As energy costs continue to rise and concerns about the environment continue to make headlines, solar panel systems are becoming an increasingly popular means of going green. A solar panel system also lasts approximately 30 years (same duration as most modern roofing materials) but pay for themselves in the form of savings, tax rebates and credits in a matter of 3-5 years. This means a homeowner can expect to enjoy many years of free electricity with little to now maintenance or running costs. Depending on where you live and your local climate, you may want to install a battery back up system with your solar panel system to insure you have power during storms, hurricanes or extended periods of minimal sunlight.

Going ‘green’ with a solar panel system is also another way to show your red, white & blue. How is going solar patriotic? In fact having more residential solar panel systems installed across the country has a dramatic effect on reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels, making our country more secure while doing our part to preserve and restore the environment for generations of American’s to come. The US EPA estimates the average two person home emits approximately 41,500 pounds of greenhouse gases during a year. Imagine if we cut that by just 25%! Furthermore the solar industry is really in its infancy. As solar power is more widely adopted nationwide it will help to boost our economy by creating new jobs and commerce opportunities around renewable energy goods and services.

Solar panels come in two main types currently. Silicon and thin film solar. Silicon are the most efficient on the market today and they are also the most expensive. Silicon panels are either crystalline(made from a single large crystal) or polycrystalline(made from blocks of silicon that contain many small crystals). Silicon panels are the best performing in low-light conditions which make them a great choice for climatically challenged environments. Although polycrystalline solar cells are slightly less efficient than the single-crystal type, silicon solar panel efficiencies average roughly 33%. Compare that to Thin-Film solar efficiencies which range from 10-19% you can begin to understand the popularity of the silicon panels. Thin film does offer some benefits though that make it appealing, primarily they are much less expensive to produce. Thin Film solar panels are made by spreading silicon and other solar-producing materials in a very thin layer (the thickness of human hair) directly onto a large plate that is usually made of glass or ceramics. The thin, flexible material of these solar panels makes them ideal as building-integrated solar products such as solar shingles and tiles.

New solar materials are emerging all the time as more money and research is being poured into the technologies advancing renewable energy resources. The future of solar panels will include lightweight foil-based panels, plastic collectors, and hybrid solar electric/solar water heating collectors. As you can see the future of solar power is bright and it is only going to gain more prominence in our energy picture as time goes by. Solar power is dependent on sunlight, not heat to make it’s clean power. Solar panel systems work in all climates, even space which is a very cold climate. In fact some vendors would argue that solar panels can work better in colder climates as there is no risk of them over-heating and having that compromise their performance. When planning your solar implementation you will need to think about how much sunlight your home receives, your budget, how much conventional power you want to offset with solar power, wind power or both, how much room you have on your roof or in your yard, and where the solar panels will be mounted. While this may sound like a lot, with the right counseling you’ll find solar power is not only easy to implement, the clean, quiet, reliable energy independence it will provide you will pay you dividends many times over for many years to come.