Gradually, the public’s awareness is turning green. The consequences of global climate change are rapidly becoming apparent: the shrinking of the earth’s resource reserves, rising amounts of pollutants on the planet, as well as the rising cost of producing energy. There are, however, solutions to this issue. A growing number of people are looking at green energy as a way as a viable and renewable energy source. This is why many new homes are being constructed, and a lot of old homes are being converted into solar homes. What exactly is a solar-powered home?
Two Types of Solar Homes Two Types of Solar Homes
It is a home that makes use of the sun’s energy to either) utilize the sun’s heat to control the temperature of the home and provide natural lighting and additionally) make use of the sun’s light to produce clean electricity. There are two kinds of solar-powered homes. However, the latest designs are usually a mix or a hybrid of both types.
Passive Solar Homes
Solar passive homes are ones that make use of the sun’s electricity to manage indoor temperatures as well as to supply natural light. The layout is easy and does not require solar panels or batteries for backup installed inside the home. The main features of their design are large windows to the south of the home. By doing this, they regulate the temperature inside the home and keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Other aspects of the design that passive solar homes have are higher insulation levels, which help keep warmth inside the house, as well as windows that do not allow for to exchange of that much heat between the exterior and interior of the home. The most significant benefit that owners of homes that are passive solar are the large open spaces, particularly on the south-facing side of the home.
Active Solar Homes
Active solar homes, however, make use of the sun’s energy to produce their own energy. The design of this type of home is a little more complex and will require a range of expensive technology and equipment. Inverters, solar panels as well as backup batteries are just a few of the items required for converting a house to rely on only solar energy. But, the advantages of having your house produce its own electricity outweigh the cost associated with it.
Cost Comparison and Possible savings
The construction of a home that utilizes solar energy or upgrading an existing home to make use of solar energy could be expensive. In the past, when harnessing solar energy was still in its beginnings, the expense of building a solar-powered home was prohibitive. However, the advancement of technology and the development of new technologies have made the construction of solar-powered homes less expensive and more affordable.
A recent analysis of the costs associated with creating solar homes or, more precisely, converting existing houses to them reveals that one could spend as much as $48,000. This is a figure that includes building materials and labor for building an energy-efficient house that generates 6 kW of power. This is in addition to an 8kW backup battery system that can supply the home with uninterrupted power for three days.
If you consider that an average American household spends on average $6,000 per year on electricity, It will take about seven years for the household to earn back their investment. After that, your home’s electricity is always free.
A further benefit of solar-powered homes is that during the sun’s peak times, homes can produce so much power that it is able to feed electricity to the grid. This means that the house gets free electricity. However, it also earns money selling its surplus energy to the power company.
Today’s technology means that becoming “green” does not mean that you have to teach your children to live in wood-burning cabins to heat their homes. The cost of building it has significantly decreased. It’s not a surprise to see solar-powered homes be commonplace in the near future.