Is Solar for me?

Is Solar for me?  I remember the first time my husband and I broached this subject;  it was about seven years ago, and we were living in a 1960’s rancher with very little insulation and a 25 year old heating and air system that was terribly inefficient.  Not knowing too much about energy efficiency at the time and wanting to reduce our costly monthly energy bills, we decided that solar was the answer and began to price do-it-yourself installation packages.  We quickly realized that we did not have enough roof area to house the number of solar panels we would need to produce the energy we were currently using.  The system would also require us to refinance our home for 150 years.
Where did we go wrong?  There are many considerations that go into correctly sizing a solar system that will meet your needs.  Richard Good, President of Solar Services in Virginia Beach (www.solarservices.com) indicates there are many factors that go into correctly sizing a home solar system, namely budget, roof space, and usage.  When he runs into people who could clearly reduce their energy usage and maximize their savings, he lets them know up front changes they could make.  The best way to evaluate a home would be to have your home audited.
Had I consulted with an expert like Richard seven years ago, I probably wouldn’t have given up on solar so quickly.  I have spent the last seven years learning how to reduce my energy usage, which also will significantly reduce the size of the solar system I would need.  Take a reading on your electrical meter and see what you are using in a 24 hour period on an average day.  Talking to people who knows what they are doing can make all the difference.  Then start making some changes.
A great place to begin is by changing out ALL of your light bulbs for compact fluorescents.  Yes, they really do make that big of a difference.  Instead of waiting for your bulbs to burn out and then replace them, just replace them.  You can save enough money in just three months to completely pay for the light bulbs.  Don’t know where to go from there?  Get a Home Energy Audit; a trained professional can show you exactly where your house is losing energy and how to fix it.  Generally, many of these changes are things any do-it-yourselfer can fix with a little caulk, some spray foam and some direction from an expert.
Once you have made your changes, check your meter again, and calculate the difference using the figure of ten cents per KW.   This is a little more than what your Dominion bill is charging you but once you work in transmission fees and other charges it works out to about $.10.
Now you are ready to size a solar PV system.  Just don’t make the mistake I did; talk to the professionals first, they really do know what they are talking about.