Home solar energy, residential solar panels. They are phrases that one hears a lot in the news, on television, in discussions about the environment and greenhouse gas reduction, and even around the office water cooler. Why would one choose to install residential solar panels, what will one benefit from a home solar energy installation?

Home solar energy installations benefit the homeowner in a number of ways. The most obvious, of course, is that one save money on one’s energy bills. Even a modest installation will pay off handsomely in reduced energy costs, and larger installations may even earn one money if the local supply authority has arrangements in place for paying for excess energy fed back into the grid.

By choosing efficient appliances and selecting the times of operation carefully, one stands to make quite large gains. Furthermore, solar electricity is only one form of solar energy. A good solar hot water system with a small gas or electric booster and a reasonably large capacity will provide even more energy savings. Such diversification will also ensure that maximum use is made of the available sunlight.

But economy of course is not the only benefit of a home solar installation. While more…

Home solar energy has moved out of the pages of Mother Earth News and gone mainstream. The average homeowner is able to purchase the components necessary for a viable solar energy system from stores like Home Depot.

Beyond the environmental benefits, homeowners also save on their energy bills - even possibly generating enough electricity to sell back your local electric company to make a profit, and when the power goes out on the grid your home will still have its electricity. Anyone who lives in an area where natural disasters or extreme weather cause frequent power outages will certainly appreciate this aspect.

The consumer needs to consider whether the solar energy option is being added to an existing house or to a new build.

New builds are cheaper to add the features that make for an energy efficient home: solar panels for electricity and hot water on demand heaters or solar hot water units are much less expensive when installed on a new home.

Situating the house so there is optimal solar gain is also something that can be considered prior to building.

Existing houses are still able to benefit from solar energy though. Solar panels have become more…