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Innovations in solar panel production have steadily driven the cost to the consumer down, since this is typically the most expensive element in the solar power production systems. The development of thin film solar cells heralded a new era in solar panel design, and new products are constantly being funded and researched. Exciting innovations in silicon production are making solar panels cheaper to produce and lessening the impact that production facilities have on the environment.



How Much Does Solar Power Cost?

As a rule of thumb, a full solar power system for a regular home winds up costing around $5 to$9 per watt if you install it yourself, or up to $12 per watt if you add the cost of professional installation. Another factor involves whether you buy a kit with all the components for solar power stations or mix and match them based on price and availability in your region. The tricky part is calculating just how much wattage you need to do the job. It is not determined by the square footage of your house like many other homeowner considerations, it depends on how much power you use and how much sun is available year round.

If you want to determine how many watts you need to run your entire home or business, you will need a copy of your electric bill. It will have a number showing your kilowatts by hours (kWh) for the billing period. Some statements have it broken down into daily kWh usage. If yours does not, simply divide the monthly kWh by thirty to determine an average daily demand. If you live in an area that experiences extremes in temperature, it is wise to repeat this process for peak usage months and work that into your average. If you underestimate the amount of power you require, it is always possible to add more solar panels to your system as needed.

Once you know how many kilowatts are needed to maintain your current daily power supply, you will want to examine your building and property to see where the most sunlight falls continuously without receiving daily shade. Any shade that touches solar panels causes disruptions in power generation. You also need to determine the amount of full sun hours you receive. There are online charts that show the average daily sunlight in particular regions such as this world map at http://www.solar4power.com/map1-global-solar-power.html.

Most solar power systems require four to six hours of continuous sunlight to achieve maximum performance. Multiply the number of hours you can receive dependable sunlight by 1.15 to reach an estimate of how many watts you will need your solar panels to produce.

Once the team at 4SolarPanels has this average information, they can research the best type of solar panel to work with your conditions and meet your output quotas. The final cost of the system will be determined by the type of inverter, control panel and battery storage unit you include in your kit. There are also additional costs for permits, an inspection by a licensed electrician and installation of extra meters that determine the total expense of any well-planned solar project.

Other hidden costs to consider are shipping and handling charges for components, especially the solar panels, since they are the heaviest and have to be handled with care. This is where the 4Solar Panels expertise comes in very handy, because we can find factory specials and bulk shipping deals that can be used to your advantage as our customer. Many solar panel shoppers are surprised when ordering "cheap" solar panels because they quickly discover the shipping charges are inflated to make up for the discounted price.

On average, a solar energy system that will power an entire home off the grid is around $20,000. If you are building in a location that is off the grid, this is substantially cheaper than tying into the main power supply, as anyone who has priced dropping a power line into a remote location soon realizes. There are also small, portable solar panels to supply appliances or computers that cost between $700 to $1000, depending upon the required wattage and durability.

Solar hot water heaters offer the quickest return on investment, and typically cost under $5,000 to purchase, plumb and install. The savings on your hot water bill adds up fast, and within three years you can recoup the cost and have many years of free hot water.

Even more economical solar panels can be purchased to heat swimming pools and hot tubs. Most of these pre-fabricated solar units cost only $300 to $400 plus installation. These devices pay for themselves in no time, and eliminate the necessity of having to switch off the heat just when you need it most to keep the electric bill down.