Right now putting solar panels on your house is not very cheap. Depending upon how much energy your house needs, you could be looking at thousands of dollars in solar investments. But would you consider installing a home solar kit if it cost less than $1,000?
If you have the money to make an eco-friendly investment, you can get a home solar kit for about $600. The kit would consist of a Uni-Solar 32-watt amorphous-silicon photovoltaic (PV) module, a Morningstar 6-amp charge controller, two Deka 92 amp-hour sealed batteries and an Aims 800-watt modified sine wave inverter. Other materials that you would need include wire, battery cables, mounting hardware and fuses. This kit will be able to power a 20-inch television for 20 hours or a laptop computer for double that time. Alone, the 800-watt inverter can power a vacuum cleaner as well as a toaster and coffee maker.
Solar panels are made in two different forms: crystalline silicon solar cells and PV systems. The atoms that make up the crystalline silicon solar cells enable sunlight to be efficiently turned into energy. These panels are made up of transparent glass, ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), Tedlar and aluminum. The PV systems must be mounted onto a surface so that it’s tilted toward the sun, and the battery must be stored to protect it from unfavorable weather.
Although you might have to create your own solar panel kit, you will save money in the long run, especially if you’re waiting for this technology to lower in price. Even if you can’t afford a solar panel kit right now, you can spend $50 to $100 on a solar charger for your cell phone or iPod. These are effective and enable you to use the sun’s energy for all of your communication and music needs.
Even though you’re not powering your home on solar energy, you can still make a small step like this to reduce your use of electricity. When solar paneling for your home becomes more mainstream, it will become more affordable for the general public so start saving up for it now.