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How You Can Use Solar Panels to Completely Power Your Home

Creating electricity from the sun is not a new thing. In fact, it was 1883 when Charles Fritts created the first solar cell. He coated selenium with a thin layer of gold. Today the materials used are much cheaper, making solar panels more affordable. 

That’s why there has been a huge rise in interest in solar panels over the last ten years. Alongside electric companies creating solar farms, many people are putting solar panels on the roof of their house in a bid to become self-sufficient. 

The question is whether it’s possible to power your entire home off solar panels.

The good news is yes! It’s advisable to know a specialist in solar panel repairs to help if you experience any issues. You also need to be aware that there are different ways to achieve your intended goal.

Your Power Consumption

Surveys suggest the average home uses just over 10,000 kWh of electricity per year. That means you’ll need approximately 30 solar panels, delivering 250 watts each. 

However, consumption is personal. The amount you actually use will depend on your lifestyle, whether you’re looking to minimize usage, and how well insulated your home is. 

It’s possible to power your home completely but, in order to know how many solar panels you’ll need you’re going to have to calculate your daily usage. 

The simplest way to know your yearly usage without being conservative is to look at your last electricity bill. The alternative is to add up all the power you use on an average day and multiple it by 365 to get your approximate yearly figure. 

Find Your Number

Divide the amount of energy you need by the output of your chose solar panels. This will tell you how many panels you need to purchase.

Battery Back-Up

When you’re connected to the grid you have power at all times of the day and night. However, if you’re relying on the sun you’re going to need a bank of batteries and transformers to store the electricity you need at night. 

You have to factor in the cost of buying these as well as choosing a spot to locate them, protected from the elements. 

Installing

Purchasing the solar panels and paying to have them installed is likely to cost you approximately $10,000. Of course, the price will vary depending on the panels you choose and the quantity you need. That’s a significant sum of money. However, you can purchase the panels and install them yourself, if you prefer. But, whatever you choose, it’s essential to know what you’re doing and get professional help when necessary. 

In order to have power all the time, the solar panels need to be able to send power to appliances currently in use while charging batteries for use at night time. It can be complicated to set the system up properly without connecting to the main grid. But, when you do get it right, you will be able to power your home completely from solar panels. That’s a pretty cool feeling.

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