Solar Panel Facts

There are many options for solar lighting. From the lights that line your driveway to outdoor lights to solar tubes, your choices in solar lights are varied.

If you are looking for residential applications for solar lighting, you are probably not interested in solar street lights. You are probably more interested in lights along your sidewalk, a solar light on your garage, or perhaps harnessing the power of solar to bring light indoors. This article will address the most basic use of outdoor solar lighting– solar lights for your driveway and sidewalk. Since most outdoor solar lights also use LED technology, they cut down on bulb replacement, as well.

Solar lighting systems for sidewalk driveway lights are widely available at your local hardware store and easy to install. There are driveway lighting systems availabe for as little as $15. These lights help mark your driveway, making it safer for you and visitors to park and lessening the likelihood that people will run through your yard. And for less than $20, you can’t really go wrong with this solar lighting application.

Similarly, solar sidewalk lights are also pretty cheap. For less than $50, you can find multi-packs of solar lights designed for lighting up the path to your door. These systems are better than non-solar lighting options because you don’t even have to run wiring, since they are self-powered using just energy from the sun. There are many options available, from basic lighting to beautiful lanterns and unique fixtures.

One of the most interesting options when it comes to outdoor solar lighting options are LED solar tube lights. You can use them for decorative purposes to outline pretty much anything in your yard. You can get about 30 feet of tube lighting for less than $50.

As you can see, your options for outdoor solar lighting are diverse. There are more options available all the time. In my next article on solar lighting, I will discuss using solar lights for security lighting, pool lighting and porch lights.

You may be wondering, “What is the cost of solar panels?” Can I afford them? How long will it take before I save enough in electrical costs so that they pay for themselves?

Determining the cost of solar panels is a complicated issue. You have to take into consideration facts like where you live, how much sunlight is available, how much power do you use and more. While the size of your house might SEEM like a concern, what really matters more is how efficient is your home. A tiny home with no insulation might generate more electrical costs than a brand new, energy efficient large home.

So, in order to find out the price for solar panels, you will need to determine your energy usage, determine the average amount of sunlight, and use that information to find out how many watts of power you will need. You’ll also want to look into the current tax incentives that are available and subtract that from your cost.

But, really, you’re thinking, “How much does it COST?” It will probably run upwards of $30,000 dollars to install a 5 kw system, which is what most houses would need to cover all of their electrical needs. The amount will vary based on the kind of solar panels you choose, who does the installation, your location and many other variables.

So, the short answer is that if you’re not planning on staying in your house for quite a few years, you probably shouldn’t count on the system paying for itself. Of course, there are many other reasons to have a solar system, and prices do continue to come down as time passes. And the current tax credits available may allow you to cut the cost of installation in half.

If you’re not looking for whole house solar, then there are still ways that you can install solar around your home. If you have a swimming pool, you can install a solar pool heater, and it will probably cost you less than $5,000. Solar water heaters will run you even less than that and provide excellent savings.

So, whether you’re looking for a whole house system or something smaller, the cost of solar energy is a bit steep to begin with, but well worth it in the long run. In the future we’ll address ways you can save money on solar. Is it possible to find used solar cells? How about free solar panels? Check back with us for the answer to those questions and more.