Solar Panels: Determining the Power Requirements for Your Home
Thursday, August 13th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you are planning to install a residential solar energy system in your home, you will need to determine your current energy consumption. This information can most likely be obtained from the local utility company. Using this as a baseline, you will be able to design your solar energy system to suit the requirements of your house. Your area’s climate will have an effect on energy use, as well as the direction your windows face, the number and location of your trees, and the kinds of appliances you use. Even the kind of light bulbs used can make a difference.
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An additional large factor will be your region’s temperature extremes. If you’re residing in an area with temperature extremes in summer or winter, you will use more energy to cool or heat your home than if you were in a moderate climate.
South facing windows in a cold climate can help reduce your heating costs. In a hot climate, north-facing windows help reduce cooling costs.
Mature trees can shade your house in the summer, lowering cooling bills, while the bareness of the limbs in the winter let in sunlight. These factors can all contibute to the amount of power you use. And installing adequate insulation in walls, roofs and floors help lower utility costs in every climate.
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If possible, swap out all of your appliances to energy efficient ones. Newer appliance models often use up to 50% less energy than older models, especially if they need to be repaired and are not performing at top efficiency. Switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs also makes a large impact on decreasing electricity use.
After you have evaluated your home for the above factors, you can plan your solar photovoltaic system by multiplying your average daily kilowatt hour consumption by about .25. This should provide you with an approximation of the daily kilowatts the solar panels will need to produce to supply your current electrical needs.
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