From Guest Blogger Matt: How Solar Powers your Home and the World

Solar energy is ubiquitous, free, green and easy to use. Many of the primary drawbacks — extreme expense, the need for clear skies and the capacity of the standard battery — have been minimized or solved in the last decade. Today, solar energy is an effective way to power an entire home, if you’re willing to make the investment. Augmenting grid power or cutting yourself off the grid entirely can be rewarding, and it’s very doable.

A Benefit for Society

On a global scale, much can be said for the switch to solar. Among many other reasons, a growing solar industry creates a large number of jobs proportional to the investment. That is, investing the same amount in solar and in fossil fuels will generate more jobs in the solar industry. The advantages of solar power are well documented on a societal level. What are they for the average home?

Energy When You Need It

Solar energy is available primarily during the day, particularly if you don’t have a bank of batteries to store the excess generated. Fortunately, most of the typical household’s energy use takes place during the day. By the time your energy is waning and your connection to the grid is lighting up, you’re ready to sleep and you only need a minimal amount of power to keep household systems running. Solar energy is, by human nature, most abundant when we are most active.

Turning Heat into Cooling

Few people think of their air conditioning when they consider what can be powered by solar. Yet solar power HVAC is quickly growing around the world. The heat of the sun is converted into the energy that removes heat from your home. As an added bonus, many solar air conditioners can be reversed in the colder months, turning them into efficient heaters in the same manner as heat pumps.

Cheaper In Many Ways

One common argument in favor of solar energy is that it cuts down your monthly energy bills significantly. While this is true, there’s another source of savings in solar energy. Renewables, solar included, are heavily subsidized around the world. Sure, many of the subsidies go to companies that utilize solar, but consumers can get a piece of the pie. Subsidies and tax breaks can accompany a conversion to partial or total solar power, as well as lessen the cost of the hardware necessary to convert.

Switching to solar has one primary drawback; the initial investment. There’s no way around it. If you want to switch to solar, you will need to buy solar panels, have them installed and linked to your household wiring and set up with batteries. The batteries themselves require maintenance and occasional replacement, as do the solar panels if they are damaged. Even so, a properly designed system can save you thousands over the course of a few years. Thankfully, you can calculate the cost and savings of solar fairly easily. After all, the sun is predictable. It will always be there when you need it, unlike less renewable sources of energy.