Guide to Installing a Solar Power System at Your House
Solar power is becoming more popular. Part of that is because of rising electrical costs, part is that people want to reduce their carbon footprint. You may have been thinking about getting solar power for your house, but you just aren’t sure where to start.
Assessing Energy Usage
The first step on your solar journey is to assess how much energy your house uses on an average basis. Knowing how much energy your house uses will let you decide how big your solar energy system should be and if you want to try to completely power your house on solar or just supplement your energy usage. There are a few ways that you can find out your energy usage.
Historic Usage
One way to assess your energy usage is to go back and look at your historical usage. The easiest way to do this is to look at your electrical bills. Most electric companies have sections on their account pages that let you see how much power you use month-to-month.
Smart Meters
Your power company may have installed a smart meter at your house. If they have, you may be able to get an app on your computer or mobile device that will let you monitor that meter so you can see real-time information on how much power you are using.
Electric Monitors
These are monitors you plug into an outlet or have installed at your circuit breaker. They track how much power is being used, and may even help you with vampire energy use.
State and Local Incentives
Installing a solar power system can be expensive on the front side. Eventually, it will start to pay for itself, but until then, you are dealing with the initial costs. One thing that can help with those initial costs is financial incentives. Many states and towns offer incentives. Those can be tax breaks on your income tax, or you may be able to get a rebate from the city or state on proof of installation. The easiest way to find out what incentives are available to you is to look online and search for programs in your state.
Find an Installer
Once you know how much energy your house uses and have checked out the incentives, it’s time to find an installer.
Certification
The installer you choose should have certifications and licenses from your state and national trade organizations. If the installer doesn’t want to show you their licenses and certifications, you may want to look at someone else.
Customization
No two solar power systems are the same, even if they are similar. The company you are interested in should have no problems with customizing your power system, after they have evaluated your power usage, house, and requests.
Solar power is more and more popular. One of the benefits of solar power systems is that you can start small and build on to the system as needed. Finding the right system for your house takes a little work, but it can be worth it.
