Most of us need to find cheap solar panels if we are to afford Solar Energy Homes.

Usually the biggest obstacle preventing us installing solar panels is the cost.  Yes, we want to help save the planet, we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy the countryside, we want to cut our carbon footprint, but we simply cannot afford it.

Well the good news is that you can get cheap solar panels for under $3 per watt, half the price of most solar panels available retail.  You don’t have to buy dozens of them and many of these are UL certified (see below for the significance of this).  Cheap does not have to mean poor quality – far from it.  It is just a matter of knowing where to look and being patient!

UL Certification

Before we look at where to buy cheap solar panels for our Solar Energy Homes, let’s have a quick word about UL certification.

If you want your solar panels to be connected to the electricity Grid, your solar panels MUST have UL certification

If you want you solar panels to qualify for government rebates and tax incentives, your solar panels MUST have UL certification.

However, UL certification is still not a guarantee that you your panels are approved by your state.  You need to find out which panels qualify for rebates where you live.  This really is vital – you don’t want to spend $10,000 on solar panels only to find out afterwards that they don’t qualify.  Keep in mind that tax grants, rebates etc. can add up to a lot of money.

If on the other hand you want to buy solar panels for an off grid installation and are not looking to claim the financial incentives on offer, you don’t have to get UL certified solar panels.  But keep in mind that panels get UL certification because they meet a certain standard.  As a general rule, I would recommend that you play safe and get UL certified panels, even if you don’t actually have to.

Where to Get Cheap Solar Panels.

There are 3 options:

• Retail - see our article on “The Real Cost of Solar Panel”.  The best retail deals are (in Oct 2009) at Amazon, where a 120 watt UL panel is at $358, which works out at $3 per watt.  Other retailers were typically charging $5 – $7.30 per watt, so you can see the Amazon deal looks very good.  Check out this Amazon link for more details of this very good retail buy.
• Wholesale – see our article “Buying Solar Panels Wholesale”.  Some wholesalers have minimum order quantities as low as 2 panels and will deliver directly to your house.  Costs range from $1.85 to $4.76 per watt.  Wholesale can be VERY attractive if you can find what you are looking for at less than $2.75 per watt.
• eBay - the place to buy cheap solar panels is to look at eBay. Lets look at this in more detail.

Buying Cheap Solar Panels from eBay

Buying from eBay is not the same as buying from a wholesaler or retailer.  You have to approach it differently if you don’t want to pay more than you should.  (If you are an eBay veteran forgive me if I am teaching Granny to suck eggs).

With eBay you must be PATIENT

Be patient when looking for solar panels on eBay.  My observation is that many suppliers are just plain greedy and are expecting way too much for their panels.  So take a few days to monitor eBay.  Click on this eBay link and you will go straight to the Solar Panels for sale section on eBay and be able to view the current auctions.  Take your time to see what becomes available for sale.  It can take a few days to a week or more before some decent solar panels come up for auction with realistic prices.  To give you an indication of what you should expect to pay I have listed below some examples of recent auctions on eBay in early Oct 09.  Click on the link below to visit the eBay site and see the solar panels currently for sale.

Please note: I have no connection with any suppliers on eBay.

Examples of eBay Solar Panel Prices

As you can see, it was possible to buy a 117watt UL certified solar panel for $220, including shipping, this works out at under $1.90 per watt.  This is a truly excellent price with no minimum order quantity.

Only Buy Qualifying Solar Panels

Unless you are looking for off grid solar energy, make sure you only buy those panels that qualify for rebates where you live (see above for details).  If a panel has UL certification you can be sure the supplier will tell you about it big bold letters!  If nothing is stated, assume the panel has no UL certificate.

“Sun Modules are Used for Off-Grid Applications”.  A number of product descriptions contain this phrase or something similar.  Assume these solar panels do not have UL certification.  Do NOT buy these if you want to use them are part of a grid tie system.

Buy Sufficient Quantity – Don’t Mix Your Solar Panels

Unless you are going to use micro-inverters, you should avoid having different types of solar panels wired together on an array.  Therefore, when you buy from eBay, make sure you get as many panels as you are going to need, as there is a possibility that this is the last time you will see those particular solar panels for sale.

Personally, I prefer the Buy It Now sales, as long as prices are competitive.  With Buy It Now, they usually tell you how many are available or at least state that the quantity available is more than 10.  If you are looking to buy quite a few panels, contact the seller to see what deal can be done.

Guarantees & Warranties

Make sure you get a decent warranty.  Your cheap solar panels should have the following as a minimum:

• 25 Year power generation at 80% of the rated power
• 10 Year power generation at 90% of the rated power
• 2 year product materials and workmanship defects warranty

Warnings Re. Buying from Asia & China

If you are tempted to buy directly from an overseas supplier such as one based in China, check the warranty very carefully.  Typically it will be limited to just 1 year.  If you want a refund you have to pay for the return shipping to China.  Personally, where possible, I would prefer to buy from a supplier based within my country and have the reassurance that if something goes wrong there is a national supplier I can turn to for redress.

Don’t Forget to Add Shipping

Shipping prices vary considerably and can make what seems to be a bargain into a bit of a lemon.  So make sure you know what the shipping costs are before buying.  Get the information from the shipping calculator on the auction site.  Some of the US based suppliers have free shipping, while other will charge $180 for a pallet of 2 or more panels, so if you buy 10 panels shipping drops from $90 to $18 a panel.

DIY Solar Panels?

Finally, lets quickly mention DIY.  Please forget the idea of making your own cheap solar panels.  As stated in numerous places on this site, if you want a great science project, go ahead and make a solar panel, but this is NOT a viable route if you want to install solar panels to reduce your electricity bill.  The headline reasons for not going DIY are as follows:

• DIY solar panels can cost more to make than factory made panels.  DIY solar panels typically cost $3 per watt.
• In the USA and most other countries you will NOT be allowed to connect your DIY solar panels to the electricity grid.
• Factory made solar panels normally come with 25 year performance guarantees.  DIY solar panels have no guarantees and will probably last just a few years, at best.
• DIY solar panels have a risk of fire from poor quality soldering.  If your DIY solar panel catches fire your insurance company is unlikely to pay out for a fire caused by a solar panel without UL certification.
• It does not matter how much time and trouble you take to make them, your DIY solar panels will not qualify for Government rebates and tax incentives.

So, please keep the above in mind if you are seriously considering making your own cheap solar panels.  However, if you still want to make your own solar panels, say to provide lighting for a shed or outbuilding, make sure you get the best instruction manuals and videos available.  We have reviewed the most widely known solar panel guides/kits and there is a significant difference in quality between the best and worse.

I hope the above is of use.  Please add constructive comments and let me know how you get on buying your solar panels.

Technorati Tags: buying solar panels wholesale, cheap solar panels, DIY solar panels, solar energy homes, solar panels

If you want to get solar panels as cheaply as possible, realistically you have three options:

• Buy Solar Panels Wholesale.
• Find Retail Bargains.  Hunt for bargains such as those we found on Amazon where they are selling the various solar panels at very competitive prices
• Go DIY.  But only if you are really keen to do this and want to make just a couple of solar panels as a project.  Use one of the recommended “how to make solar panels” guides / kits.  See our DIY Solar Panel Guides review.   A 60 watt panel should cost around $150 – $175, equivalent to $2.5 – $2.92 per watt

The 2^nd and 3^rd options are discussed elsewhere on this site.  Let us take a closer look at the issues surrounding buying solar panels wholesale.

Buying Solar Panels Wholesale.

There are an increasing number of renewable energy wholesalers who are buying solar panels in bulk and selling these at very competitive prices to the customer direct.

There are a number of points you need to be aware of:

• Not often the Latest Products. When you buy solar panels wholesale you are not likely to get the latest solar panel designs or products.  The latest products command a premium.  Suppliers want to sell the latest products and are therefore keen to shift older products to make room for the new.  The older products may not be as technically advanced and may not be as efficient, but as you are buying a panel than produces a specific number of watts, the only downside may be that the latest product produces the same wattage from a slightly smaller panel.  Not really a big issue.
• Mounting Kits.  Make sure there are readily available mounting kits for the panels before you buy them.  Panels aimed at the commercial market can be adapted to residential use without any problems, just make sure you can get the mounts.
• Delivery Costs.  Check out the cost of delivery, as this can be significant.  Also, many wholesalers will charge a re-packing fee if you buy a single or odd number of panels.
• Warranty and Ts&Cs. Check the warranty and terms and conditions regarding returns, etc.  Make sure these are acceptable.  If not, find another wholesaler.
• Minimum Order Quantities. We thought this was going to be the biggest issue as most wholesalers will only sell solar panels by the pallet, often the equivalent to 20, 24, 30 or 60 panels.  However, we have found minimum quantities that ranged from 1 to 368!!  So, as long as you are not too picky, this should not be a problem.
• Access and Fork Lifts.  Before you order a pallet load, make sure you are aware of any possible issues regarding access to your property (it might be a very big truck!) and find out if they expect you to have your own fork lift to take the pallet off the truck.
• End of Line Products. For some solar panels only limited quantities may be available, so if you want additional panels in the future, the exact same solar panel may not be available.  Again, this is not really an issue.  Just be aware that you could end up with two different solar panel models on your roof or in your yard.

Make Sure You Get a Bargain

Finally, just because you are buying solar panels wholesale does not mean you are always getting a bargain.  Always check the cost per watt (price of panel delivered / panel wattage).  Again, on the wholesale solar panels that we checked these varied considerably from $1.85 to $4.76 a watt.

Keep in mind that the Amazon supplied Sunwatts 120 works out at $2.98 per watt.  So only pay more than $3.00 per watt if there is a particular panel that you really have to have.

Solar Panels Wholesale – Conclusion

Increased production facilities in China and the recent fall off in demand from Europe (one of the ramifications of the credit crunch) should result in the continual lowering of prices.

In our article on the cost of solar panel, we calculated costs based upon buying sufficient panels to give 3000 watts.  For each option this would work out as follows:

• Retail – Amazon’s Sunwatts 120 watt Solar Panel at $358 for 120 watts, is $8950 for 3000 watts.  But more retail panels will cost you nearer $15,000.
• Wholesale – we managed to find a 225 watt solar panel for $549, $2.44 per watt, minimum order quantity 2 panels, and this works out at $7686 for 3150 watts.
• DIY – at around $150 – $175 for a 60 watt panel, works out at $7500  – $8750 for 3000 watts.  But we strongly recommend against this route. See below.

(add delivery charges to these prices)

Final Word on DIY

Given the time and effort required to make your own solar panels, this is a route we can only recommend if you want a couple of solar panels to provide lighting and some power for a shed, garage or workshop.  This could be an enjoyable and satisfying project to undertake over a few weekends or during the winter months.  In which case there are some really excellent guides/kits available.  See our independent Review for details.

If you want to buy sufficient solar panels to substantially reduce your electricity bills or provide green energy for your off grid cabin or house, do not even think about making dozens of solar panels yourself. Not only is it a great deal of work, but you will not qualify for any government grants or rebates, your panels will not last as long as commercial panels, and quite honestly, you can buy commercial solar panels from Amazon for virtually the same price and these come with full manufacturer’s guarantees of performance for 25 years.

I wish you all the best – please let me know how you get on with your search for cheap panels.

Technorati Tags: cost of solar panels, DIY solar panel kits, solar panel guides review, solar panel home, solar panels wholesale

Cost of Solar Panel is Coming Down

This article looks at the real Cost of Solar Panel and how you can significantly reduce these costs. Specifically, we will look at why globally the cost of solar panel is coming down, how government grants can reduce your costs and how you can significantly reduce the cost of providing solar power for your home by a huge 70%.

For some time, the manufacture of solar panels has been held back by a shortage of polysilicon.  However, recently more factories have started making solar panels, especially in China.  As the supply of solar panels increases we are seeing a corresponding reduction in solar panel prices.  With the increased supply, the cost of solar panel has come down by approximately 20% during the last year.  Although still not cheap, solar panels are gradually becoming more affordable.

Government Grants

Governments are very keen for folk to take up green renewable energy.  Most governments offer various grants and financial incentives to encourage the installation of domestic solar panels and wind turbines.  Depending on where you live, these grants can be very generous, in some places contributing more than a third of the overall cost.

Note: in most countries to qualify for the government incentives you must use approved products, in the US your panels must have UL approval.

Current Cost of Solar Panel

Although the cost of solar panel has come down by more than 20% in the last 12 months, solar panels cannot be considered cheap!  The best way to look at the cost of solar panel is the cost per watt.  Solar cells are used to make different sized solar panels and these panels typically produce 40, 50, 55, 60, 80, 130 or 180 watts.  The output is determined by the number of solar cells that make up the panel and the efficiency of the photovoltaic material used in each cell.

Although it is claimed by some people that  the current cost of solar panel is $3 – $4 per watt, it is still difficult to find many solar panels available that cheap.  Having spent many hours trawling through the Internet searching for solar panels and trying to find the cheapest available, based upon the offers currently available I estimate the the cost of solar panel is typically around $5 – $7 per watt.  Here is an example of some of the solar panels that are available at GoGreenSolar and Amazon:

The above solar panels have a cost per watt range of $5.10 to $7.50, with most panels costing just under $5.50 per watt.

The Real World Cost of Solar Panel

Realistically, apart from the exceptional bargains currently on offer at Amazon (see below), we expect to pay $300 – $450 or more for a commercially manufactured 60 watt solar panel.

If you want to reduce your dependence of mains electricity and burning fossil fuels, you will need a number of solar panels to provide sufficient power.  How many solar panels you need will depend on how much electricity you consume each year and where you live.  But, let us take an average US family and assume that you will need 3000 watts (3KW) of solar power, which equates to 50 x 60w solar panels.  For 3KW the total cost of solar panel will be $15,000 – $22,500.

So, although the cost of solar panel has come down, we are still looking at what most people would consider to be a large sum of money.

Is there a Realistic Do It Yourself Alternative?

One option that is promoted by many web sites is to go down the do it yourself route.  If you want just a couple of solar panels, to provide light and some power for a shed, workshop or garage, making them yourself could be a practical, enjoyable and satisfying project.  The DIY route should enable you to make a 60watt solar panel for around $175.  But if you want 3000 watts of solar energy, we strongly recommend you buy commercially manufactured solar panels. The DIY route takes too much time and effort, it is not cost effective and home made solar panels are very unlikely to qualify for the grants and rebates that many Governments offer (in the US, solar panels must have UL approval to qualify for grants and rebates).

If you are nevertheless attracted making a couple of solar panels as a DIY project, it is essential that you buy the right “how to make solar panels” guide / kit.  The good ones are excellent but the poor ones leave too many questions unanswered and fail to pay sufficient attention to safety.  Please take a look at our review of the leading “how to” manuals/guides.

Exceptional Bargains

However, during all this searching I did find a couple of well hidden real bargains on the Amazon site that are quite exceptional.  I readily admit that I had not expected to find factory made solar panels this cheap.  These panels are priced very competitively and merit your serious consideration:

We stated above that 3000 watts of commercially supplied solar panels will typically cost $15,000 – $22,500. However, if you were to use the Sunwatts 120 panels from Amazon, the cost for 3000 watts of solar panels will be 25 x £358 = $8950, which really is an amazingly low price.  This panel has UL 1703 and IEC 61215 certification.

.

Conclusion

Solar panels are a very attractive alternative to burning fossil fuels and although they are still quite expensive for many of us, you can reduce the cost of solar panels by shopping around for the bargains.

Recommendation.  Buy the Sunwatts 120 watt. This Solar Panel is being sold on Amazon for $358 per panel, equivalent to 2 x 60 watt panels ($179 for 60 watts).  This is a seriously low price.

If you really want to make a couple of solar panels yourself expect to pay around $150 – $175 for materials per panel.  Make sure you choose the best guide/manuals/videos.  Our review recommends HomeMadeEnergy as the best all round package.

Technorati Tags: cost of solar panel, cost of solar panels, DIY solar panel kits, solar panels cost, solar panels costs

Highly Recommended - Earth4Energy

Price                                $49.97

Earth4Energy Review – Summary

Earth4Energy is a very good product and is one of the best DIY solar panel guides available.  The manuals are very good.  The only reason that this kit does not get top billing is that the instructional videos only cover some of the initial steps in building a solar panel.  Earth4Energy has recently produced five excellent videos (and more are in the pipeline) that cover the wider aspects of using and configuring solar panel systems, covering terminology, different types of on grid/off grid configurations, building codes/regulations etc.  As well as a a number of bonuses (all available free off the Internet) the package includes a manual for making bio-diesel from used cooking oil.

Overall, Earth4Energy is a very good package on how to make a solar panel and wind turbine, and one that is continually being improved.  Earth4Energy rightly deserves joint 2nd place with Green DIY Energy. Highly Recommended.

Review

All four of Earth4Energy’s manuals and instructional videos are very good.  The instructional videos cover soldering tab wires to the solar cells and joining the cells together, the method shown looks more effective and easier to learn than the GreenDIYEnergy method.  Unfortunately, there are no other videos covering the remaining steps to making a solar panel, so you have to rely on the very good manual for these.  The third video shows how to make blades for the wind turbine.  The website includes a sizing calculator for your PV panels.

Earth4Energy is in the process of producing a number of videos that cover the wider aspects of solar energy, the main components of a solar panel system, how these can be configured, etc., along the same lines as HomeMadeEnergy.  So far they have produced five videos and probably have 3 or 4 to go.  The Earth4Energy website states they will be releasing a new video every week and we note that a new video has been released while we have been undertaking this Earth4Energy review.  These are professionally produced videos of the highest quality.

If you buy this kit, make sure you check the download page each week to see in there is a new video available to download.

Public Domain Videos – Earth4Energy has links to exactly the same public domain videos as Green DIY Energy.  Same comments apply.

Bonuses (and Manuals) – As mentioned, nearly all the bonuses provided by Earth4Energy are also provided by GreenDIYEnergy.  However, Earth4Energy is unique in providing an ebook on how to make bio-diesel from used cooking oil.

Customer support – We raised a couple of questions and the response was acceptably prompt.

Earth4Energy Review Pros – Very good manuals.  The three instructional videos are good.  The five recently released videos on the wider aspects of using and configuring solar panel systems are excellent and there is every indication that more are in the pipeline.  No prior knowledge or expertise is assumed or required to make a working solar panel &/or a wind turbine with this kit.

Earth4Energy Cons – Instructional videos only cover the initial steps in making a solar panel.

Earth4Energy Verdict – This is a very good instructional guide to making solar panels.  If the instructional videos covered the complete process of making a solar panel, not just soldering tab wires and connecting solar cells together, it would have pushed GreenDIYEnergy into 3^rd place.  The new videos are really superb, five so far with more on their way.  This is a very good kit and one that looks to be improving week on week.  Earth4Energy rightly ties with GreenDIYEnergy for 2^nd place.  Highly Recommended.

Click here to go to our review DIY Solar Panel Guides.

Package Contents:

Guides/Manuals:

• 1: INTRODUCTION TO SOLAR POWER
• 2: THE $98 SOLAR PANEL
• 3: INTRODUCTION TO WIND POWER
• 4: THE $140 WIND TURBINE

Bonus Books:

• Bonus #1 – Electrical Wiring Plans For Solar Panels
• Bonus #2 – Installing And Mounting Solar Panels Guide
• Bonus #3 – Energy Consumer Guide
• Bonus #4 – Wind Map Resources
• Bonus #5 – Renewable Energy Guide
• Bonus #6 – How to Make Bio-Diesel
• Links to sites to buy solar panels & materials
• Tax Rebate Forms for USA and Canada

Instructional Videos: (not downloadable only viewable, these are included in the CD)

• Building Solar Panels – Part 1 Tabbing the cells
• Building Solar Panels – Part 2 Joining the cells together
• Building a Wind Powered Generator – Making Windmill Blades

Downloadable Videos (more being released weekly)

• Introduction To Earth4Energy << Right Click and Save As – File Size 96MB

• Connecting To The Grid << Right Click and Save As – File Size 36MB

• System Types << Right Click and Save As – File Size 118MB

• Electrical Fundamentals << Right Click and Save As – File Size 192MB

• • Required Tools To Build A Solar Panel << Right Click and Save As – File Size 118MB

Online Video Library (Wind & Solar)

“Best of the Best” videos found online.  Contains links to 30 public domain videos

Technorati Tags: DIY Solar Panel guides, DIY solar panel kits, home made solar panel kits, review of solar panel kits, solar panel guides, solar panel guides review, Solar panel kits

Highly Recommended – GreenDIYenergy

Price                                $49.97

GreenDIYenergy Review Summary

The GreenDIYenergy package is very impressive.  There are four good manuals and some really excellent quality videos.  The videos have been produced in high resolution and cover the making of a solar panel, the materials and tools used.  These are the best quality instructional videos we have reviewed.  As with HomeMadeEnergy, the videos complement the manuals and together provide excellent step by step instructions.  Our GreenDIYEnergy review places GreenDIYenergy in 2^nd place because it’s coverage of the additional background information on solar energy, on grid/off grid system configurations, batteries, etc. lacks dept and breadth.  The instructional videos are also aimed at those who have bought pre-tabbed solar cells, if you buy non-tabbed cells you will have to rely on the manual for an explanation of how to solder the tab wires to the front of the cells.

However, all in all the GreenDIYenergy review rates GreenDIYenergy as a  first class “how to make solar panels” guide / kit that would suit both the novice and experienced DIY person.  Highly Recommended.

Review

The people behind Green DIY Energy clearly understand that most folk want to see how something should be done before they attempt it themselves.  The have produced 6 high resolution videos covering all the steps in how to make a solar panel.  These are excellent videos that together run for just over 60 minutes.  These can be downloaded onto you computer so you don’t have to be connected to the Internet to watch them.

Along with the videos there are two manuals (39 pages and 43 pages) on building a solar panel and two on building a wind generator (15 pages and 39 pages).  The solar power manuals should be read in conjunction with the videos to get the most out of them.

The two manuals on building your own wind turbine provide a simple step by step guide on what motor to select, how to make the blades for the wind turbine, how to construct a tail and then assemble all the components together.  As with Home Made Energy, the videos only cover the making of solar panels, so you just have to read the manual carefully when making your wind turbine.

Public Domain Videos – Green DIY Energy provides links to other videos on the ‘net that cover building a wind turbine and making your own solar panels.  As you would expect these videos are of variable quality, but all are informative and are well worth viewing.

Bonuses (and Manuals) – We had a surprise when we went through the bonuses and the manuals.  GreenDIYenergy’s Solar Photovoltaic Introduction is unique, but the other 3 manuals and 5 of the 6 bonus products are virtually identical to those provided by Earth4Energy.  Now, this is not a bad thing, as both manuals and bonuses are very good, but it does mean that there are not that many differences between the two products.

Customer support – We raised a couple of questions and the response was acceptably prompt.

GreenDIYenergy Review Pros – Good manuals and the best quality instructional videos of those reviewed.  You don’t need prior knowledge or expertise to successfully make a solar panel &/or a wind turbine with this guide.

GreenDIYenergy Review Cons – Not enough in-depth information on the other aspects of solar panels and how to access the energy they provide.

GreenDIYenergy Review Verdict – This is a very good kit.  It just lacks the in-depth information on the wider aspects of solar energy that HomeMadeEnergy covers so well.  GreenDIYEnergy came close to getting the top slot, but was edged out by the HomeMadeEnergy package.  Highly Recommended.

Click here to go to our review DIY Solar Panel Guides.

GreenDIYenergy Review – Package Contents:

Guides/Manuals:

• #1 DIY Solar Guide Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Introduction
• #2 DIY Solar Guide The $98 Solar Panel
• #3 DIY Wind Turbine Guide Wind Power Introduction
• #4 DIY Wind Turbine Guide The $140 Wind Turbine

Bonuses:

• - DIY Solar Guide Bonus Electrical Wiring Plans for Solar Panels
• - DIY Solar Guide Bonus Installing and Mounting Solar Panels Guide
• - DIY Solar Guide Bonus Energy Consumer Guide
• - DIY Solar Guide Bonus PV Solar Panel Array Sizing Worksheet
• - DIY Solar & Wind Guide Bonus Solar & Wind Tax Credits & Rebates
• - DIY Wind Turbine Guide Bonus Wind Map Resources
• - DIY Wind Turbine Guide Bonus Renewable Energy Guide

Instructional Videos (Downloadable):

• 1. Intro / Tools / Materials
• 2. Frame Construction
• 3. Soldering Solar Cells
• 4. Assembling / Attaching / Connecting
• 5. Final Panel Assembly
• 6. Testing

Online Video Library (Wind & Solar)

the “Best of the Best” videos found online.  Contains links to 30 public domain videos.

Technorati Tags: DIY Solar Panel guides, DIY solar panel kits, home made solar panel kits, review of solar panel kits, solar panel guides, solar panel guides review, Solar panel kits

Electric Solar Panels Cost and Benefit

Counting the Cost!

When folk look to creating their own solar panel home, even the committed environmentalist wants to know how much solar panels cost to install and will they pay for themselves. We may care a lot about our planet, but few of us can make this sort of investment in our solar panel home without being assured of the economic viability. This is also an area where some suppliers seem rather cagey and one suspects, are more than a little economical with the truth.

So let’s have a look at what electric solar panels cost and the expected payback. Rather than talk about vague averages, likely costs and possible savings, this article refers to real life examples presented by ReadySolar in September 2007.

Sizing and Selecting an Electric Solar Panels System

Before looking at what solar panels cost, let us go through the steps for selecting electric solar panels and creating your solar panel home:

1.  Find out if your home is a good candidate for installing electric solar panels. General guidelines are:

• your electric bill needs to be at least $75 a month – the higher the better. You will get the biggest benefit if you are on a tiered electricity tariff.
• the location of the electric solar panels should be south facing or between SE and SW. They can be sited in your yard if your roof is unsuitable.
• the electric solar panels need to be un-shaded for at least 4 hours a day, the longer the better. If there is a lot of shade, it is better to have a smaller panel that avoids the shade, rather than a bigger one that is partly in the shade.

2.  Set your budget and calculate the space available for your electric solar panels. These factors really determine how big your system can be.

3.  Evaluate the various solar ppower companies.  Get quotes, visit their previous installations, talk to the home owners they have worked for.  Be clear what your solar panels will cost and find out if there are any hidden extras.  Finally select the company that will carry out the work for you.

4.  Once you have chosen your contractor, arrange finance (if required).

5.  Get the whole electric solar panels system installed and working. This should take from 1 to 2 weeks.

6.  Once your solar panel home is working, submit your paperwork to get the financial rebate and tax credits.  These can reduce what your solar panels cost by a 1/3 or more, depending on where you live.

Solar Panels Cost and Benefits

Based upon real life examples (2007 prices) from California

These real life examples give a good indication of what solar panels cost and the expected return on investment.  You can see from these real world examples that homes that are on a tiered tariff and are high monthly consumers of electricity, can really benefit from electric solar panels. Homeowner C even makes a $14 a month profit after making the finance payment, pretty cool!

.

Technorati Tags: cost of solar panel, much do solar panels cost, solar panel home, solar panels cost, solar panels costs, solar power cost