There are 2 main types of home solar panel systems they are as follows, a grid tied, and off grid system. These system vary in use and cost. There is also 2 main types of solar panels, evacuated tubes, and flat plate panels. The differences in these 2 systems is minor but noticeable.

The evacuated tube system is best for northern colder climates, because they use cylindrical tubes which allow for the capturing of sun rays in a 360 degree manner. The tubes also have a special coating on the inside that keeps the solar energy bouncing around inside the tube, allowing for more solar energy to be collected. They are also more adapt for the colder climates because while they trap the light they also trap the heat keeping the tubes from freezing and becoming inoperable. Each collector system has parallel rows of transparent tubes, each containing 2 glass walls(inner and outer), a heat pipe with fin. The prices for an evacuated tube system range between $1,300 and $2,400 per unit.

The flat plate systems are more adept in warmer southern climates due to the design of the flat plates, they have a larger absorber area that’s not insulated for colder climates. Flat plate systems are less costly, but are not as efficient as an evacuated tube system, due to loss in solar insolation cloudy/overcast days. Although they are more cost efficient, easy to install, easy to service and maintain. Flat plate systems average around $700 per unit, some units are more expensive.

The evacuated tube system is assembled in modulars for easier installation, which allows for a more flexible time frame for installation. Just simply install the evacuated tubes after pressurizing the system. On average the installation should take around 1.5 hours per collector to complete, but all it saves is the cost of a contractor to install it. The flat plate systems are very easy to install with general knowledge of plumbing and electrical work. Please Note: Most state laws and utility company’s require a master electrician or certified PV installer to install these systems in order to be eligible for state and federal incentives along with being able to net meter.

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There is also a very slight difference between the power output from a brand new solar cell and a scrap solar cell, once they are properly soldered, repaired and set up in panels. Which is easy to do, especially since the cells are so cheap you can practice on as many as your willing to. Purchasing the solar cells is easy you can just simply pick out how many cells you want by weight. Silicon Solar Inc. offers the cells in two sizes 6 ounces and 1 ounce.

Scrap solar cells tend to have a long life and warranty also the ability to produce power without a significant decrease in efficiency for quite some time. Once set up in panels outside, however, weather can damage glass panes, and accidents can happen to break the panels and cells. Purchasing the cells is a relatively easy process. Since many people realize that new solar cells can be very expensive, there is a growing market in used and scrap ones.

After an initial outlay of cash for repair tools and resources to help you do the work, you can be well on the way to creating your own solar panels for personal use. You are joining the growing family of solar energy users that are making use of this unlimited and environmentally safe power source, but you are also recycling, which also helps the environment. On the personal scale, however, the solar cell cost makes it prohibitive for most people to take the step towards using solar energy.

Although it is complex to get started, and should generally be attempted by people who have at least some knowledge of how solar cells work, and how to put them together. But in reality with the right information, which we provide anyone can make a solar panel.

More Information: Scrap Solar Cells from Silicon Solar

So, how do you choose the right solar panels for your home?  There are a few important factors to consider:

1. The Cost Of The Solar Panels – this should not be the most important factor, but it should definitely weigh into the equation.  What you are looking for in solar panels for your home is a balance between the cost of the solar panels and their performance.  In other words, the best solar panels for your home would be the best performing solar panels that are the most affordable.

2. The Efficiency Of The Solar Panels – the more efficient your solar panels, the more power they are able to produce.  A high-efficiency system will give you more bang for your buck.  Typically, solar panels for homes have efficiencies between 10 and 20% (this is the percentage of the light that hits them that they are able to convert into electricity).  Again, you want to choose the most efficient, while still affordable, solar panels for your home.

3. The Durability Of The Solar Panels – there is no point in investing in solar panels for your home if they aren’t going to last for many years to come.  Most good solar panels, especially those used in larger grid tie and off grid solar systems for homes will come with a pretty good length warranty – typically in the 15-30 year range.  The longer the warranty on your solar panels, the more at ease you can be about the long-term performance and cost-effectiveness of your solar investment.

4. The Type Of Solar Panels – there are 4 main types of solar panels; mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline, amorphous and flexible.  For the most part, the only two types of solar panels used for homes are poly-crystalline and mono-crystalline.

Those are four of the most important factors to consider when choosing solar panels for your home.  Some other factors that you should definitely consider are the recommendations of friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances that have had solar panels installed on their home before.  Remember that a good recommendation from a trusted source is worth infinitely more than sales pitches, technical specifications or anything else.

1. Energy Savings – solar panels for your home can very easily slash 25-75% (and in some cases, 100%) of your energy bill every single month.  A set of good solar panels for your home can easily save the typical homeowner hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in energy costs (and completely pay for itself in just a few years).

2. Net Metering – this is actually where the term “spin your meter backwards” came from.  Net-metering simply means that when your solar power system creates more power at a given time than you need to use, the excess can be sent out onto the electric grid for other customers to use.  And, the electric company will pay you (through credits or actual payment to you) for the electricity that you send out onto the electric…every single day.  Net Metering is the one of the biggest factors in making solar panels for your home a cost-effective investment for nearly everyone.

3. Federal Solar Incentives – in order to make solar panels for your home more affordable and cost-effective than ever before, the federal government here in the United States has started to offer  a financial incentive for home and business owners to invest in solar panels and solar energy systems for their homes and offices.  Currently, the federal government offers a 30% federal income tax credit towards the purchase of solar panels for your home.  And there is no cap on the total amount of the income tax credit.

4. State Solar Incentives – to keep up with the federal government, and to help promote the purchase of solar panels within their states, many states have started to offer their own solar incentives when you purchase solar panels for your home or business.  These state incentives are not uniform from state to state, but typically include: state income tax credits, sales tax exemptions, property tax increase exemptions, cash rebates and more.  State solar incentives are one of the biggest factors in making solar panels for your home more cost-effective today than ever before.

5. Ecological Benefits – regardless of your views on politics, it is hard to argue that solar energy technology is far cleaner to create and use than traditional forms of energy (coal, oil, natural gas).  And whether you believe in global warming, or climate change, or not, I think that we can all agree that there are small changes we can all make that will have a centuries long impact on the health of the environment, and the people who live here (and will live here after us).  Getting solar panels for your home is a great way to help you financially, but also help the environment, and keep the Earth, and people, healthy.

Those are 5 of the biggest benefits of getting solar panels for your home.  While there are other benefits, and a huge number of additional reasons to consider investing in solar panels for your home, these are the benefits that really make solar panels for your home one of the most cost-effective and eco-friendly choices you can make.

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• Medium Output Solar Fountain Pump

If you need to speak with a technician, or a service representative, please feel free to contact us directly by phone today: 1.800.786.0329

The product related to this video is:

• 6V Solar Fountain Pump Kit

If you need to speak with a technician, or a service representative, please feel free to contact us by phone today: 1.800.786.0329

This video is for the following silicon solar product:

• Medium Output Solar Fountain Kit

If you need to speak with a technician, or with a service representative, please feel free to contact us immediately at: 1.800.786.0329.

Please note, this video relates to the following product:

• http://www.siliconsolar.com/medium-output-solar-fountain-kit-p-8.html

If you have any additional questions, or need to speak with a technician, or service rep, please feel free to contact us by phone today: 1.800.786.0329.

If you are interested in learning more about our EnviroLight Solar Billboard Lights, you can use the following link or phone number to get in touch with our team today:

Online: Our Solar Billboard Lighting Kits
Phone: 1.800.786.0329

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to come out and say, the cost of solar panels for your home is exactly this amount.  Why?  Simple – everyone (every single home) uses a different amount of energy based on the appliances and other electric devices in the home, and the hours that those devices are used.

Grid tie solar systems make the process a little easier.  These pre-packaged kits make it possible to offset between 20-75% of your total energy bill with a solar system that is already pre-designed, pre-engineered and ready to be installed straight out of the box.  Typically, pre-packaged grid tie solar systems come in a variety of sizes – from 1-2kw up to 10kw, or more.  The variety is to ensure that there are enough different grid tie systems to meet a good portion of the energy needs of the majority of homes across the United States and around the world.

Silicon Solar offers a large line of pre-packaged grid tie solar systems, the TruePower Series, which are available from 2kw all the way to 10kw.  And these TruePower grid tie solar systems range in price from just over $7000 up to $35,000 at the high end.  However, most residential customers will find that the cost of solar panels for their home is somewhere around $10,000 (before installation costs).

Now, that may seem like an awful lot, but when you consider the current (and future) cost of electricity through the electric grid, and a lifetime of increasing electrical service, solar panels for your home – particularly grid tie solar systems, will easily pay for themselves in a few years, saving you thousands upon thousands of dollars over their lifetime.

And, there are a few of great ways to lower the cost of solar panels for your home, including:

• Federal and state solar incentives, which will pay for a portion of the cost of solar panels for your home through rebates and tax credits
• Net metering, which, in grid tie solar systems, will lower your payback period and increase your ROI by spinning your electric meter backwards
• Sales & property tax exemptions, which will lower the initial cost of solar panels for your home and help increase the overall value the system delivers you over your lifetime

So, what is the cost of solar panels for your home?  Again, there is no real cut and dry answer until a solar professional looks over your electric bills and discusses the options with you in a little bit of detail.  But, as a rule of thumb, you should expect to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000 (maybe a bit more) for solar panels for your home.

We have a bunch of great information on our main website about solar panels for your home and grid tie solar systems.  Please feel free to use the following links to check it out:

• Solar Panels For Your Home (an overview)
• Grid Tie Solar Systems (our grid tie solar kits)