Green Planet Systems
Residential Solar Planning.
How does a shifting energy market impact home owners today? It means we will likely continue to experience energy cost impacts in the years ahead. It also means that thankfully many governments, businesses and non-profits are providing opportunities through loans, grants or incentives and rebates, that make it easier to upgrade your home to renewable home energy solutions like solar panels, solar water heaters or small wind turbines. The process can be a simple one, once you know where to begin. It's also helpful to understand that starting really big is not the only way to approach renewable energy for your home, as a modest system can make a big difference in what you pay on a month to month basis for home energy. Once solar or wind systems are installed, the monthly energy bill savings begin right away. We'd like to provide you with some initial tips and recommendations of renewable home energy planning. The planning phase is essential to ensuring you qualify for incentives and identify ways to improve overall home energy efficiency. Understanding an energy efficient home allows you to fully appreciate maximizing the energy your new solar system will provide. So to get started, what are the key considerations for home owners looking at upgrading to solar or solar/wind hybrid home energy systems?
- How to qualify for incentives and rebates, both nationally and locally?
- What is a home energy assessment? Do I need to do an assessment?
- What are the initial installation costs, minus rebates and incentives?
- How to estimate your home energy usage to understand solar and/or wind system requirements
- Where and how to install solar panels and wind turbines
- Do you want an off-grid system or a tie-grid system?
- What foreseeable maintenance is involved?
- Are there unseen or ongoing expenses?
- What are the necessary permits in my area?
- Can I install solar and/or wind systems myself?
Consider also that retrofitting your home now with renewable energy systems will increase your home's value over time. If you're unfamiliar with the terms on-grid and off-grid, this simply refers to energy you use connected to your local utility company (on-grid), or energy created at home by your own renewable energy systems where your home is not connected to the local power company (off-grid). Off grid systems are most commonly seen used for homes or facilities that are remote. If you come across the term (tie-grid) system, this refers to a home that remains connected to the local power company as well as using it's own renewable energy systems. In some places, like the UK for example, local power companies will pay you for the energy your home solar or wind system creates in excess of what you use.
Consider also that retrofitting your home now with renewable energy systems will increase your home's value over time. If you're unfamiliar with the terms on-grid and off-grid, this simply refers to energy you use connected to your local utility company (on-grid), or energy created at home by your own renewable energy systems where your home is not connected to the local power company (off-grid). Off grid systems are most commonly seen used for homes or facilities that are remote. If you come across the term (tie-grid) system, this refers to a home that remains connected to the local power company as well as using it's own renewable energy systems. In some places, like the UK for example, local power companies will pay you for the energy your home solar or wind system creates in excess of what you use.