During
the recent presidential election, the question was often brought up about
alternative power sources. Now, more often than not, they were referring to
gasoline alternatives, but we should think about different ways to get power to
our homes and businesses as well. After all, what if any of the
post-apocalyptic shows and movies ever came true? We would want to still be
able to use our devices and appliances, I’m sure! We’re going to look at a
couple different alternative sources we could use now. First up is solar power.
First,
you need to see if solar is right for you. You need to own your home
(obviously) to put the solar panels on your home. Also, your electric bill is
ideally more than average. Finally, your roof should have minimal shade and face
south, east or west. Your roof should not be too steep, less than 15 years old,
and ideally made of composite. Slate and clay tile roofs can’t be used, while
wood shake, flat and concrete roofs can be used but are more difficult to work
with. You need generally between 300 and 600 square feet for your solar panel
system. You can use a ground mounted system if you don’t have the roof space or
if the roof doesn’t work material-wise, but you need a lot of space on your
property.
So
how does solar power work? Well, the sun is attracted to the panels and the
panels produce electricity, and based on how much you’re using at the time,
some are built to store energy. If the ones you have installed do not have
storage, you will need to use your regular utility at night for electricity.
Usually, it
doesn’t have to be completely sunny for your panels to produce electricity. On
a cloudy day, they might produce about 30% of what they normally would. During
a snowstorm, if there is significant accumulation, your panels will not produce
electricity. But, the panels will be at your roof’s most sun-attracting part
and thus it will melt or slide off easily. Solar panels have also been able
withstand ¾ inch hail balls at 120 MPH and are built to withstand direct
lightning strikes. Some solar panel companies will repair the panels, if they
are damaged by nature, for free.
If the power goes
out, the solar system will automatically shut off to protect any utility
workers who might be working on power lines in an outage from being exposed to
live electricity. You will still pay for electricity to the utility company,
however it may just be an interconnection fee as your home stays connected to
the grid. You will pay the solar company for the electricity your solar system
generates.
Of course the
biggest concern for many people will be cost. And there is no easy answer for
this, unfortunately. If you are interested in solar energy, you would need to
get estimates that are based on your specific house and area. These are unique
systems for each home they are placed with, in each area. I highly recommend
getting several estimates from different companies and seeing which works best
with you and for your needs. Or solar might not be the best bet for you. Next
week we will be talking about wind power for your home.
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