Cheap Solar Power

7 Photovoltaic Cost Cutters

Cheap Cheap Cheap Solar Power Home strategies. 7 ways to get solar energy working for you while paying almost nothing. If solar power cost is holding you back, here are the solutions.

Solar Power Cost Reducing Strategies

Thinking outside the Solar Power box.

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Solar panels are responsible for the high prices that come to mind when we think of solar power. There are much less expensive types of solar energy which, when established will dramatically lower the photovoltaic cost you'll pay.

Here are solutions for needing a minimum of solar panels in the first place... and spending the least on the ones you DO need.

Follow these steps and you can pay next-to-nothing for a complete solar power home.

Our 7 Cost Saving Tips will keep your solar power costs within budget.

Here are Solar Power at Home's Cheap Solar Power Tips:

1 - Make Every Watt Count - Start by adopting some energy conservation tips and techniques to dramatically affect the rate at which you use energy and the amount you spend on it. You'll be amazed at the amount of energy you can save by paying attention to where you use it and where you lose it. Remember, you pay for every watt of that energy - be aggressive about Reducing the amount of energy you use translates into huge savings when it comes time to size a system.

2 - Reduce your household heating bill by half. Install a solar powered water heater. Inexpensive solar power starts with the low tech options like flat plate collectors that pay for themselves in 2 to 4 years and reduce your overall heating bill by 30 to 50 %. Water heaters are a great way to start with solar without the large capital outlay that a photovoltaic system requires.

Cheaper yet, invest a few dollars in a step-by-step do-it-yourself solar water heating project and make your own solar thermal system that pays for itself in less than a year. Free hot water for 20 years or more.

3 - Look for used solar panels. Photovoltaic panels have been proven to last in excess of 30 years. Photovoltaic panels are amazingly long lived and even old brown panels and panels with broken cells are usable - some without doing a thing with them and others with a little tweaking.

4 - Use the free stuff. Passive solar energy is free for the taking with just a few changes around your home and property.

5 - Solar ovens are a great way to beat the solar power cost crunch. Use the sun to cook your meals at home or at the cabin.

6 - Do It Yourself projects abound on the world wide web. Check blogs and reviews for information on how happy others have been with the project. If you want to save serious money on a home solar power system here's a Step by step solar power DIY project that can be done by anyone who's even remotely handy around the house.

7 - Wait out the technology. Thin film photovoltaic technology reduces costs and increases the portability, flexibility and has changed the solar energy market. It's availability has made solar much more portable and the panels can be basically rolled off a printing press at a rate more than 10 times faster than photovoltaics can be produced.

Although initially less expensive than photovoltaic panels, and capable of collecting a spectrum of light pv cannot, thin film products are not expected to last as long as traditional PV and are not as efficient (meaning that you'll need to cover more area with thin film than photovoltaic to get the same amount of power).

The marriage of thin film and PV is expected to produce the holy grail of solar panels - lightweight, super efficient, easy to produce with minimal environmental impact and cheap - in the near future. Expect to see more about this in the coming years.

Where to Find Cheap Solar Power Components

When you're looking for cheap solar power, look at saving money on all of the various components by checking classified ads, swap meets, ebay, business liquidation companies, auctions and community lists (Craigs list, kijiji, etc.). Ensure that all of your components are compatible with one another.

The cost of the panels represents only a portion of your total solar power cost, after that you must factor in an inverter (to change the power to the commonly used 110V), deep cycle batteries (if you need them), a charge controller and various wires and hardware as well as the cost of installation, all of which add to the overall photovoltaic cost.

As the cost of petroleum based energies rise; solar energy costs decline. Cheap solar power for everyone is around the corner.

If you know nothing about installing solar panels and nor do your friends, then it'll likely be cheaper (and less frustrating) in the long run to hire a professional solar energy installer. PV installation is a highly skilled job and experts have the tools and the know-how to do it right in a short period of time.