Residential solar solutions are an effective way to reduce your energy bill, cut carbon emissions and help the environment. They also increase the value of your home.
Solar panels are available in various forms and can be mounted on the roof or ground, wherever conditions on your property are best.
Rooftop Solar Electricity
Rooftop solar electricity is one of the most popular residential applications for renewable energy. It is also one of the most cost-effective methods of reducing your energy bills and producing clean, carbon-free power.
Roof top solar panels produce electricity by absorbing light and converting it into direct current (DC). This DC power can then be used for a variety of different home energy needs.
The amount of solar you generate depends on many factors, including direct sunlight hours and local electricity rates. These prices are set by your utility.
As rooftop solar has grown in popularity, utilities have been able to reduce their prices as more people choose to install them. This trend has helped drive a shift towards a cleaner, more reliable source of energy that is now affordable for everyone in the country.
Solar Heating
Solar heating is a relatively underutilized energy solution that can significantly reduce your home’s monthly energy bills and help protect the environment. Residential solar solutions can be used to provide heat for space heating, hot water, or both.
A basic solar heating system involves collecting and storing sunlight with solar thermal collectors, then using the stored heat to warm a home. The solar heat can be transferred into air or water for space heating or for radiant floor heat, depending on the type of collector and model chosen.
Active systems for heating homes combine flat plate solar collectors with pumps and storage tanks that transfer the heat to interior spaces. Passive solar systems, however, use the design of the home to distribute heat without any mechanical devices.
Battery Storage
Batteries are a great way to expand the value of a solar energy system. They provide backup power when the grid is down, enabling homeowners to stay connected until emergency crews can restore power.
Battery storage can also help solar owners avoid expensive evening peak electricity rates by storing excess solar power generated during the day and using it when demand on the grid is low. This helps solar owners save money on energy costs and reduces their carbon footprint.
Residential battery storage is typically paired with solar panels, but it can be used as a standalone solution. Depending on the size of the battery system, it can supply enough energy to keep critical loads running even when solar production isn’t sufficient to meet a household’s needs.
Battery storage is essential for smoothing out peaks and troughs in the supply of renewable power from wind and solar. It helps utilities better align these erratic sources of renewable energy with the demand for electricity from customers.
Solar Hot Water
Residential solar hot water is a low-cost, energy-efficient solution for households that are looking to cut their water heating costs. It can also help homes meet their Renewable Heat Incentive requirements, which pay households for generating renewable heat with solar or other low-carbon technologies.
There are many different types of residential solar hot water systems available to homeowners and businesses. They are divided into two groups: passive and active.
Passive systems use metal flat plate collectors to heat a small batch of water and then send it down the plumbing line when needed. They can be installed in a home's roof space or on the side of a house.
Active systems have a pump that circulates household water through collectors. The water is delivered to where it's needed in the house, with automatic controls that sense when sunlight is available.
