Having taken a look at some of the tinkering we’ve been doing of late, one of our mates asked “I think I want solar power for my home – what are the benefits?”. Its a good question if you’re looking to convert home to solar power, so what are you really getting yourself in to when looking at making the change from being grid dependent to owning your own agenda.

Need or Necessity?
The first question used to be whether you really need solar power. Solar and wine power are frequently used for locations which are so remote they can’t connect or rely on commercially available electricity, and are looking for something to supplement something like a diesel driven generator. However, as we become more environmentally conscious and the cost of power keeps increasing, solar power now has a wide application to both general domestic and commercial locations.

Cost Considerations
Often people integrate solar power units into their home to provide back up power or to reduce the costs of conventional power. A solar power system can help do this in two ways. The first is by producing supplemental power, and ensuring your battery bank is sufficiently sized that you can make use of stored power when weather conditions aren’t optimal. This has the effect of off-setting the power supplied to you by the utility company thereby reducing your bill. The second is that if you generate more power through your solar panels than your household consumes, the power company actually pays you!

Actually, one the things that got me really interested in alternative energy was going to a friends house who has a pretty serious solar array, and watching his electricity meter spin backwards.

Getting The Most Out Of Your Solar Power
If you’re going to incur the expense to convert your home to solar power, its important to maximize its efficiency and cost benefit. One way to do this is to start using solar devices for your home in place of usual appliances. The second is quite simply being energy conscious. It may not be exciting, but you can actually reduce your energy consumption from anywhere between 15-25% simply by having good conservation practices. Turn off those unnecessary lights, make sure appliances are off at the switch if not in use, and turn the heater down just a few degrees. When combined with a good solar power supply, you’ll certainly begin to notice the difference at the end of the month when the bill arrives.

The above sets out just some of the benefits of solar power, so if they appeal to you, then its worth looking further into how to convert your home to solar power.