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Solar Energy Alerts! | January 2011 |
Spread the Word!If you like this newsletter, please do a friend (and me!) a big favor and send them the URL to this page: Did a friend send you over here? If so, and you like what you read, please SUBSCRIBE so you can receive the newsletter directly. As a "Thank You" for signing up, you'll receive a free gift. Get all of the details at the Solar Energy Alerts! sign up page. In This Issue...
How Much Can a PV System Save You Every Month?Solar Power Savings! It has a nice ring to it. But have you ever taken the time to actually figure out how much you would save every month if you installed a solar power system? It's easy to do and could be just the incentive you need to bring your solar vision to life. How To Determine Your Cost SavingsThere are two approaches you can take to estimate the potential cost savings of a PV system: the Professional Estimate approach and the DIY Estimate approach. Keep in mind that, regardless of which approach you use, the cost savings potential is only an estimate which is based on some assumptions. Because of this, neither way will give you a perfect answer. In reality, you need to use both approaches to make a good decision on whether a solar PV system is right for you. This will give you a potential cost savings range that you can use for making your decision on whether to move forward with your solar PV system. The AssumptionsBefore we take a closer look at the two ways to determine your potential cost savings, you need to determine your assumptions for two key areas...
These two areas are directly related. If your system size increase, the amount of electricity from the utility your system will replace increases as well. You need to make sure that all of your estimates are based on the same assumptions. The Professional Estimate ApproachThe first way to estimate your potential cost savings is with the Professional Estimate. It is called the Professional Estimate because you take advantage of the experience of one or more professional solar power system contractors. Most contractors will provide a free estimate as part of their sales process. Their estimate will include both the costs of the system as well as the savings you can realize. I recommend you get at least three Professional Estimates. Remember, make sure all of the estimates are based on the same assumptions! The DIY Estimate ApproachThe second way to estimate your potential cost savings is with the DIY Estimate. As the name implies, you perform this estimate yourself. Using the assumptions you defined earlier, this is a two step process. Step 1: Determine Your Average Monthly Energy Use You can determine your average monthly energy use by looking at your electric bill for the past 12 months. Simply add up how much electricity you used during that period and divide by 12. This will tell you how many kWh of electricity you used on average each month. Step 2: Calculate Savings To calculate your potential savings, multiply your average monthly energy use by how much each kWh costs to determine your average electricity costs per month. Multiply that result by the percentage of electricity your system will replace. This will tell you how many dollars you will save each month. DIY Solar Savings Example: Average Monthly Energy Use = 1,000 kWh I also suggest performing a second DIY Estimate using an online calculator. You can find one by running a Google search for the term solar power calculator. At this point, you will now have at least 3 Professional Estimates and 2 DIY Estimates. This should give you a good idea of the potential savings a PV system can provide for you. What's New on Solar-Energy-At-Home.comTake a look at our newest pages...
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Other Solar Energy EventsHere are some other solar and renewable energy events that you may be interested in attending... Do you know of any solar energy or green-living events happening in your area? Add them to the database using our online Submit Form. It's quick and easy. In Closing...Is there a residential solar energy topic you'd like more information about? If so, let me know through my Contact page (make sure to note that you subscribe to Solar Energy Alerts! so I can put your request to the top of the list). I'm always looking for topics of interest to Solar-Energy-At-Home.com readers. |
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