PV Gap

Hilda Said:

How complicated is it to convert my house to run on solar power?

We Answered:

Solar power dependence is far more complex than meets the eye as few of these systems can produce sufficient electricity to meet daily needs unless the house is very small and the area is conducive to considerable sunlight.

The popularity of these systems has ebbed and flowed over the past 30 or more years and has never really caught on despite many efforts of the government to provide incentives.

There was a period between the 70's and 80's when solar power was used mostly for water heating both for domestic use and pools. Even this technology was expensive when comparing the initial costs over savings and, at best, it did little to make a significant difference in electrical savings.

The kind of solar power needed to run lights, small motors and lower wattage electrical power is still mostly insufficient for all needs and is thus still integrated into the general power provided by utility companies. These installations can cost from 15 to 50 thousand dollars for upfront costs, that's more than you'd ever pay for electricity. The batteries for these systems are large, expensive and must be replaced between the 5 and 10 year period after first use.

Only a few States like California, Texas, Arizona have had any genuine success, the rest of the USA has lagged far behind.

Roof panels will require as much as 1000 or more square feet of space, preferably angled to the South in order to be effective ...........and you'll still not have enough for normal needs. Hookups which are set up to "sell back" electricity to the utility companies have proven to be nightmarish, there's no end of horror stories in this otherwise lofty sounding principal.

As with so many things, it looks good on paper.

George Said:

how much it costs to run your 5 bedroom house on solar power?

We Answered:

Gather 1 year of power bills and add up the total kWh used and cost.
Look up your location for solar radiation. Google World Solar Radiation Map.
Run these values through a calculator.
Get results in square metres of solar panels.
Other answers include target solar power size goal and savings expected over 30 years.