Benefits From Installing Home Solar Panels

As the condition of our “Blue Planet” is deteriorating with every new cloud of smoke emitted from a factory chimney and every pound of coal burned to get kilowatts of electric current, more and more people turn to renewable sources of energy. Fossil fuels (oil and coal) have been around for two centuries and they played an important role in the development of the human society in that period. However, their impact on the environment has been dramatic and it is time to look for alternative options that can replace oil and coal and at the same time give the same or larger amounts of energy.

As the global economy gradually (and perhaps too slowly) turns to the concept of sustainable development, in which renewable sources of energy (sun, wind, water) are milestones and the grounds for future research and investments, many of once-luxurious devices for generating energy from renewable sources are becoming less expensive and affordable for larger number of people. Home solar panels used to be installed only in luxury homes, but today many middle-class people manage to pay for them. However attractive and environment-friendly they might seem, installing solar panels demands a little bit higher initial investment. However, it pays off after three or four years on average and after that period you can relax and enjoy the advantages of your home solar panels.

Benefits from installing solar panels in your home are numerous. First of all, they do not pollute the environment. The basic principle on which they generate energy is collecting the energy of the Sun, through the absorption of its rays. Since solar panels and collectors need sunlight, they are usually placed on the roof and directed towards the Sun. If on the Northern Hemisphere, they are installed so that they face south at a certain angle and if on the Southern Hemisphere, solar panels are directed towards the north at certain latitude (determined by installers). Solar panels are usually flat and there are tubes underneath them, which are filled with water or air. As the Sun rays heat the panels, small collectors on the lower side of the panels absorb the energy and thus heat the content of the tubes. The water or air from the tubes can be used for heating a house or an apartment, meaning that you can have your own central heating system, which is at the same time harmless for the environment.

Apart from using solar panels for heating water and space, you can benefit financially from installing them by producing electric energy for your home and selling the potential surplus to an energy providing agency or the state. You can make your solar panels your personal electric power plant, as well, but this procedure demands more investments and certain energy “concentrators”, which focus the Sun rays that are absorbed by your panels to produce higher temperatures, so that the final amount of energy is sufficient for the electric systems. In addition to that, to produce electric energy in home solar panels some regular heating devices, such as furnaces have to be used, so that the temperature remains high and the energy efficiency remains satisfactory.

Solar panels are the best means to make your home a sophisticated and environment-preservation oriented edifice, especially if your home is exposed to many sunshine hours in a year. The satisfaction from the feeling that you produce your own energy and keep your surroundings clean will inspire you to install solar panels as soon as possible.