Is solar power worth it?

Here’s a little video a found on YouTube that shows some solar panels. The home owner talks about net metering “selling back” to the electric company. He also talks about the cost a little bit. Don’t miss the part where he says he is saving $200.00 a month.

What is Residential Solar Power?

Have you ever thought about not having to pay a monthly electric bill? Residential solar power can make your electric bill go away. Harvesting power from the sun is environmentally friendly and is not dependent on foreign countries for supply.

There are two types of residential solar power.

1. Off-grid

2. Grid tied or net metering

Off-grid Systems

In an off grid system, you literally are “off the grid”. Your house is not hooked up to the electrical utility network. There are no power lines connected to your house from the street. You rely totally on the sun for your electrical power needs.

In the off-grid system, you will have a bank of batteries that are charged by your solar array, so that when the sun is not shining you will be using the energy stored in the batteries to power your appliances. Most people who have an off-grid system also have a back up generator attached to their system for times when the sun’s power is blocked for several days or is not adequate for their short term needs. Like when it is snowing for days on end or there are storms for several days.

Net-metering Systems

In a net-metering system, you are tied to the “grid”. There are still power lines connecting your house to the utility network.

Think of the utility network as a big back up battery. Most days your electric meter will literally spin backwards. In essence you are “selling” your excess residential solar power back to the network. On those days when you need extra power, your meter spins forward and you buy electricity from the utility company.

The different utility companies handle this “buying/selling” surplus differently. So you will have to check with your utility company to find out how they handle this situation.

The positive aspects of residential solar power the freedom from the utility company, the freedom from a monthly electric bill, the freedom from foriegn governments, and the freedom of using a naturally renewable energy that will be available for a long time to come.

For more information about residential solar power check out this resource, Solar Power Design Manual.