These days, more and more people are coming towards sources of clean and green energy. Solar energy is a great option for powering your home. It provides your home with clean energy, and saves you money as well in the long run. But installing solar panels is not a simple task. There are a lot of things that need to be considered before you can actually install solar panels in your home. Here are a few things that need to be considered before you make the decision to purchase a solar power system for your home.
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Is your climate suitable for a solar power system?
The first thing you need to figure out is whether your climate is suitable for solar panels. If your area gets a lot of sunlight like California, Nevada, New Mexico or Florida, then installing solar panels is a smart choice, and if you live in an area with a climate that is not sunny at all like Ohio or Michigan, then you can’t get a lot of benefit from solar panels.
The decision for these areas is quite simple, but in areas like Chicago, which get their fair share of both sunny and cloudy days the decision is a little bit difficult, there are a lot of companies that do these evaluations and install solar panels in Chicago.
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Can your roof support the solar panels required?
You should also check out the condition of your roof and see if it is in a condition to hold the weight of the solar panels. If you have a couple of years or so left before scheduled roof maintenance, you should get on it before the panels are installed, because later on, you will have to take care of the panels before you can fix the roof. Also, check the angle of the roof to determine if it will provide maximum sunlight to the installed panels.
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Is your current power usage low enough to be covered by solar panels?
You should know that you won’t be able to power a lot of appliances on solar panels if the energy usage in your home is not efficient. Make sure that you decrease the energy consumption in your home. Try to minimize the waste of energy, maximize the use of natural light and replace your appliances with energy-saving alternatives.
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Determine the cost and investment return of the solar panels!
You should know that installing a full solar panel system is not a small investment. You will need to spend a considerable amount on this installation, and you need to figure out the time it will take to turn a profit. It can take a while, but making a profit isn’t the only advantage of solar panels. Solar panels also decrease your carbon footprint and make your home more environmentally friendly. If you qualify for the ECO scheme, you may be able to receive funding for the cost of installing solar panels on your property. Under the new ECO4, solar panel grants are available to households across the UK in 2023. Read the Warma UK guide to know how to qualify for a solar panel grant.
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Check your contract and warranty!
Once you have hashed out all the details and made the decision to install solar panels, you will need to hire an installation company. Make sure that you can trust the installation company because all the companies can’t install solar panels effectively. You should have a detailed look at your contract and read your warranty conditions carefully to make sure that you are getting the best deal.
About the Author:
Louis Paulson is a graduate of California University and is currently working on his dream project of creating organic energy mixes. In his leisure time, he likes to write about climate change, energy, and clean tech. To read more of his blogs, you can visit http://headlinesolar.com/.
