Residential Solar Energy Fact Sheet - Build Your Own Solar Panels Must Knows
There has been a lot of literature written about the benefits of building your very own residential solar energy system. It is noted that not many have directly addressed the facts associated with these projects. Below are some key facts and figures
Grid Tied Only Vs Battery Backed Solar System
Grid Tied Only system work on a process known as Net Metering. The former is a system with no batteries and the excess electricity produced by the solar panels are redirected to your local utility grid, thereby spinning your existing meter backwards, allowing you credits for the excess power your provide to your utility company. In contrast, Battery backed solar systems utilize a process which enables excess energy to be stored within batteries as back up for future use.
Some Grid Tied Only Systems allow battery backups to be retro fitted or at inception. The benefit of a battery backed system is that in times of a blackout, it will kick into action, avoiding back feeding the grid. Grid Tied Only system and battery backed systems use the same solar panels, with the key difference being the inverter and there addition of batteries.
Determining the Magnitude of Your Solar Panels System
As a new enthusiast of the residential solar energy system, learning to build your own solar panels can be a great thrill. A solar panel of any size would spell cost savings for you on your yearly power consumption. You need to first figure out how much energy consumption in terms of total kilowatt hours or kwh you have used in the past year as a benchmark. You should tabulate your monthly utility bills, find the total, as well as the average daily consumption. For instance, assume that your average home consumption is a total of 4000 kwh a year. A 1 KW solar system generates an average of 2000 KW hours in a year, thereby constituting 50 percent of your yearly power consumption.
You also need to determine the amount of space you will need for the solar panels. In general, a rule of thumb is that you will need about 125 square feet for 1.2 kwh system, 160 square feet for 1.6 kwh size and 240 square feet for the 2.5 kwh system.
For more information on how to build your own solar panels, check out more facts on building Residential Solar Energy systems here.
