I have a question about solar panels. What are the benefits of this system if I installed in my home. for example i know it produces electricity but does it do anything else? How many panel would you guys think I would need for 2000 sq ft. do you know if it produces hot water? Thanks for your help
Grid-tied solar systems in the U.S. run at least $8/watt installed. To completely run a 2,000 sq ft home, you'd need about 50 amps service from solar -- both 20 volts and 240 volts. Not very practical. Panels are expensive, but the BOS (balance of system) is as well. You need mounts to bolt the panels to the roof (same thing if ground mounted). Cable, wire, and connectors will run several hundred dollars. A couple of grid-tie inverters in the range of 4,000 watts each will cost you several $6,000 to $8,000, plus sub panels, combiner boxes, breakers, disconnects, charge controls, and batteries, among other things. You'd likely need 5 to 24 panels, depending on too many factors to mention here. You'd need at least 8 batteries, likely 2 volt ones, probably more if you want to run the entire home from solar. Solar (or wind) systems have to be installed in the U.S. by state licensed installers, and there are not many of those yet. And if you grid-tie the system, you'll need to put an interconnection agreement in place with your local utility, plus the utility will have requirements on the net-metering and installation of a switch they can use to turn your solar system off from the grid. And this would not produce hot water in the way you are thinking. If you have an electric hot water heater now, the solar system could help run that, just like the rest of your home. Hot water from solar and electricity from solar are two completely different technologies.
First, solar panels come in two basic types - photovoltaics, which produce electricity (the black cells you normally think of), and solar thermal, which heats water (or some other fluid). It's one or the other, you could install both if you want that. Solar thermal is cost effective today, depending on how you currently heat your water. (The hot water could also be used to create electricity, like in a steam turbine, generally done in larger power plants). Photovoltaics are more expensive, but coming down in price every day. To know how many panels you need, you first have to determine how many kWH your house uses, and do you want to be completely off the grid (which would also require large batteries), or just reduce your electric bill.
30 years ago when the Hippies shut down our clean Nuclear plants They promised a clean miracle. No such thing! I'm sad to say at best Solar will only provide a fraction of our energy needs. (I guess if one abuses enough drugs they'll think up anything?) I am an apprentice for a Electric foreman; we calculate $50,000.00 in panels will meet the needs of a k foot house. So you would need a hundred grand. You'd save 00 dollers a month in electricity, but you'd be paying ,000 a month to pay off your loan of 00,000.00 in panels. God Bless You indeed a nice thought if it was practical.
Solar panels have been expensive, and not $00,000 about 30 to 50. There are new technologies that are just coming on line which supposedly reduce that for the same output by /2 to 2/3's which will, when these become widely available finally become practical, with tax breaks and incentives for the majority of people, either in their homes or businesses. I believe there are some panels that position the panels in such a way that you can buy a hot water collector under the photovoltaics and will produce hot water as well.
