At the moment, solar panels are the most feasible and doable way to create an alternative power supply to your local power station. These panels can be located either on one’s roof, which can be adapted to fit nicely onto the roof tiles already on your roof or on the ground. If one wants to supplement one’s power supply with solar panels only in order to save on utility bills, then the roof fitting panels would be the first choice. However if you were hoping to become completely independent of the national power supply you would want to look into a larger, ground based system.
The next consideration would be the orientation of the actual solar collector for maximum efficiency. If located on the roof the angle and direction at which the panels are placed at are really quite negligible, but if they are placed on the ground then you should make sure that are placed at the optimum angle. The basic rule of thumb is if you are located in the southern hemisphere, then your solar panels should be facing north and if you are located in the northern hemisphere, then they should be facing south. There are also other considerations such as the latitude of your location, weather and seasonal variables, but again these are negligible. Most people will not be taking the DIY path when it comes to such a specialized product, so you can elaborate on the finer details with the company whose services you are going to make use of.
The real question most people will be asking is what the cost of solar panels for homes installation will be and how will it benefit one economically. The costs are on average measured in what the potential power output will be from the particular system one is investing in. There are low end estimates of $7 to $9 a watt to higher end estimates of $10 to $12 a watt. Now you can deduce your particular monthly power consumption from your power bill and if, for example you plan on a 2kW system you can calculate installation costs ranging from $14,000 to $18,000 and $20,000 to $24,000.
Keep in mid that although the set up costs do seem high, these home solar energy systems are designed to be durable and save you money long term and once you have saved the cost of installation through lower utility bills, you will have free power for life. Also, take into account the exponential advancement of the technology and keep abreast of the latest designs available and the inevitable cost saving benefits.
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