Every year the electric bill always seems to increase in price as we continue too use the same amount of electricity, so it seems. These new computers and plasma TV’s eat up a lot of juice and are not the same as the old tube style television sets of yesteryear. Whatever the case perhaps your looking to reduce your electricity bill each month or just go full out environmentally friendly and live off grid. Solar is the way to go. Look at California, Arizona, and Florida. These are just a few states with plentiful sunshine and a great solar source to power your home all year round.
However converting your standard home to a solar home can be expensive. But what options are there to see if solar is actually for you? Buying used solar panels and equipment will definitely take the edge off your wallet. The main part you need is the photovoltaic cells and if your handy you can just build the panel itself. If the PV cells are in good shape then all is good. Look out for damage and don’t nitpick how it looks, test it with a meter to make sure it still can provide at least 80% power. Think of the PV cells as a picture and the panel as a frame, just frame your picture and that’s pretty much it. Go to your local hardware store for the framing and glass then go to the electronics store to find your diodes and connectors and such.
You may need a guide on how to connect it all but they are easy to find and simple to follow. Once you have this done the testing can commence. Will there be sufficient hot water at all times of the day if you go solar? The amazing thing will be that solar energy works very well and provides a lot of electricity to power your pool, home, and everything else all summer long. But what happens when it rains or is cloudy for 3 months like in the northeast regions? Just to let you know solar can be stored but not for long, so your home may become a hybrid until technology catches up.
