Home Solar Power Systems: Use the Sun to Run Your House.

The increasing cost of electric power, the economic downturn and the concern that we all feel about the effects of global warming are just some of the reasons why many people are thinking of the possibility of generating their own solar power. They share a hope that it might be economically feasible and that they would have the added bonus of making a contribution to the lessening of the greenhouse effect.

The fact of the matter is that it is a very complex problem to solve as a general proposition because there are so many variables involved one situation to another. For example the cost of electric power varies between 5.8 cents per kilowatt hour in Kentucky to 14.31 cents in New York. It is even higher at 16.7 cents in Hawaii. ( 6/27/200).

There is also a substantial variation in the cost of solar panels when considering home solar power systems. They can vary from $2 per Watt for DIY panels, to $10 per Watt for commercial panels. The number of panels required will also vary considerably depending on your geographic situation. For example Seattle has 2049 hrs of sunshine per annum whilst Phoenix has 3752, so that for every solar panel required in Phoenix to achieve a particular output of electricity, 1.8 panels would be required in Seattle.

The tremendous difference between the cost of DIY panels and those obtained commercially has seen a surge in interest in people wanting to build their own solar panels. For many people this means the difference between having renewable energy providing electricity for their homes and having to stay locked in to the power companies.

For those wishing to pursue this interest there are a number of excellent e-books available on the World Wide Web which give simple and detailed instructions as to how to build solar panels in one’s home workshop.