The Solar Home – Roof-Mounted Solar Cells Have Evolved

With the concept of the solar home, roof-mounted solar cells have needed to become more efficient in their output of electrical energy. Back in the seventies, the concept of energy conservation efficiency made ideas such as solar heating home systems and creating electricity from the light of the sun very attractive, but in those times, the solar cell’s energy conversion output was just barely considered cost-effective. To have enough solar cells mounted on a home’s roof to produce all of the needed electricity for everyday use would cost many thousands of dollars, and would only end up paying for itself years down the road. These days however, what with the advancements made in the designs of the photovoltaic cell, the quality of its silicon construction, and the increased efficiency of their being produced, things have largely changed. How cost-effective are they these days? Let’s look into this…

While the idea is no longer new, building a solar home, roof-panel photovoltaic arrays and their popularity recently seem as though a new idea for many. The accessibility of this means of creating electricity, and the ever-growing need to utilize “free energy”, saving our environment and our wallets just seems much easier and makes plain common sense. More and more people today are discovering how easy it is to “go solar”… parts are much less expensive and more easily procured, and it’s not uncommon for families to put together solar panel kits over a weekend.

How does this effect the idea of a solar home, roof-mounted panels, and their efficiency? Decades ago, it used to take ten to twelve or more large solar panels to power most of a small home for more than ten thousand dollars or so – today, people can find parts costing between one and two hundred dollars to build one, that can power a refrigerator, home PC and an entertainment center, all on a single panel put together in a weekend project. This is the impact that advancements in this field represents.

If you wish to have your house convert into being a solar home, roof panels are an idea that doesn’t need to mean taking on a second mortgage anymore. With the right planning, a little know-how, and in comparison to decades ago, quite a minor cost, you can be well on your way to energy conservation efficiency in your home with very little time and cost.