I Live In Anderson South Carolina. I Want To Convert My Home To Total Solar. Where Can I Get Solar Panels From?
the price of electric was jacked up 27%. I was told this today when I called the electric company. Its 11.25 cents per kilowatt. Where can I find solar panels for my home? I think I want to convert to solar electric, and get completly off the grid. I keep my heater to 62 degreese, wear two sweaters to keep warm, and run the fireplace.
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December 23, 2009 @ 1:11 am
You realize that is going to be very expensive up front. You may save money in the long run, but it will take many years. But I don’t want to discourage you from helping the planet. Here is a website that can give you contact information for solar panel manufacturers:http://www.findsolar.com/
December 23, 2009 @ 1:28 am
I have not installed solar energy at home myself, but a few of my neighbors and friends have done it, and though it takes some pain in getting it done, it is worth the effort.
You can refer your local yellowpages for manufacturer info. Alternately, if you are looking for a good deal on the prices, I suggest you post an ad on Craigslist. My friend did the same. The advantage is that since quite a few manufacturers reply back with their offers, you will have the privilege of negotiating a price for the set-up.
December 23, 2009 @ 5:55 am
I just want to let you know man that unless you are incredibly wealthy it won’t be feasible for you.
For example, if you just get a 100 Kilowatt system in place, it’ll set you back half a mill. At 20 cents/ kilowatt hour, you’re probably gonna make only $200/day (assuming 10 hr sunlight/day). It’ll take you a decade to recoup the cost.
Plus South Carolina is very nice and sunny, but not as effective as lets say a desert would be.
rethink it and I suggest you move to a place that utilizes Hydro power, much much cheaper trust me.
December 23, 2009 @ 6:23 am
Your electricity is still reasonably priced on the national scale, by the way. California has been paying that for years, in fact, usually more.
If your goal is to save money, it will be very close to break even at your electric rates. And if you do an off-grid system, as opposed to grid-tied, you’ll likely never get your money back at current prices. An off-grid setup costs 1.5x – 2x as much as grid tied.
As for prices, systems are coming down this year. See the link below. A 4 kW system, a typical size, may be going for $12,000 by the end of the year. If your house is small and you don’t have any A/C or electric heat, you might get by with a smaller system. If you can save $600 a year, that’s 20 years to pay back. But if you sell your home, it will be worth more (hey, free electricity), so you can get your money back sooner if you move.
December 23, 2009 @ 7:51 am
I don’t know about solar, but you can hook up a windmill to a car’s alternator and get free electricity. But I hear it’s some kinda violation.
Ok so i found this website http://www.mrsolar.com/
December 23, 2009 @ 10:05 am
A home-made solar panel and wind turbine can be made from remaining parts of unwanted vehicles, if you prefer something new you can purchase parts from your local shop or on the internet for less than $200.
A wind turbine comes in handy on cloudy days. Producing electricity day and night. I highly recommend this as a backup system to your solar panels.
The following are essential components of a solar energy panel:
1. Solar Panel – There are mainly three varieties of panels that are used: mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline and amorphous. Of the three, mono-crystalline is the most efficient, though expensive. The best thing is, home solar panels can last a long time and require no maintenance. These come in different configurations but to simplify things, the ‘per-watt’ cost consideration is the ideal rule while selecting a panel.
2. Battery – This will store the electricity produced by the solar panel. A number of batteries can be connected to maintain the required input to the inverter. However, care should be taken to ensure that installed batteries are receiving adequate DC input from the solar panel.
3. Charge controller / regulator – This controls the overcharge / discharge of storage battery. It regulates the pre-set levels. Sometimes these are also equipped with battery temperature control, which will prolong the battery life. You should choose one that protects the battery from voltage fluctuations.
4. Inverter – This converts DC input into AC output needed for household use. These inverters also come with features that let them act as a standby in case of power outages.
You can typically install a residential solar power panel for various purposes, such as for providing a back-up power support utility; or using it selectively for certain home appliances independent of the grid.
You can easily build your own residential solar power panels at low cost and generate electricity for free. Plus the excess electricity that you generate can be sold back to the Electric Company.
Cheers!