PV Gap

Laura Said:

how to hook up solar energy to my home?

We Answered:

You need an Inverter which converts the DC power of the PV Solar panels to AC. The panel themselves are warranteed for 25 years and the inverter for 10. The panels should last even longer than that. Just make sure you keep the panels clean as dust will denigrate their efficiency.
Most municipalities require a permit and a drawing showing where the inverter is to be located on the house in conjunction with the power box.

Now is a great time to invest in solar. There is a 30% bottom line Federal Tax credit that can be taken over 3 years. A lot of states also offer a rebate/watt for your systems, taking the ROI of a systems from around 15 years down to 6-10 depending on the size. If your electricity is on a tiered rate system, and the bottom rates are about under 16-18 cents per kwh, it is smarter to only put in a systems that covers 75% of your power usage as those rates are cheaper than the cost per hour of the solar.