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Overview
There are many solar energy solutions that you can install yourself. Installing these devices on your own can save you a great deal of money. Not only are do-it-yourself systems less expensive overall, but you can also buy the devices piece by piece and install them over time. This can obviate the necessity of financing your renewable energy system.
Types
There are two basic types of solar devices: passive and active. Passive devices use the sun's energy to produce heat or prevent the sun from striking an object directly. They typically don't require any maintenance. Passive devices include water heaters that get their heat from the sun and eaves that shade the house during the summer. Active devices turn sunlight into electricity. Usually this is accomplished using photovoltaic silicon panels. Silicon is a semiconductor. When sunlight strikes it, electrons begin to flow freely through the silicon material, where they can be captured as electricity.
Facts
The photovoltaic modules that you can install yourself are smaller than the panels that professionals install. They also produce fewer kilowatt hours (kWh). Passive solar water heaters come in flat plate, integral-collector and evacuated tube-collector systems. They are generally installed on the roof of your home for optimal heat collection and do not use pumps to circulate the water. Active water heaters are also available on the market which do use pumps for circulation of water heated by the sun.
Benefits
Using solar devices can dramatically reduce your electric bill. They can make it possible to get off of the grid entirely. They are a good choice for vacation homes and cabins that are too far from the grid to be economically added by your local power company. The use of power from the sun adds no carbon dioxide or other pollutants to the Earth's atmosphere. The photovoltaic panels are available in moderately sized modules which you can install yourself. Many of these modules are unobtrusive and blend in well with the roof of your home.
Geography
People in the southwestern United States will derive more benefits from a solar power system than people who live farther north or east. This is because the Southwest gets many more hours of direct sunlight than more northern or eastern climes. The Southwest is better for both active and passive systems. However, by using specialized devices designed for climates that don't get much sunshine, people in the North and in the East can still benefit from using the sun's energy.
Considerations
In most cases, a solar energy system will not be able to supply all the needs of the typical energy-hungry home. It's important to reduce your electricity use before installing these devices. Do an energy audit to see where the most waste is taking place in your home. Plug any devices which draw power when deactivated into a power strip which can be switched off easily. These include television sets, VCRs and DVD players, computers, monitors, scanners and printers.
