subject: Solar Power Cost-Rough Estimate [print this page] Are you aware if the costs of Solar Energy is affordable now a days?..There some important things to consider. A home solar energy system can be explained by a professional, as they take a look into your energy needs as far as consumption by appliances, computers, etc. Perhaps the simplest solar power system to install is a solar hot water heater that can produce some or all of the household needs. In most households, however, this is a small share of the utility expense compared to heating and cooling. Based on an average of five hours of sunlight per day, spring to fall, Solar Energy will provide the power you need to operate your systems. The actual power output will vary due to weather conditions and your location.
The cost of installing solar power depends on how many KW you want to generate. A typical house uses around 4kW of electricity per year. So if you want to produce half your electricity from solar, you need a 2KW system. Costs per kW are typically around $9,500 per kW. To look at the cost of installing solar thermal panels, you need to look at the number of people in your house and how much hot water you need. allow 50l of water per person, so for a 4 person house, you need 2panels and a 210 L cylinder. Cost for this is around $7-$9,000.
The reason why solar power cost is so expensive is because of the raw material that is used in the manufacturing process. The raw material that is so expensive is silicon, like the stuff they make microchips from. Although silicon is a relatively common material, the process needed to make it pure enough for semiconductors requires a lot of energy. Hopefully in the near future some of these ideas can be put to use to reduce solar power cost. Wouldn't it be great if the average homeowner could use solar power for all of their energy needs.
