Solar Home Systems consist of solar panels built on the roof of one’s house. Typically, one solar panel installation can power between three to eight devices for up to five hours per day. For instance, one LED lamp, one smartphone charger, and one rice cooker.
Did you know that installing solar panels for home can also increase your residence value by 3-4%? Furnishing your home with a solar power system drives up property values. Moreover, it offers an attractive selling point for real estate agents to market your property.
People with solar panels for home not only regain the initial cost of their solar systems when they sell. But, they also receive insurance coverage that will increase the return on their investment.
Solar Panels for Home: Understanding the Basics
A Solar system for home functions by converting energy from the sun into hydrothermal energy. There are two types of power generated from the sun for our use – electricity and heat.
Both are produced through the use of a home solar power system. These range in size from residential canopies to ‘solar farms’ stretching over acres of rural land.
Types of Residential Solar Panels
- Monocrystalline Solar Panels
These are the best and most common types of solar panels for residential systems because they’re the most efficient solar panels and better suited for roofs with limited space. Monocrystalline solar panels have a lifespan of 25+ years.
- Polycrystalline Solar Panels
The polycrystalline solar electric system is made using earlier solar technology. So, they’re cheaper than the newer monocrystalline variant. However, since the technology is obsolete, the polycrystalline home solar power system is less efficient than its modern counterpart.
- Thin-Film Solar Panels
Thin-film solar panels for house are less productive than monocrystalline and polycrystalline variants. Due to their lower efficiency, they are more often used in large industrial solar panel installation firms in which space is not a constraint.
Benefits of installing solar panels for home energy generation.
By adopting solar rooftop systems, you have invested in a green and renewable energy source that is beneficial for the environment. Solar power is completely unpolluted, it produces no air pollution, no water pollution, and no greenhouse gas emissions.
It is also carbon-free, and no harmful effects are produced electricity is being produced by solar panels for house. You can now enjoy your renewable, clean power every day continuously guilt-free!
Solar Power System: Components and Setup
Find below the different components and setup procedures of solar panels for home:
Solar Array
The most important component of your solar panel installation will be the solar array itself. You want your solar boards placed in a sunny spot in your home. The panels should face south for maximal energy production. But, they can also face east or west and still harness a good amount of hydro-thermal electricity, as long as the area is free from shade.
The solar panels for house technology you choose should depend on the type of attachment and your preference. Say, if you're installing a ground-mounted solar system for home, you probably have a good amount of ground available. This means you have the area to install more quality panels and incur less upfront costs.
Racking and mounting equipment
Your solar array will be affixed to your property using racking and mounting systems. Most racking is general "penetrating" canopy piercing. It means holes will be drilled into your rooftop to attach the mounting system. Installers will use adhesives at the penetration site to prevent roof leaks (and should also provide a guarantee for that).
Inverters
The three main types of inverters are string inverters, power optimizers, and microinverters. String inverters are the most affordable, but power optimizers and microinverters are better for more complex installations, such as those with panels facing multiple directions or boards that experience load shading.
This is because they're referred to as module-level performance electronics (MLPEs). MLPE innovation enables a solar panel system to harness efficiently, even if one or a few solar panels for home are out of commission.
Disconnect switch
Many solar panel systems have two disconnect switches: a DC disconnect (disconnecting the DC between the solar panels and the inverter) and an AC disconnect (disconnecting your inverter from the grid with grid-tied systems). Though most disconnect switches aren't commonly used in the lifetime of a solar panel system, it's necessary in most states for safety reasons.
Solar battery (optional)
Where a solar battery lies within your solar panel setup will rely on the type of battery. Some batteries must be connected to the DC side of your system. With these batteries, the solar energy runs to the battery before conversion to the inverter. Some batteries are connected to the AC side of the solar panels for home, post-inverter in the power flow.
Advantages of Solar Energy for Homeowners
- Solar often increases your home value. Many homeowners are interested in solar panels but don't understand how they will impact their homes.
- Solar protects against rising energy costs. As long as you buy, rather than lease, your solar panel system, you'll lock in electricity costs for the next 25+ years.
- SRECs: You can sometimes earn money with solar. In some states, solar panel installation can turn a profit in addition to generating bill savings that pay off the expense of the system.
- With net metering, you can use the electric grid to "store" excess energy that your solar panel system produces.
- Solar panels typically require very little maintenance. If you choose a quality solar power system, it should require very little care compared to other forms of energy production.
Solar System for Home: Sizing and Design
When sizing a solar system for house, follow these steps to find out exactly what will cover your energy needs. If you'd just like a quick estimate without having to work through the math, feel free to use our solar calculator instead.
Step 1: Set Your Average Monthly kWh Usage
If feasible, collect your last 12 months of electric utility bills, then total up your kWh usage and divide by 12 to get a monthly average.
Step 2: Calculate Your Daily kWh Usage
Next, divide your monthly kWh utilization by 30 to evaluate your average daily kWh usage. The average American home uses about 900 kWh per month, so we’ll use that in our example:
800 kWh / 30 days = 26.66 kWh per day
Step 3: Evaluate the Amount of Sunlight Your Home Solar Panels Will Get
Use NREL’s GHI maps to see how many sun-hours you can expect to get in your location.
Take the daily kWh target from Step 2 and divide it by the number of sun hours in your location.
Example: 30 kWh per day / 6 sun hours = 5 kW solar array
Step 4: Account for Inefficiencies
From there, we need to add a bit of overhead to account for inefficiencies and the degradation rate of the panels.
Step 5: Full or Partial Offset?
Most grid-tie homeowners choose to offset 100% of their energy needs with solar. But it is also possible to start with a smaller solar system for home for partial offset.
If partial offset is your motto, you can account for that here. For example, let’s say you want to start by offsetting half your energy usage with solar:
7.2 kW solar array * 0.6 = 4.32 kW solar array
In this scenario, a 3.6 kW array would cover 50% of your energy usage, cutting your electric bill in half.
Step 6: Determine How Many Solar Panels You Need
Once you get your final array size, simply divide it by the voltage of your desired solar panels to figure out how many panels are required.
Financial Incentives and Savings
Investing in solar panels for your home or business has various incentives that make the decision even more appealing. Here are a few key benefits:
Federal Tax Credits
A major incentive is the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC). This credit lets you subtract much of your solar energy system installation costs from your federal taxes. Currently, the ITC offers a 30% tax credit for systems installed by the end of 2032.
Tennessee Valley Authority Dispersed Power Program
This program empowers individuals and businesses to generate electricity using solar energy for home or business applications, contributing to a more resilient and sustainable energy system. Participants can install solar panels for their homes or businesses and sell excess power back to the grid, fostering energy independence and providing financial incentives.
By supporting the installation of solar panels and encouraging the use of solar energy, the TVA Dispersed Power Program helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels, supports local economies, and advances broader environmental goals, making it a pivotal part of the region's transition to clean energy.
Net Metering Programs
Net metering allows you to sell any excess electricity your home solar power system generates back to the mesh. The specifics of net metering programs vary by location, but they generally provide a substantial financial benefit.
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) represent the environmental benefits of generating one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity from a renewable energy source like a home solar power system.
Maintenance and Monitoring
If your panels are tilted, you’re in luck: rainfall will clear away debris that's accumulated on them. However, during the dry seasons, it's important to clean your home solar power system yourself.
While that might seem like a lot, the good news is that this doesn’t require much work. All you need is a leaf blower or a quick spray with a garden hose, and your panels will be clean and in top condition.
In winter, you may need to manually clean your solar panel installation after a heavy snowfall. If you're using water to clear the snow away, ensure it's warm. You can also use a sponge with a long handle.
Never use hot water when clearing snow off the home solar power system. The panels are made of tempered glass. The high-temperature difference between hot water and cold panels can crack them.
Overcoming Common Challenges
- Myth 1: Solar Panels Don’t Function Great in India’s Climate
Solar panels mainly depend on sunlight, not just heat, to generate geothermal electricity. India is a country with a vast climate throughout the year with variable levels of sunlight. It must be noted that the efficiency of a solar system for home may be slightly lower on cloudy days. Yet, they are still able to generate power.
- Myth 2: Solar Installations are Too Expensive
Government-supportive policies also play a major role in making solar power system installation more affordable. All this financing helps make solar systems for homes more affordable.
- Myth 3: Maintenance of Solar Electric System is Difficult
New modern solar for home is manufactured and known for their flexibility even in the worst weather conditions. Overall, solar panels do not need too much maintenance.
- Myth 4: Solar Panels Will Sabotage Your Roof
If you contact experts to install solar panels, it will not damage your roof. Contrarily, it will safeguard the roof by acting as a bridge against various weather elements.
Conclusion
The bottom says that solar panel installation is the ultimate key to a sustainable future. It decreases reliance on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. What’s more in store? These panels can last longer than their expected lifespan if maintained well.
By smoothening regulatory processes, promoting education and awareness, finding maintenance services and training programs, fostering innovation in design solutions, and ensuring installer standards reliability, India can overcome barriers to solar financing and accelerate the transition towards a cleaner future.
Apex Mart is the best platform for getting solar panels for house. Click here to shop now!