There Are Two Main Types Of Residential Solar Power

When we refer to solar energy for home use, we are differentiating it from the solar power used by commercial enterprises or the electricity derived from solar power which can be purchased by customers. The two examples of residential solar energy are “off grid” and “grid tied” – also called net metering.

Off Grid

Off-grid solar energy refers to that power not related to an electric utility or its grid. In this type of residential solar power, you won’t find any power lines that run to the home and the needs are also different, such as needing to have a battery system which will provide back-up power and which can even provide electricity during the times when the sun has gone down. In the daytime however, the photovoltaic array can store the excess energy in the batteries which is then turned into electricity and given off into the system through the batteries.

In the off grid type of residential solar power systems, there is also need to have a generator which is useful when there is no sunshine as it helps in charging up the batteries rather than use the power from the sun.

Grid Tied

The other type of residential solar power is grid tied or net metering system in which there is need to have power lines that are connected to the electricity utility system which takes the place of the batteries and acts as a huge battery array. The electric meter will spin backwards in the presence of sunlight, but darkness causes a lack of solar energy which means the meter will spin in a forward direction. This form of residential solar power is administered in a manner quite different from one electric utility company to another with each using its own set of rules and regulations.

There is a lot to recommend using residential solar power in either form since it is a means to get energy that is not only long term, but which is also renewable, and with it, you don’t have to depend any longer on your utility company, and you are also not dependent on foreign governments, and best of all, you don’t need to pay for it. There no doubts that residential solar power is the way to go.

Building a Solar Collector with Solar Energy Plans

Proper solar energy plans that you can follow step by step are the first things you will need if you are interested in building your own solar collector. Although making your own solar collector may sound difficult to do, it is not really that much of a chore at all if you have good solar energy plans that you can follow.

The First Step

Before you do anything else, you need to make sure that you clearly understand the difference between solar collectors and panels. This is necessary before you even examine any solar energy plans. Solar collectors are what actually harvest the solar energy in the form of heat, while it is the solar panels that reap solar energy in the form of electricity.

Another difference is that solar collectors make use of the greenhouse effect. On the other hand, solar panels convert radiant energy into electricity and today are only really cost effective in remote off-grid areas with a price of about $5/watt.

Materials

There is quite a list of materials that you are going to need for your solar energy plans. These will include two rolls of 50-foot 20” aluminum flashing, four 0.06 thick 4×8 sheets of Kalwall, twenty 1x4x8 pine boards with few or no knots, four 1/2x4x8 CDX plywood, four 1x4x8 sheets of insulation with an R value 5 or better, clear silicon caulking, aluminum foil, some felt paper, one gallon of roofing tar, one gallon of oil base paint, angle irons for mounting, sixteen 1/4×3 lag bolts, sixteen 1/4×1 1/2”  machine bolts with nuts and washers, 1 ¼”  and 2”  drywall screws, one pound of 1 ½”  galvanized nails with small heads, and plumbing supplies.

The actual process that will take place will depend on what specific solar energy plans you have. However, the advantages that you will gain will typically remain the same, regardless of the particular plans that you are using.

Advantages

There can be very serious advantages to using solar energy. If your budget allows you to spend $2,000 and you have a few weeks of labor available, you will be able to save more than $50,000 in home heating and hot water costs. The average American household consumes between 1,000 and 2,000 gallons of number two fuel oil per year, so solar heating can be a good option; because, if you efficiently use the energy from the sun, it could easily cut your consumption in half. You might even be able to eliminate other fuels entirely, which is certainly the ultimate goal to strive for.

Off Grid Living With Alternative Energy Generators

Today, many people choose to reduce their dependency on the expensive electricity provided by traditional electrical grid companies. Some have chosen to install systems to harness energy from the sun or from the wind. Even city people can put up solar water heaters or solar electric power systems, like Earth4Energy. Many utilities have cash incentives to help you do this, as well as quite a few states, and a federal tax incentive. It’s no wonder that this is becoming such a popular way of life, since local household electric bills are averaging from $150 to $300 a month. As a person that lives off grid and generates my own electricity from home, I like knowing that I’m not adding to the production of greenhouse gases or air pollution with my electric use. The lack of utility bills is also a plus.

Heating with gas, oil, propane, or wood is far more economical at a remote site than heating with electricity. We once owned a gas stove that had electrically powered oven controls. Electricity is now supplied by an array of four solar panels, which generate up to 285 watts a piece, supplemented by a 5800-watt, gas-powered generator, all of which can be built according to Earth 4 Energy. According to the Department of Energy, the average American household uses 29-plus kilowatt-hours per day.

Off the grid means generating your own electricity, storing it for usage during peak demand, and eliminating your electricity bills. There are now thousands of people that are powering their homes with solar energy who are actually walking the talk. Whether your electricity comes from solar, wind turbines or hydropower, you will probably have some storage batteries and either run a 12 volt or a 240 volt system. This means that with the use of a system like Earth for Energy the average household could expect to save something approaching $1,000 a year in the raw cost of electricity without figuring for other costs included in the typical electric bill.