During each year the sun radiates 170 Petawatts on the earth’s atmosphere of which 80 Petawatts penetrate to ground level. In order to understand what this relates to, 40 Petawatts (80,000 trillion watts) or half a year’s worth is equal to all of the fossil fuels that we can ever extract from the earth. It’s free, non-polluting, and contributes 0% to global warming. So if you are lucky to live where the sun is always shining you are in an ideal position to make your own solar panels and make drastic cuts to your electric charges while making a positive contribution to the environment at the same time.

Since we are using up fossil fuel sources more rapidly than additional reserves can be located, the most sensible thing is to make use of the most plentiful energy source available for nothing-solar energy. It is a renewable resource that has not yet been fully tapped by a lot of countries which makes it a very practical option in the future. You can produce this energy when you build a solar cell array that you install on or close to your house in such a manner as to catch as much sunshine as possible and convert it to electricity. You should count on needing 10 to 12 panels for every kilowatt of power.

The biggest drawback to using solar power is that it can only create power during daylight hours. The best way around this limitation is to install an auxiliary system that will collect this power and then dispense it at night. This comes in the form of deep cycle batteries which will provide power in the evening or during a brownout.

Many of us hesitate to install solar energy solutions at home afraid that they are too expensive a hassle to install. They do carry a hefty price tag if you opt for professional installation but it may come as a surprise to you as to how cheap and uncomplicated it is to put up a solar cell solution to your hefty monthly power bill. If you live where there is a lot of sunshine and there aren’t high buildings or trees to obstruct the light, then you need to look into making your own solar panels and kissing that monstrous power bill goodbye.

It is acknowledged in California that converting your home to solar is comparable to ridding the freeways of two automobiles. Solar energy systems have many advantages apart from being environment-friendly. They are low on maintenance thus saving your time and effort. Also, solar systems give you a return on investment very soon, thus making the systems free after some time. Solar energy makes so much sense as an option for alternative energy and you can dramatically cut costs while getting the enjoyment from building your own solar cells.