10 Steps for Home Solar Panel Installation

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Solar power for home energy use is a smart solution for homeowners needing to curb the cost of home energy. Small to medium sized solar panel arrays installed on the roof or on your property can significantly reduce your monthly energy bill. If you live where land allows for a ground mounted solar panel array, this works the same as roof mounted solar panels, so it's nice to know you have this flexibility. With celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Edward Norton and Owen Wilson using solar panels to create energy efficient homes, we know that residential solar energy is fast becoming a savvy and important discussion in 2009.

For homeowners, the idea of installing solar panels may seem too big of a project, or too expensive to do.  We would like to break down the process to illustrate the essential steps that you would need to follow to install solar panels at home. Our 10 Steps for Home Solar Panel Installation clarifies the process, with a cost friendly approach in mind.

1. Have a home energy assessment done - some areas offer them for free - find rebates also.
2. Follow the recommendations provided by the assessment to improve home energy efficiency.
3. Switch to energy saving devices in your home like energy saving power bars and lighting and thermostat timers. This ensures that solar panel installation is maximized. Installing solar panels without maximizing home energy efficiency is like putting your finger in the energy dike without noticing that money is leaking out of your wallet through inefficient energy management.
4. Make sure you can go ahead with a solar installation by consulting your permits office and fully understanding all zoning requirements.
5. Assess how much energy you typically use at home by compiling a list of kilowatt hours per day used by each appliance, all lighting, heating, air conditioning and water heating. Many appliances have stickers that tell you the kilowatts used per hour to run the appliance. Some estimating will be required with heating, air conditioning and water heating. Make use of the resources we suggest from our series on maximizing solar energy efficiency. If possible we suggest taking some time to assess your energy usage by compiling stats for 3-4 days and then averaging out the total. Pick up an energy meter like this P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor, which makes assessing your energy usage easier and more accurate.
6. Tally your list to get a get a good idea of how much energy you use per month multiplying your daily usage by 30 to get your estimated monthly kilowatts used.
7. Based on your results consider purchasing and installing solar panels that meet a percentage of your energy use, at a cost that is within your budget. Remember that you can later add to an existing system to get greater energy production in the future, and that it's a really good idea to start out with a modest system. In North America we tend to go for big stuff but it's really not necessary. Create a realistic and doable solar plan for your home and pocketbook.
8. Research incentives and rebates for solar panel purchase and installation in your state or province, as well as nationally. See our global solar incentives list to get started with finding incentives programs, tax credits or rebates. Explore no-interest loans or financing. We have noticed many banks and residential solar companies providing financing at very low interest rates, and even government programs providing no-interest loans for solar home retro-fitting.
9. Research solar panel products and try to go with mono-crystalline PV panels as they are the most reliable and efficient at producing electric energy for your home.  A vast amount of on going R&D takes place in developing efficient solar panels, so keep power efficiency per square foot in mind when hunting for products.  If the best solar panels were bright green we would tell you to get them, my point being that you simply need to be considering which ones work the best to maximize the amount of space you have to install them on.
10. Research and plan an installation with professionals, looking at overall cost minus incentives.  Stick with the plan you've created within your budget and remember you can very easily expand your residential solar system over time.  DIY Solar is another option, if you're so inclined. Installing solar on your own has to be done right, but is doable if you take the time to learn how it works.  Primary considerations include safety first, obtaining permits in your area and not doing this project by yourself.  A reputable DIY Solar and Wind package, which includes a manual and instructional videos can be found at GreenDIYEnergy.com.  This is the only DIY package we found to be BBB Accredited in the USA and Canada, and they currently have a business rating of 'A'.  Not everyone has time, interest or confidence in whether DIY Solar is viable, but we feel it's worth taking the time to explore through GreenDIYEnergy.  They also provide technical support.

So that covers your basic steps. Buy a notebook and create this project with this step by step planning approach. The wonderful thing about solar panels or even residential wind turbines, is that energy savings begin right away. All good quality solar panels come with a warranty and usually last 20+ years. Maintenance involves simple washing with the garden hose from time to time to remove any dust build up or leaves from the garden. We welcome your comments and feedback.