Home Solar Project

I have been reading about solar technology for some time now. Lately, while watching our energy bills increase, I have been researching what it would cost to go solar at home. In a word, simple.

Major requirements for the typical home:

• Solar panels
• Charge controller
• Grid-tie inverter
• Batteries
• Permit
• Miscellaneous do-dads
• Current electricity bills
• Calculator
• Patience
  

This list is not in the order of necessity or importance. Honestly, the calculator and patience I should have but at the top but ya know.

It really needs to start with your current electricity bills. How much do you use in a month? My house averages 1,100 KWh/mo (kilowatt hours per month). To get an average daily usage in Wh (watt hours), multiple by 1,000 then divide by 30. For me, that's roughly 37,000 Wh/day.

How much of that do you want to offset? 50%, 80%, 100%? This is the number one factor in sizing your project. It is the difference between a hobby and project and can quickly double or triple your costs.

Ponder that and I'll work on the next steps in planning.