These days, solar power is comprehensive enough to be able to power around eighteen million US homes. Solar panels are still on the increase and show no signs of a significant slowdown. So, what are you doing to get involved in this trend and ensure that your home is future-proof?
Before you jump in, we have listed seven things that you should consider before installing solar panels in your own home or getting someone else to. By the end, you should understand the steps needed to assess your own home's solar potential and what you need to do next.
1. Are You Planning on Selling?
Even if you are planning to move house sometime soon, installing solar panels can be a huge boon. Solar panel installation can increase the worth of a house, and also tend to appeal to those who wish to put more money down on a location. They can end up paying for themselves in the short term for this reason alone.
2. Audit Your Energy
Perform an energy audit on your home to work out your energy consumption patterns. This will allow any installer to inform you of your best options for choosing solar panels and any other installed components. Whether you need more batteries or will be sending more to the grid, for example, will impact what you will want someone to install to create a solar home.
3. Check Your Contract
When discussing your options with installers, always take a good look at the contract. There may be useful information in there about the right to upgrade or maintain your solar power system.
4. Is It Your Home?
If you are leasing your home instead of buying, you should open a dialogue with your landlord. They will be the ones who will make the decision on whether to install such a system into the home.
5. On or Off the Grid?
If you install a solar power system in your home, you can choose between it being on the grid or off the grid. If you are on the grid, as most homes are, you can sell any excess power back to the grid. If you are not, then you will need to have enough storage capacity to handle times when it is not sunny, as you will only be supplied with your own green energy.
6. Pick the Right Installer
You should make sure that a professional is putting in your solar panels. Experts such as Blue Raven Solar can make a huge difference in how well-installed and easy to maintain such a system will be over time.
7. The Roof of Your Home
Remember that your roof may not be perfect for solar panels as it is. It may need some renovations to get it up to a standard where it can hold solar panels atop it. This will be for both safety as well as to prevent damage to the panels.
Time to Start Installing Solar Panels
Now that you have devoured the above information, it is time to start installing solar panels in your home. Remember that one of the main things you need to do is get an expert to install it for you, and it should all go well.
If you want more information on renewable energy and solar power, though, we should be able to help with that. Our blog has all the data you need to get started with learning about this environmentally-friendly method of living your life. So, check out our articles today.