The Best Renewable Energy Installations for your Home
Home owners are offered a vast array of renewable energy installations. But, the most frequent question is – which one works best for your home? This article will provide you with the answer as well as some other useful tips regarding renewable energy sources and installations.
The Rise of Solar Energy
Solar energy panels are the most popular form of renewable energy installations and they work best for homes, so we will focus on them. There is an increasing number of households that are equipped with solar panels. So, how do we explain the sudden rise of so
lar energy use?
Due to the large number of suppliers, the price for solar energy panels has plummeted. The number of Chinese manufacture
rs has increased tenfold and most of them follow European standards and regulations.
Looking back a few years, potential customers had to adjust to the available number of solar panels on the market and manufacturers were able to set their own prices. Today, there are more solar panels being produced than the market needs.
Investing in Solar Panels and Solar Water Heaters
The electric energy from solar panels made before 2011 can be sold at fixed prices for the next 20 years. After that period of time, it is assumed that the guaranteed or promised price will fall at a yearly level.
That is why it is recommended that every household start investing in solar panels and solar water heater as soon as possible.
An interesting paradox is the fact that solar panels are more expensive in countries that get a lot of Sun. It’s also interesting to note that in Germany, solar panels are more expensive in the north of the country than in the south.
Important Factors
Some of the options you have while choosing solar panels are mono crystal, poly crystal, and thin film types. It’s important to know that, sooner or later, you will be needing more than one panel. That’s when you need to pay attention to the following:
- Get panels of the same watt power (100w, for example)
- Get panels from the same manufacturer
- Solar panels must not be in the shadow. It’s their worst enemy and decreases their durability significantly.
Installing and Using Solar Panels
Keeping in mind the weight of the solar panels, it is necessary to have a firm stable roof construction. If solar panels are installed into new buildings they are most often built into the very roof construction.
In case the panels are being installed on already existing roof constructions, it is necessary to fasten it with an added steal structure. Another important factor is choosing the place where the panels will be installed.
In large cities such as Berlin, the Sun is indirectly diffused due to the factors of smog and fog, while in smaller cities and out in the countryside, the Sun light is more direct and intensive.
Keeping that in mind, we divide solar panels into two types. The first type are solar panels made out of solar cells. They are less efficient but serve better in the case of diffused light. The other type is the classic one. They are made out of mono-crystal or poly-crystal silicon which produces more energy when compared to the first type. However, these solar panels do need direct Sun light.
Solar panels aren’t hard to maintain once you get through the arduous installations so don’t waste any more time and get your very own renewable energy source.
Author: Sophie Andersen is an architect from Australia. She’s working with plumbers from Sydney on projects concerning eco-friendly homes. Love to write and share her expertise about green living.