With increasing fossil fuel prices, solar is becoming a popular option. Before going out there and working on a solar project, you must first ask yourself one simple question — to install by myself or not to install by myself?
Should You Install Your Own Solar Project?
The entire world suffered through the throes of a debilitating oil crisis in the late ’70s. A few countries with a paucity of oil had tried to prepare themselves for a similar problem in the future by looking for renewable energy sources to invest in. The United States promptly abandoned this strategy once the crisis was over, however, many countries still pushed on with it nonetheless. Germany is one of those countries that kept on with the plan, and these days a decent sized percentage of their electrical needs is fulfilled by solar and wind power. In fact, countries such as Norway need not make use of fossil fuel, as hydropower is their only source of electrical power. With the extremely alacritous rate that oil prices are going up, we are paying the price for abandoning the efforts expended to propagate the use of renewable energy. But we are not by any means left behind, as we can still make use of technology that had its genesis in European and other foreign countries.
Provided you have a certain degree of conversance in construction, then building solar platforms and installing them is not that difficult, may it be active panels or passive window systems. If you choose the DIY or Do it Yourself approach when installing the platforms, be sure to stick to one option and one alone.
The first type is active solar, which uses panels to create electricity for heating or to heat water. In general, you should consider having a contractor install these systems. Consider yourself lucky if your state is among those that offer tax rebates and other ways to save a lot of money through using active solar instead of leeching off the electrical grid as others do. These rebates, however, usually require a licensed contractor do the installation. There are exceptions depending on the state you live in, but think about how much you can potentially save — try $4,000 to $10,000. Financially speaking, it’s worth a try if it can be done.
Passive solar platforms would be the second type to choose from. Unlike the earlier option, there will be no rebates, no tax breaks, no nifty perks offered by the government, so with that in mind, such an endeavor is just right for those with a predilection for hard work. Such a project would be all about making your home and the solar panels as symmetrical as possible to make the most out of the copious amounts of sunlight that pass through everyday. The concept is extremely simple, as you just have to make sure your home is orientated in such a way that the sun enters from the south, seeping through thermal mass materials (masonry, etc.) and using that to generate heat and keep it circulated. In case you’re wondering, it’s good too in the winter months.
These are projects that would very seldom require intricate knowledge in construction — all you need is some basic experience in home improvement construction, a pinch of elbow grease and you’re all set. The trick is in the orientation of the home, the placement of windows and the materials used. It is fairly simple and can save you a ton of money on your utility bills.
In summary, you should almost always use a contractor if panels are part of your system. But what you would want to do for passive systems is to grab your tool box and do the whole darn thing yourself!
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