Solar Power, Panels, and Lighting

Welcome to solarguide.com! Our Web site is devoted to bringing you the most accurate, up to date information available about solar power. Whether you’re interested in solar lighting options, or you want to take a look at solar panels, our website has something for you. We strive to stay on top of the market and bring you the latest information without the sales pitch you’ll find somewhere else. So if you see something that you think we should cover, or you have questions about something already here, please send us an email and let us know. The next time you visit, you may just find the answer to your question published here.

Solar power has long been something of a pipe dream in the energy community. Yes, the sun is the impetus behind every other power source we use, from fossil fuels to more eco-friendly power sources like wind and geothermal. But directly harnessing the sun’s energy has been an issue from day one. The crux of the issue is that in modern life, much of our appetite for energy can only be satiated by electricity. While electricity and light may seem just a hop and a skip away from each other; generating electricity from sunlight has always been inefficient.

Progress started at a mere 1% efficiency. Just think about that for a minute. That means you’d need 6,000 watts of power (in the form of sunlight) to light up a light bulb. If you feel that’s impractical you aren’t alone. Great strides have been made since the humble origins of solar power, and today it’s actually economical to install solar panels for your power needs.

A standard photovoltaic panel can recoup the cost of installation in 5-7 years. That calculation is made by comparing the output of the panel to an equivalent amount of grid-supplied power over that time. Solar panels are designed to last at least 10 years before requiring maintenance or upgrades. What does that mean for the owners? It means they get 3 years of free power… assuming they can front the cost for the next decade.

Stop and think about your power bills. Even a meager American household spends $1,200 a year on power, and some locations spend upwards of $1,500. So the question I have for you is this… do you have 12-15 thousand dollars laying around to spend on solar panels? Most Americans do not. The irony is that the 12-15 grand wouldn’t even completely cover the installation cost.

That position of being liable for a decade’s worth of power consumption all at once is really where people struggle with solar power. Thankfully the government has decided to assist people towards that end. The federal government offers tax credits and rebates for people that install solar panels in their homes. Many states also offer incentive programs. Two of the most notable states for this are California and Florida. Both states have robust incentive programs that currently set the standard for American solar power initiatives.

You can do other things to help the environment as well. "being green" is not just a trend, its a neccesity. You can help by buying environmentally friendly products, like paper grocery bags, conserving water and recycling.

 

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