Homeowners today want to cut down on their carbon footprint and also minimize their electrical bills at the same time, so they are turning to solar energy systems to power their homes. Installing a solar energy system allows you to reduce your reliance on utility companies, increase your home value and improve the environment by cutting down on pollution from fossil fuels. However, before installing a solar energy system, there is an essential requirement to determine your home electrical system needs in order to decide whether or not it’s right for your situation.

Evaluate Your Energy Usage

To determine the energy needs of your system as per consumption, you need to first figure out how much electrical energy you’re currently using. Your local energy provider company is a good place to start, you can call them and they should be able to tell you exactly how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity your household is consuming each month.

You can also look at your last few electric bills to find out your average consumption over a period of time. This is important because it helps you determine if there are any short-term spikes or higher values in your usage, it may not mean anything, but it’s better to have as accurate information as possible for when you start planning for solar installation. From there, it’s easy to determine what the exact system size of your home is which in turn helps with determining how much solar power you will need for your house.

What’s the Goal of Solar for the House Hold?

Many people think of solar as a way to reduce their monthly energy bills, but it can also be used for cost recovery. The main objective of using solar energy is cost savings. However, keep in mind that you will have fixed costs associated with keeping a system and/or batteries charged which could include equipment costs, installation, and utility fees.

You can produce more electricity from solar than you use in a year, making it possible to earn money from net metering. You can start saving from day one along with additional benefits such as independence from local utilities, avoiding global warming impacts, and complying with government regulations. In some situations, it’s possible to get back all of your upfront investment within five years or less through tax credits, rebates, or cash savings on utility bills.

Any Obstructions that Can Prevent a System

Before you consider installing a solar energy system, inspect your roof and take note of any obstructions such as air conditioners, satellite dishes, large trees, or anything else that may block sunlight from reaching the panels. If there is too much shade in one area of your roof it’s unlikely you’ll be able to make use of solar energy. This can reduce how efficient and therefore economical your overall solar installation will be. If your existing meter isn’t compatible, find out if you need an additional meter installed before proceeding with a solar energy setup. In some states new meters are automatically provided when solar systems are installed, so check to see what regulations apply before making further decisions about setting up a new system.