Installing solar energy at your home or your business is a great way to save money. By producing your own power, you will no longer have to be reliant on the big energy companies. Solar power is also a green, sustainable energy source that helps the environment. To learn more about using solar, keep reading.
Find out if your local energy provider offers meter rollback programs. Once you have a solar energy system, you should consider joining one of these programs so you can sell the energy you produce to the main grid and draw the same amount of energy instead of purchasing an expensive battery system to store your power.
Keep the trees around your solar energy panels trimmed. Shade from trees can limit the sun's rays that are hitting your panels, thereby causing your panels to work less effectively. In order to avoid this problem, make sure to trim back leaves and branches regularly. This is easy to do, and it is cost effective too.
Talk to the company that you plan on having install your solar system and see if a sun tracker is a good fit for your system. Sun trackers use very little energy and will maximize the amount of power your system can produce. If you have the space and resources, a sun tracking system can help you maximize your energy production.
Solar panels reduce the amount of energy used to heat your home and water. While the use of solar panels does cut down your energy costs, they are expensive and it may take several years to recoup the cost in reduced energy costs. Check for government incentive programs to help pay for them.
Talk to the company that you plan on having install your solar system and see if a sun tracker is a good fit for your system. Sun trackers use very little energy and will maximize the amount of power your system can produce. If you have the space and resources, a sun tracking system can help you maximize your energy production.
Get online to find your local Internet solar http://www.prettygreen.com/ panel community. You can find out good information about peaks http://www.soka.edu/admission_aid/Financial_Aid/outside-scholarship.aspx and lows in solar energy use in your area. If you get particularly adept at getting on a roof to clean your solar panels, you might can even market yourself and make a few bucks off other solar panel owners afraid of heights.
There are many companies who claim to be specialists in solar conversion. However, it is up to you to confirm that they have the proper qualifications and credentials. Check with the Better Business Bureau for their current business standing. Do an online search for any reviews. If you turn up any negative information, look for another service.
Consider complementing your solar panels with other forms of energy production. Aside from night, your solar panels are least productive when it is cloudy, which usually means winds, rain or both. Put in some small wind turbines on your roof and micro-hydroelectric generators at ends of gutters for some power production when solar panels are not up and running.
When purchasing a solar energy system, make sure that you read the manufacturer's warranty carefully. This is a very expensive item, and you want to know that you will be able to get a replacement in the event something happens to it. You should purchase an extended warranty if the one that is offered is very limited.
When were the panels you're interested in designed? You want to find panels that were designed within the last year or two. Older versions come at lower price points, but newer ones deliver better long-term results.
If purchasing solar panels is something you cannot afford, you should think about leasing some. Leasing a system saves you money, and you can usually recoup the installation costs within a matter of weeks.
Solar panels are not very easy to install, so you should hire a professional to get the job done. While you will save a bit of money by trying to do it in your own, you do not want things to be less than perfect. Also, you will most likely end up paying someone to come out and fix the mess you made.
Do you have a pool? You could save a lot by investing in solar panels. There are small solar energy systems designed to power a water heater or a water pump and since you only use your pool during the warmer months, your panels will work perfectly when you need them.
Steer clear of solar energy salespeople with high-pressure tactics. There are a lot of these kinds of salespeople in the solar indusry. Just let them know that you plan to think things over before making any deals. If they can offer you a good deal now, they can offer it to you again at a future date. Being pressured to make a decision right away can end up costing you a lot of unnecessary money, so don't allow salespeople to bully you into a sale.
If you are going to invest a lot of money into solar panels, you should make sure that you pay for monitoring services. This type of service will make sure that things are working as they should be. You can usually access the information by phone, computer or a wall-mounted device.
Think about having your solar panels connected to the power grid. This allows you to sell off your extra energy produced. In this way, you can offset your own start-up costs and the system will soon pay for itself.
If you are running low on space across the roof, install new panels at ground level for even more savings. Panels in the yard are still an improvement above typical fossil fuels. The idea is to add as many panels as you can and store as much energy as possible.
If you are thinking about installing solar panels in your home, it is very important that you purchase them from a reputable company. With solar power becoming so popular, there are a number of new businesses popping up all the time. Be sure and deal with a company that you can trust.
Do you see what solar energy can do for you? Due to the friendly environmental impact and its capacity to offer power, solar energy power is a great source of energy. It's a good idea to use solar energy power for all your needs. You will be happy you did and the planet will be happy too.
