Solar power and many other renewable energy systems are gaining more exposure for a couple of main reasons. The first reason is that traditional fossil fuels that typically power our homes are becoming expensive. Indeed, constant increases in utility bills has caused people to look for alternatives. And solar power kits and other forms of renewable energy offer a viable alternative.

The second reason is that people are becoming more aware of the environment. A typical renewable energy system does not run out the more you use it. Indeed, the Sun’s energy and wind power is a free resource that will not diminish if more people start to use it.

Indeed, we are wasting the energy that can be gained from using the sun or harnessing the wind. And using these types of systems does not damage the environment and promote global warming as much as burning carbon based fossil fuels.

Solar power kits are mainly concerned with providing heat and electricity for the home.

Heat is needed to physically keep the home warm or it is used to make hot water that can be used to wash dishes, have baths and showers and wash clothes. Electricity is an essential part of life these days. It powers most of our appliances and provides light to the home.

Solar power kits use a passive approach to providing hot water to the home. They rely on the sun warmth to heat the water that is then passed into the homes plumbing system. However the most common form of solar power kit is one that uses solar panels.

Solar panels are a number of photovoltaic (PV) cells lined up in series or parallel. A PV cell is made of silicon, that reacts with sunlight to through off an electron. When a number of PV cells are lined up together this causes a current to flow. This is direct current (DC) that can be used to power appliances.

This current can be stored and used to power many common appliances. If it is transformed to alternating current (AC), it can be used to power the appliances in the home that we take for granted, like lights, TV, cooker, fridge and many others.

Although solar power systems offer a cheap, renewable energy source for our homes, the main drawback is the reliability of the Sun. It may not always shine or there may be overcast days when the Sun cannot strike the solar panel. This is why many people recommend that you always have a back up system. A good back up system that is also renewable is to use wind power. It is also more likely to work when a solar system does not and vice versa.

A wind generator is ideal for most residential homes because the free resource that it uses (wind) is likely to be available in a good quantity. Indeed, if you install a solar system and a wind powered system you will have two free energy systems working for you no matter what the weather is like.

With this said, it makes sense to stay with a grid solution until you understand renewable energy systems enough or are confident that they can provide all your energy needs.

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