I would love to use some solar energy in my home. What can you tell me about how much it costs to begin? Is there some sort of federal tax credit? What all do I need to buy (panels, batteries, etc)? Can a homeowner do the installation or must it be done by a professional? Would also appreciate any websites for retailers of solar energy items. Thank you very much for any information.
When I was gainfully employed, prior to experiencing the bliss of retirement, I worked for a hardware store that marketed a solar energy system for single family residences.
The cost profile (this stuff is expensive) suggested that, if you planned to live in your home for 19 years post-installation, you would amortize the cost.
There were federal and California state tax credits available at the time, as well as a rebate from Pacific Gas and Electric (primary utility provider in No. Calif.) which produced a net cost near $20K.
You need to determine if your local power company is obligated to buy back surplus power from your solar system first. If they are not legally required to do so, that will make amortization more difficult.
The information on the subject is available but is enormous.
Please refer my blog for details on the same. It is a amazon kindle blog, so all you have to do is have a kindle reader for it. You don’t have to spend your money for what you read in the first two weeks. There are many ways of saving energy but one particular article I did on Advance Power, one of the oldest and most competant retailers in this solar energy segment in the U.S. would be perhaps of great interest to you. The URL for the blog is
http://www.amazon.com/Ecothrust/dp/B0029ZAUAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242972940&sr=8-1