9 Key Success Factors Of High-Performing Residential Solar Power Systems
Successful residential solar power systems are those that factor in solar panel tilt, sun exposure and 7 other factors that influence how well your system will perform.
When you are considering solar power systems, there are nine key tips that can help you determine the size of the residential solar system determine the size of system you need and that determines the solar-electric residential cost of the solar power system you choose.
*These 9 key tips can help you determine the components that go into this decision.
The Residential Solar Power System Success Factor #1. Site Selection
The first thing to consider is the site selection for your solar power system
- A place that gets an average of six hours or more full sun.
- You can get by with as little as five hours of sunlight per day, but the more unobstructed sun you get, the more effective your system will be.
Most people consider their rooftop, but you need a direct southern exposure, that also allows you to slightly tilt the solar panels, depending on your location.
The Residential Solar Power System Success Factor #2. Square Footage
The square footage of your home can determine how much square footage of solar panels you will need.
You also have to consider whether you will be using the system to power your entire home, or just a few of the things that need electricity.
Since solar power systems generate 110 volt household current, some of your larger appliances will still need to operate on the utility grid, or use other sources for energy, such as propane or natural gas.
The Residential Solar Power System Success Factor #3. Your Working Budget
Your budget can determine whether you get an installed solar panel system, or you decide to go with a more affordable solar panel kit and build the solar panels yourself.
You might still need to have an electrician install the system to be within building codes.
The Residential Solar Power System Success Factor #4. Determine If You Qualify For Tax Credits
Residential solar energy tax credits are available until December 31, 2016. This allows you to get a 30% tax credit, with no upper limits on the costs.
Be sure to read the fine print on the requirements and check to see if your utility company and state or local authorities offer additional credits or rebates.
The Residential Solar Power System Success Factor #5. Home Efficiency
The energy efficiency of your home can determine whether you will need to install a larger system or a smaller solar panel system.
You will want to add weather-stripping, insulation and programmable thermostats to make your home more energy efficient.
The Residential Solar Power System Success Factor #6. Cloudy Days And Reverse Metering
Another factor to consider on your solar energy system costs is whether you can get reverse or net metering.
This will allow you to sell your excess power back to the utility grid and can offset the energy costs you incur on extremely cloudy days or for the systems and appliances that require 220 volt power.
- You can also pay additional for storage capacity or battery banks for your solar power system to tap additional power, but this will increase your costs.
The Residential Solar Power System Success Factor #7. Home Power Consumption
You will need to determine what the average amount of wattage is that you consume on a daily basis.
- You will want to make your home is as energy efficient as possible and then look at your monthly utility bill. Some bills will show daily usage, but you can divide the total amount of watts by the number of days in the billing cycle.
The Residential Solar Power System Success Factor #8. Rooftop Square Footage
A square foot of solar panel can generate between 8 to 10 watts of power.
- You might be limited by the amount of space you have on your rooftop, but the average size of most systems are those capable of generating 400 watts.
The Residential Solar Power System Success Factor #9. If You Decide To Use Pre-Assembled, Know The Costs Involved.
A pre-assembled solar panel will average $4 to $5 per square foot, but a photo-voltaic solar panel kit will be less than $2 per square foot of solar panel.
This is a consideration when you are looking at the options for equipping your home with a solar panel system.
- You will also have the expense of the inverter to convert the solar power into usable energy and storage capacity will be an additional cost, should you choose to have this option.
Getting High Performance From Your Residential Solar Power System - The Bottom-Line.
As you can see, to get the best performance from your solar power system, you will need to know how solar energy works. There are several success factors to consider when converting your home to residential solar energy.
The key to getting the best performance from your residential solar power system is to get the solar power system that will help all of the 9 success factors to work together.
While some of these factors may seem complicated, remember that help is just a phone call away.
- There are plenty of solar panel installers that are happy to consult with you on the proper size and type of residential solar energy system, if you have questions.
- You can find plenty of information about residential solar energy tax credits, utility rebates and solar power grants on the Internet and find out a lot of helpful information about residential solar energy systems from your utility company, as well.
Here's to finding a way to bring more solar power into your family!
P.S. Here's a few more tips to help your solar power projects go smoothly...
