Solar Panel Costs
How much would Solar Panels Cost?
i want to know approximately the cost to power a 1205 square foot home (1 storey). I heard an earlier question about a 700$ module that can power around 200 square feet, has anyone heard about that, i just want to know the cost for solar panels for a normal 1205 square feet home.
Thanks!
The size of the house has very little to do with the amount of power used, with the exception of the heating and cooling bills. Do you have incandescent lights that you leave on all of the time, or compact fluorescent lights that are only on when needed? Do you leave your TV and computer on all the time, or only a few hours a day? Do you have energy efficient appliances, or 20 year old energy hogs? All of this makes a huge difference.
You need to know how much power you buy from the electric company now. In the US they charge by the kilowatt hour per month, or kwh. Look at your electric bill, they usually have a list of the last 12 months on it. Take that number and plug it into the on-grid calculator at AltE Store - http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/on_grid_calculator/. That will give you an idea of how big of a system you need. Note that most people who go solar don't generate 100% of their power needs, they just offset their usage and buy the rest from the electric company.
Before you do buy, look into conserving electricity first, it's much cheaper to use less electricity than to make it yourself.