The Top 5 Things To Consider When Installing Solar Power For Your Off-Grid Home
In the last several years, the number of homeowners adopting solar systems into their homes has increased tremendously. Earlier started off as a measure to protect the conserve fossil fuels, solar power has now shifted into a trend. Solar power technology has been available to international bodies like NASA for decades, and now it has become one of the mainstream technologies.
What is an Off-Grid Home?
An off-grid home is a place which disconnected from all public utilities. As a result, these houses are more self-sufficient and can function by using different types of power systems like solar or water. But when it comes to installing these high-powered grid systems, there are around 5 things that you should keep in mind. So, let’s see what those are:
- Expenses:
When solar power was just launched, it used to cost around $300 per watt. But with the advancement in technology, the expenditure on installing solar power has started to come down. These days the cost of installing solar arrays is somewhere around $7 to $10 per watt. So, for installing a 7.5-kW array, the cost can go anywhere from around $50,000 to $75,000.
The majority of the cost depends upon the need for electricity. If you consume around 600 kWh of electricity a month, you will be required to use a 5-kW system. This will cost a homeowner around $40,000.
- Location of the Off-Grid House:
The primary factor that will decide how well your solar power will work depends on the location of the house as well. In order to get optimal performance out of the solar power panel, it is necessary that the house is located in a place where there is adequate sunlight. Places with a good distribution of sunlight offer more benefits to users.
They, in no case, have to rely upon the main grid for the power supply. With the help of professional technicians and companies, the obstructions on the installation part can be overcome easily. Talking about the surface where the solar power is going to be installed, it is best to have an inclined surface to have a good angle of interaction between the ray of the sun and the surface system.
- The durability of the Solar Panels:
The system on solar panel has photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight into electrical energy. These systems have quite long-life spans that ensure the optimal performance of the solar panels. While purchasing a solar system, make sure to check the lifespan of the equipment. Choosing a licensed contracting company to install and supply solar-powered equipment will help you get good quality products. Whereas purchasing them from just any manufacturer without any specific details can be a horrible decision. If the product turns out to be useless, you have no option but to stick with it.
- The Time Duration:
The time duration for installing a solar power panel always varies. If the length of the property is too much, the number of equipment required for mounting will also increase. Due to this, the time period required for installing the solar power panel will also be longer.
Whereas for the smaller areas, the number of equipment required will be less, which will take a shorter span of time for installation. Apart from this, it also depends on the company overseeing the installation project. By working with an established firm, the installation task can be accomplished in a few days.
- The energy requirement of the property:
If any homeowner plans to go for an off-grid home, a solar energy panel can meet all the home requirements without any issues. For this, the homeowner must install powerful PV solar systems to fulling all the power demands of the property. But before installing the PV solar system, you must first check the house’s power requirement.
If you plan to go totally off the grid, then the number of solar systems will automatically increase. You will also be required to install powerful systems to ensure the whole house is lit up. If the property is going partially off-grid, then the requirement for solar systems will be quite a few.
Conclusion:
Solar power started as a high-power technology that was just used by the most elitist of organizations and has now become a household name. It decreases the regular power bills and also ensures that the environment I also protected. The maintenance and installation costs of solar power equipment are also quite minimal in comparison to the other types of power-saving equipment.
Owners can also get government rebates and tax deductions upon installing solar power systems. As noted in other energy sources, solar power equipment is environmentally friendly and in no case causes damage during power surges.