Is It Possible To Use Solar Panels To Light Up Houses?
September 20th, 2009
I was wondering if it is possible to convert all the internal lightings and fan systems in a household to solar power. That way only heavy duty stuff like air conditioners and motors will be powered by the grid? What are the drawbacks of this system?
Home > Solar Power For Home Q & A > Is It Possible To Use Solar Panels To Light Up Houses?
yeah it’s possible…the problem is, u will need a very large panel and rechargeable batteries
Yes it is possible to do this. You will need a wall of solar panels about 75 ft long and 8 ft high. They must face the direction of where you get the most sun. On top of this you will need a battery bank of about 10 batteries to store the energy when not using. The panels should be able to rotate to follow the suns movement. This is a very complicated and expensive endeavor. But man has been using the sun for centuries to heat homes, green houses, and even for underfloor heating. Everything depends on your area and the availability of materials you need. My suggestion is that you research this fully first. You should be able to find information in your local library under solar energy.
It is entirely possible. You can also convert your whole house to solar energy if you have the money to do so. I know someone that ran the whole house including a/c, water well…everything in his home and still left it hooked up to the grid “just incase” such as bad weather days or such. His electric bill runs only around 4 dollars a month at times and sometimes the electric company has to pay him, because he generates enough electricity to “sell back” to the company. If you want to do your whole house including a/c and be taken off the grid entirely then you will just install battery backup of the system. Although the cost of doing your whole home will be quite high, the benefits and return will be worth it. Most states and the government also offer incentives for doing this. You can get credit or money back from the state you live in and the government just because you converted over to solar. Check with your state/local area for information on that. Do a web search for solar engery for your home to read more about it. Here’s a place to start.