Residential Solar Power: Scam or the Real Deal?

New storage technology has put a different angle on the use of solar power in residential situations. Although homeowners have been acquainted with the idea of solar power for some time, new advances mean that they can benefit from solar power whether the sun is shining or not.

Participating homeowners generate electricity and have it available to use whenever they want. They can also sell back surplus electricity to the local power grid. Saving money can thus extend to making money, as homeowners reap the benefits of generating extra cash. All this from an energy source that is free, clean and completely renewable. In order to understand how this can be so it may be helpful to think of a car’s headlights. Using battery storage technology, a car’s headlights can be turned on whether or not the car engine is running or the alternator is working.

Applications for home solar power

The building integration market for solar home power products is expanding fast by some 30 percent to 35 percent every twelve months. This is because the solar technology products such as solar roof shingles or opaque photovoltaic glass facades that are integrated into building are ever more pleasing to the eyes and also cost effective. The residential construction methods in many U.S. towns and cities are now changing because of this. This is also true in many other parts of the world. These residential solar power systems provide multiple benefits that may be realized in two main ways. The first is by using a simple heat transfer system to heat swimming pools. The second is to use photovoltaic solar panels solutions for immediate electricity generation.

More than 10,000 homes in the average U.S. city are now exclusively provided by solar electricity. Around 200,000 residential domains have such solar photovoltaic power generation installed in them. This is in stark comparison with large U.S. cities of a decade ago when such solar panels were a very rare occurrence. The phenomenon is growing even more in the cases of isolated residents that do not have immediate access to power grids.

The cost factor is the main one in such cases. The big winners include residents who are removed from power grids and who are gaining easy to use and virtually free power, and no longer having to pay excessive electricity bills. They also avoid the dramatic cost of installation of power lines from their residence to the grid. The costs here may be as much as $20,000 to $80,000 per mile of connection. However a photovoltaic system at their home will cost just $15,000 to $20,000 per kilowatt. It is no surprise that more and more people are turning to solar energy every year.

Over $13 billion per year is spent on heating water alone. This is explained by the lifestyle of many people in the U.S. who take baths but least once a day. Water must therefore be heated at least every day in order for baths to be available. The total energy used in single-family homes for this may be as much as twenty-five per cent of all energy requirements. As such, it is the single highest consumer of energy for any of the electrical appliances in them. Families can save up to 85% on heating bills simply by converting to this new solution for electric water heating.

In doing so, solar power users can benefit from other advantages as well. When a solar water heating system is included in the financing for a new residence, lenders offer energy mortgages in over nine states. Homeowners can also apply for deductions in Federal income tax to be offset against the home mortgage.

94% Of Americans interviewed in a recent survey on home mortgage said that they were happy that they had chosen a solar hot water system. The survey was done on a 1,5 million people.

With a minimum of knowledge, you too can install a similar heating system in your home. By doing this you can benefit from the ecological financial advantages discussed. The knowledge that you need includes things such as where to source parts inexpensively including batteries, how to put in place the wiring and how to make sure that all safety precautions are correctly respected.

Jim Martin is a researcher, inventor, home energy consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, "Earth 4 Electricity- Renewable Energy Made Easy". Jim has written dozens of home energy related articles and has been featured in ezines and print magazines, as well as on hundreds of websites worldwide.

To Learn More about Jim Martin´s Unique Step By Step Solar and Wind Power System Visit: Residential Solar Power .