Have you ever considered solar panels for your home or business?  The one consistent thing about fuel or heating costs is that they are consistently rising in price almost every day.  Electricity, oil, gas, petrol and fuel that is in demand is getting more scarce and that economically can mean only one thing, continued increasing prices. So if you haven’t considered the sun’s natural energy and heat as an alternative or a supplement to your electricity needs, then now is a good time to give it some real thought. Not only will you be making a major contribution to the environment, you will also be saving yourself a lot of money.  There has never been a better time to take this on board as many governments and local authorities are now offering solar panels with helping grants.  That is because they have obligations under various pieces of legislation to reduce the carbon footprint.

However that won’t last forever and being an early adopter will mean you can reap the various benefits of these new and improved solar panels. The principle of how they work is very simple.  They capture the sun’s energy through a set of cells and then this is converted into electricity using an inverter.  This newly formed electricity can then be used in your home and any left over can be pushed back into the main grid. You get paid for any excess electricity that is pushed back into the main grid. These solar panels come in different sizes, shapes and designs to make sure you can get a design that suits your home.

So in summary so far you can begin to understand that you may be able to get a grant, get your panels installed, generate your own electricity for your home needs and sell any that is left over back to the main grid.  I hope you will agree that makes a very interesting proposition and one well worth some serious consideration.

There are three main types of solar panel for you to consider:

Thin Film (Amorphous)
These will usually be the largest size of panels but they also produce the least energy and you will need a large roof to make them effective. They will always be the cheapest option.

Poly (or Multi) Crystalline Silicone
They are similar to the thin film solar panels but slightly more efficient.

Mono Crystalline Silcone
These are the most efficient and much smaller than the other two we have mentioned.  All that means is you can install more of them on your roof and create a lot more electricity.

Many people start out with what is known as solar panels that are used only to heat up the water in the home.  It is a good way to start and when people see and understand the benefits, then they naturally progress to those that create electricity for the home.  The hot water panels are also inexpensive at a few hundred dollars and the pay back time is typically three years.  That is a good investment.  There are also options for DIY solar panels and providing you have the right guidance not a difficult thing to achieve.  Hopefully this has given you some food for thought and worth remembering is that many new homes are already being built with these installed so that market is set to grow.