How much do solar panels cost?

Lets post about Green energy for a better world. Government and state rebates have become available both on utility-scale and for the majority of homeowners. This means that the effective costs of solar panels are much less than what they used to be. In some cases, the price of a residential photovoltaic system can be cut more than 50%. As of 12/31/2008, the U.S. government offers a 30% tax credit with no upper limit. Chances are your home is also eligible for other grants and rebates.

While solar power certainly is less polluting than fossil fuels, some problems do exist. Some manufacturing processes are associated with greenhouse gas emissions. Nitrogen trifluroide and sulfur hexafluoride has been traced back to the production of solar panels. These are some of the most potent greenhouse gases and have many thousand times the impact on global warming compared to carbon dioxide. Transportation and installation of solar power systems can also indirectly cause pollution.

Harnessing solar energy does not generally cause pollution. Whilst there are some emissions associated with the production and installation of solar energy equipment these emissions are minimal when compared to generating electricity from fossil fuels. The CSIRO, an Australian government research body estimates that the energy payback is 1.5 years. That is, it takes a solar panel 1.5 years to generate the amount of power it took to make it. This statistic was from 2009 and is likely to be a quicker payback now. Given solar panels are warranted to last 25 years this is quite good.

Solar panels (also known as photovoltaic panels) are installed on your home. The solar panels convert light (photons) into electricity (voltage). Each panel is connected to a microinverter that changes the electric current from DC (direct current) to AC (alternating current). Each microinverter operates independently of the others so that if one stops working your system is still generating maximum power. An alternative to being tied to the utility company is an off-grid solar panel system. An off-grid system is similar to a grid-tied system with the exception that all the solar energy that is generated is stored in solar energy battery banks in your home. A charge controller sits between the batteries and the solar cells to ensure that the batteries do not overcharge. With an off-grid system you are 100% electricity independent.

During the solar installation process, your conduit and inverter will be set in place prior to mounting the solar panels. We will then fit the roof anchors and attach the frame to securely hold the solar panels in place. After wiring the panels, the inverter, and finally your home, final inspection will be performed. After the inspection, you’ll have solar energy powering your home with a simple flip of a switch.

Because the time, tasks and equipment involved in each project can vary greatly we prefer to see each project in person to give a detailed quote. By doing a site visit we can ensure that we are giving you an all-inclusive price quote. Additionally, when we are able to give you an accurate price quote we can also tell you exactly how long it will take for you to see a return on your investment. Read more details at Green energy for you, less emissions for the planet.