My friend Janelle is from a family of pioneers. No, they didn’t own a covered wagon, but her dad was one of the first people I knew to go solar.
When Janelle and I were in sixth grade, her father spent most of that spring installing a solar panel the size of Nevada on his roof, then spent the next summer figuring out how to wire it into the house.
Installing a residential solar system can be a do-it-yourself or sub-contracted home improvement project.
I expect if Janelle’s dad had known someone like Melinda Kershaw or a company like Day & Night Solar, Edwardsville, IL, he would have had a much more productive summer that year.
Melinda says, “We are essentially solar solution system integrators,” she says. Day and Night Solar is one of a few companies nationwide that provide all of the services needed to convert your home to solar power. For those of you who are planning to install a solar energy system in your house, it may be helpful to know what that involves.
Solar Products and Installation
The first order of business is deciding where to put your solar panels so that they absorb the most sunlight. In some cases, this will be on the ground, but most often you will need to mount residential solar panels to your roof, which may require advice from a structural engineer.
Janelle’s dad managed to successfully install his solar panel, but wrestled with the wiring for three consecutive weekends before calling the electrician. Today’s solar panels are easier to install, and some do-it-yourselfers successfully and safely mount the panels themselves. However, in order to meet your local building codes, it is likely that you will need a licensed electrician to wire the panels into the house.
Finance Solar Power with Grants and Tax Incentives
In the early eighties, there were few if any financial incentives for homeowners to switch to solar, except the obvious advantage of not having to pay for electricity. This simplified things a bit, although Janelle’s dad was entirely responsible for financing his solar conversion.
Depending on the state you live in and the kind of solar equipment you purchase, you could be eligible for state and federal rebates based on a percentage of your installation costs. Some federal tax incentives are also available, and in certain states you can sell your excess energy back to your utility for a credit.
Homeowners with the right accountants or who are well-versed in these matters themselves may be able to offset as much as half the installation costs for their residential solar systems. A more sensible approach, though, might be to find a company like Melinda’s that installs these systems full time and will help you assemble the necessary paperwork to leverage these incentives.
Post-Solar Panel Installation Support and Maintenance
As with any other system in your home, once these solar power systems are installed, they may occasionally need repair or upgrading. Fortunately, photovoltaic solar panels have no moving parts and therefore won’t wear out as quickly as an air conditioner or a garage door motor. However, because they are electrical, when something goes wrong it may not be easily identified or repaired.
If you install the solar panels yourself, you must find the right electrician when something goes wrong. When hiring a professional solar installer, they’ll typically offer regular inspections and warranted work.
Living in the 21st century has many advantages, among them the advances in residential solar power options. Self-reliant types can still choose to do as much of the job as is legally possible. However, others have the option of hiring out a part, or possibly the entire job to companies like Day & Night Solar. Janelle and I would opt for the latter.
Related Solar Energy Articles:
Solar Panels Convert Sunshine into Savings
How to Harvest the Sun with a Solar Tube Light
New Solar-Powered Options Give You Day-Light Where You Want It
Passive Solar for Home Heat
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