How to Run a Home on Solar Power
If you are building a new home from the ground up, you are in a unique position to harness the environmental and economic benefits of solar power to run your home. Building a solar home is many times more affordable than retrofitting an existing home. However, even if you live in a home that is tied in to the electric grid, you can use solar power, too. Read on to learn how to run a home on solar power. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Build a passive solar home. Work with an architect who specializes in passive solar home design to site your home in the ideal orientation to the sun to ensure maximum solar benefits. The architect can advise you how to incorporate thermal mass into your home design, such as concrete floors and stone hearths, as well as other design and material choices that will boost energy efficiency.
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Install a solar photovoltaic--or PV--system for an active solar power system to run your home. Even if you live in an existing home, you can retrofit your home with a solar PV system that allows you to run your home from solar power. You can set up a solar PV system with a battery bank to store power, or you can remain tied to the electric grid so you don't have to worry about maintaining a battery bank. Then, on days where you produce more power than you need, your electric meter runs backwards, and the electric company pays you. On days when you use more power than you generate, your system switches back to the electric grid.
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Upgrade your appliances to energy-efficient 12-volt models. Super energy-efficient washers, dryers, refrigerators and freezers are available in 12-volt models that require a fraction of the energy traditional models do, making them ideal options to run on solar power.
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Convert an existing gas, oil or electric hot water heater to a solar hot water heater. Hot water consumes an enormous amount of energy. Your fossil fuel-based utility bills will plummet if you make this one simple upgrade. Plus, you won't feel guilty taking a long, luxurious steamy hot shower.
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