renewable energy home - Dublin, Ireland

Introduction

How does a shifting energy market impact home owners today? It means we will continue to experience greater and greater residential energy cost increases in the years ahead. Our relationship to energy for our homes, cars, food supply, work and play means we are directly connected to a for-profit global fossil fuels market that’s run by a small group of energy industry elites. Energy markets based on using finite exhaustible resources to meet the self interests of those seeking to profit from global energy demands, and not on the concepts of sustainability, environmental stewardship and the well-being of communities around the world, is why we have the problems we have today, not the least of which is depending on an energy supply that is in steady decline. The energy market essentially governs the vital service of our energy supply and this needs to change. The equation being one that requires we comprehensively take into account what’s good for the whole, rather than a few. We are faced with restructuring how energy is created and managed worldwide.

This fundamental change is taking place right now in many parts of the world as communities and countries seek out renewable energy solutions in their own backyards.  If we think oil, coal or other fossil fuels will run out gradually giving the world time to adjust, that we will have a well managed descent, that won’t be the case. We may also see some significant conflicts over the control of our energy supply in the coming years. For the moment may of us are fortunate to have access to renewable energy incentives via government and non-profit programs that provide free home energy audit services, no-or-low interest loans, grants, and solar incentives that make it easier to install renewable energy solutions using solar panels, solar water heaters or small wind turbines. Key steps in creating a residential solar installation plan include understanding ways you can make your home more energy efficient, measuring home energy use, understanding solar system components, system and installation costs, solar incentives, as well as whether DIY solar installation is something for you.

A Few Tips Before Planning a Solar Installation

We’ve written a Solar Installation Series for you that provides a complete basic review of essential steps in planning a solar installation, which you’ll find at the bottom of this page.  First, there are a few insights and tips we’ll share, that could save you time and money.  We provide some solar product reviews, and you can further explore a full range of high quality residential solar and wind products available through two providers we recommend GoGreenSolar.com and Solar Sphere.

You may have heard the term ROI, or Return on Investment, when reading about or discussing residential solar with professionals. The ROI discussion is a financial perspective and in many ways is used to convince home owners that their investment would be a worthwhile financial time-well-spent. Within the context of a world facing major environmental concerns and mounting energy issues, we need to go beyond simply considering ROI and appreciate a broader spectrum of substantial benefits we create by retrofitting our homes with renewable energy systems.

Renewable energies like solar and wind will increase your home’s value over time as we transition away from oil or coal. Investment in a residential solar system today means energy expenses will be dramatically reduced on a monthly basis and remain that way. Your financial investment today also translates into long term peace of mind in knowing that your home’s energy supply won’t run out, as solar and wind energy systems run independently and with little maintenance. You may also live in an area that provides feed in tariffs, which means your energy company will pay you to share renewable energy you create at home with the community grid. Governments are using feed in tariff policy to encourage the adoption of renewable energies by the energy market, industry, investors, small business entrepreneurs and home owners.

If you’re unfamiliar with the terms on-grid and off-grid, this simply refers to energy you use connected to your local utility company (on-grid), and conversely energy created at home by your own renewable energy system where your home is not connected to the local power company (off-grid). Off grid solar and wind systems are most commonly used for homes or facilities in more remote locations. If you come across the term (tie-grid) system, this also refers to a home that remains connected to the local power company as well as using it’s own renewable energy system. Millions of homeowners fall into this category and some will be eligible for feed in tariffs, net metering or other incentives that compensate homeowners for creating and sharing their renewable energy.

Explore incentives programs where you live ( explore our international solar incentives list ) to learn how to qualify for financial assistance prior to getting started with a solar installation. Typically, countries offering incentives require that you do a qualifying Home Energy Assessment, also called a Home Energy Audit.  Depending on where you live you may be able to get a free Home Energy Audit through your current power company or a community NGO service provider, otherwise audits can start at about $150 and up, depending on the size of your home. We’ve seen an explosion of free Home Energy Assessment and Solar Estimate Services available to the public, especially in the United States, so investigate free support is your area and save your money. Even if you’re not interested in applying for solar incentives or rebates, getting a Home Energy Audit and making improvements will reduce your monthly energy costs. Audits will also answer many of the initial questions you have about solar and wind tech, and will identify ways you can improve your home’s energy efficiency or identify changes you need to make in order to meet government solar incentive qualifications.

We would highly recommend contacting organizations ( as an example - Global Solar Center in the U.S.) that are set up to assist home owners with this whole process, and can give you the low-down on applying for incentives, solar installation estimates etc. – all for FREE. We know that the US, Canada, Australia, Germany and the UK offer these services and it costs nothing to call them and ask a few questions and inquire about setting up a Home Energy Assessment.

While pre-planning a solar installation, also be sure you know about zoning permits or any other permits required specific to where you live, what they cost and if they need to be renewed annually etc. If you are thinking about a DIY solar and wind installation for your home, make sure your permit office is aware as they may have specific requirements that you follow. Often an important requirement in qualifying for solar incentive and rebate programs is that you use Government Certified Technicians to do a Home Energy Assessment and a Certified Solar Installer, so be aware that if you want to take the DIY path you may not qualify for solar or other incentives.

Solar Installation Series | Your Guide to Creating a Solar Installation Plan

To create a comprehensive residential solar installation plan we suggest using a notebook and calculator to record the information you’ll be learning and gathering about types of incentives available to you, estimates of your home energy use, the home energy audit process, and system costs and requirements. Read through our Solar Installation Series shown here, which walks you through the planning process. You won’t need to understand how to install a solar system, rather you want to have a solid grasp of the types of solar systems available to you and what your overall costs will be based on your budget and home energy needs. Remember that solar is simple, low maintenance, clean, environmentally safe, and really effective at generating ongoing free energy for your home. Let’s get started:

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