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Looking Into A Residential Solar Power System

Looking Into A Residential Solar Power System

As the cost of energy slowly rises and awareness of global warming increases, many homeowners are exploring the possibility of installing their own renewable, or "green," power systems in their homes.

There are many options to choose from.  Solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal heat pumps are the most common options.  Residential solar power systems, however, have emerged as the most popular due to their low cost (compared to other home renewable energy systems) and their ease of maintenance.  A residential solar power system, however, is not necessarily the best choice for everyone.  If you are looking into a residential solar power system, here are some things to consider.

Geography

Obviously, some places in the nation and the world are better for solar power than others.  Area that get lots of sun are the best, such as California.  Also good are locations that are flat with lots of wide open spaces, such as the Great Plains.  The best locations for a residential solar power system are areas that are both get a lot of sun and are flat and open, such as the Southwest.

Places that are ill-suited to a residential solar power system include areas that get regular cloud cover, such as New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and any lake or ocean coastline.  Wind turbines may be a better option for such places.

Locations with lots of obstacles between your home and the horizon are also less efficient for a residential solar power system.  This includes mountain valleys, forested areas, or tall buildings nearby.  Basically, look out for anything that will block direct sunlight from your home.  If you are going to the trouble and expense to install a residential solar power system, you'll want it to get sunlight from dawn to dusk to produce as much electricity of possible.  If your solar panels only get a few hours of sunlight a day, they won't be operating at peak efficiency.

Placement

If you live in a wide-open flat area, and have a large yard, then the best placement for solar panels is on the ground, facing straight up.
If the solar panels are parallel to the ground, then they will receive sunlight from any angle, no matter where the sun is in the sky.  When solar panels are mounted at an angle, it limits the hours of direct sunlight it can receive.  If your solar panel must be mounted at an angle (such as on a roof), then your best option is to place it on an east-west axis, perpendicular to and angled toward the south.  This way, you can maximize the hours of sunlight it can receive.

Many people assume that solar panels should be placed on the roof, as that is what they see most often on the news.  The main reason people place solar panels on the roofs of their homes, however, is to lift them up high enough so that they can avoid trees or other homes leaving them in shadow, and receive the most hours of direct sunlight.

Roof-mounted solar panels, however, present some practical problems.  Geographic areas that are excellent for solar panels do have weather conditions that require regular maintenance of the solar panels.  The Great Plains are known for snow and ice in the winter, and the Southwest is famous for its never-ending blowing dust.  Both can cover solar panels and prevent them from operating at peak efficiency.  When a solar panel is mounted on a roof, clearing dust or snow off solar panel (in addition to regular mechanical and electronic maintenance) becomes an inconvenient, difficult, and potentially dangerous task.  When the solar panels are mounted on the ground, on the other hand, such cleaning and maintenance becomes the casual work of a few minutes.