Solar Energy for Home Use

Tapping into solar energy for home use represents a big environmental savings, but is it for you? Check out your options before you decide.

Simple Solutions

Your options encompass much more than large panels bolted to the side of your home. With just a few dollars and an hour of time, you can install lighting around your house that run off of solar power.

From heating water to charging devices, solar energy can offset your electricity consumption and electricity waste. If you don't have the funds to invest in a home solar-electric system (despite government incentives), you still have ways to harvest energy from the sun.

Solar-Electric Systems

If you can invest in photovoltaic panels, you have options, too.

UI set-ups tie your home to the electric wiring that comes and goes to the power company. When your home panels create energy, it goes to the electric company and offsets your energy use. Sometimes you make more than you use, and they credit your account or pay you for the difference.

With a UI system, you have the same experience as you do without solar panels. You work with the electric company and if there's an outage, you lose your power just like your non-solar sporting neighbors. This is where a UI system with a generator comes into play. Just like any home with a generator, the backup source of electricity keeps your house humming when the power company's down and out.

Going "off-grid" means no connection to the electric company. Your solar panels create electricity that gets wired straight into your home. With this option, you have to make a few changes to maximize your electricity.

When considering whether or not to invest in solar energy solutions, remember to keep all your options in mind. You don't need a small fortune, or tons of technical know-how. You don't have to give up modern conveniences to tap the power of the sun.