SOLAR HOMES

Most people today realize that having solar home additions such as solar electricity, solar power heating and solar water heating is environmentally friendly. Today, more than just  the environmentalists are realizing the benefits of occupying a solar home. More and  more people are cashing in on solar efficiency.

What exactly are the benefits of solar homes?  The answer is simple and plentiful.  Most people quickly see their electric bills go down drastically as they utilize the sun to create their own solar electricity.  

Often the solar panel output is great enough to power part or the entire home and may have enough electric left to sell to the electric company.  

One has to appreciate the benefits of the solar efficiency of creating your own electric instead of paying high electric bills. An additional and often overlooked benefit to solar power is a lack of wiring. Solar lights that are used to light a garden path or solar water heating for the pool needs no wiring to function.

The solar lights for the garden generally have the added feature of a sensor that turns the light on when it gets dark. 

This allows the light to work without the owner having to turn them on or off which in turn creates solar efficiency by not using conventional electricity when you forget to turn it off.

The solar garden light is simple, take it out of the box, place it where you want it (where it will be exposed to the sun) and enjoy! Even the slightly more complex solar power heating uses little wiring and often works with existing duct work.

What is gained from solar energy:

• Environmentally sound choice. The power from the sun is both clean and renewable. The solar electricity collection creates no pollution and as long as the sun shines is renewable.    
• Little maintenance.  The use of solar energy systems does not require a lot of up keep or maintenance and helps to avoid unexpected returning costs.  Once installed solar power heating or solar panel need little else.     
• Long term financial savings and solar efficiency.  Energy from the sun is free after the purchase and installation of the solar device.  Additionally, there are currently some financial incentives and tax breaks available from the government at both the federal and state levels.  This can reduce the initial cost of installation and make the time the device pays for itself shorter.  Another financial break happens when you sell the extra energy to the utility company.    
• Easy installation.  Many outdoor solar lights and solar water heating is simple to install and will not require an electrician or wiring.    
• Always available.  Fully solar homes lessen the dependence on standard energy sources that can fail.  With a solar home that stores its solar electricity in generators; power is there when others lose power due to storms and or power outages.    

Naturally there are some disadvantages to solar homes. The largest disadvantage and the one that stops many people from installing a full solar home is the initial investment. This disadvantage; however, is not a long term disadvantage as the systems often pay for themselves quickly. Where your home is located can be another disadvantage. Obviously the solar panel will need direct exposure to the sun.

Still, there are a number of different types of solar home devices that are available.  Some of these include: solar power heating, solar panels for electric, solar flashlights, solar garden lights, and solar water heating devices for pools, solar pool purifiers and even solar powered pumps for the pool or fountain.  There are even solar powered back packs that can charge your cell phone and other small chargeable objects. 

As the technology increases there are more solar devices created and made available all the time. With this increase the investment costs lessen making solar power available to just about anyone who is looking for a solar back yard or for solar homes.