-25 years to get your money back through energy | | | | - First, you can achieve some power savings IF you |
| savings. | | | | go about it the right way - more on that in a moment. |
| OK, once the panels are up, the electricity generated | | | | - Second, solar panels last a long time - up to 30 years |
| by solar power IS cheaper than the stuff you buy | | | | if they are installed properly and they require almost |
| from your local power company, but even if you | | | | zero maintenance. |
| achieve energy savings of $1,000 or more a year, the | | | | - Third, a mass domestic shift to solar electric power |
| payoff is a mighty distant one. | | | | would reduce the need for power companies to |
| Even with the greenest of good intentions about | | | | expand generation using "dirty" fuels like coal and |
| saving the planet, going solar is a huge financial | | | | nuclear. |
| decision. Now, I don't want to rain all over the idea of | | | | - Fourth, there is the "feel good" factor about |
| solar powered electricity because I believe there IS a | | | | generating some of your own power and doing your |
| way of doing it economically. However, consider the | | | | bit for Mother Earth. |
| following: | | | | So, how do you make solar power affordable? You |
| 1) The further north you live, the less return you'll get | | | | do it yourself! |
| from solar electric power. | | | | No, it's not as hard as you might think and there are |
| 2) Solar power delivers more electricity in summer | | | | several excellent "how to" kits on the market that |
| when the sun is highest in the sky - even then it might | | | | explain everything step by step. You can make your |
| cover no more than 70-80 per cent of your electricity | | | | own solar power panels for as little as $200 each |
| needs. | | | | instead of buying them for $1,000 to $1,500 each. And |
| 3) I'm skeptical of claims solar power in winter can still | | | | if you install them yourself, you'll save big bucks on |
| provide 40-50 per cent of your power needs. In Florida | | | | hiring some company to do it. Again, it's not hard to do. |
| maybe, but in the northwestern U.S. and British | | | | If you make and install your own solar panels you'll |
| Columbia, winters can be notoriously dull and wet with | | | | wipe thousands of dollars off the cost and enjoy a |
| the sun peeking out only occasionally. | | | | faster return on your investment. |
| 4) Summer or winter, solar power produces nothing | | | | |