Solar energy is gaining in popularity, with more people asking questions about converting to home solar. Home solar is clean. Home solar is green. Home solar is free, once initial installation is complete. Home solar is almost entirely maintenance free.

Home solar energy in Tucson, Arizona can be a very effective means of saving on energy costs. In fact, it is said that a 100-square-mile piece of desert near Tucson, if covered with solar panels, could generate enough electrical power to meet the needs of the entire U.S. So Tucson would be a good site for home solar. Consider these facts.

Home Solar Energy in Tucson Makes Sense

Tucson, Arizona receives plenty of sunshine, so home solar energy in Tucson makes a lot of sense. Tucson never dips below receiving at least 78 percent of the possible available hours of sunshine in a given month. The one month when it dips to 78 percent is July – monsoon season. The remainder of the year, home solar energy in Tucson can count on receiving between 80 and 93 percent of the available hours of sunshine.

The Arizona Energy Office and the National Renewable Energy Labs say that home solar energy in Tucson needs a 4 KW photovoltaic (PV) system. That's for an average sized home. A larger home would presumably need more, a smaller home less.

Cost of Home Solar Energy in Tucson

As with many products and building projects, home solar costs can vary tremendously in Tucson.

It is reported that a builder in Tucson installed $50,000 worth of home solar equipment in a 1700 square foot home. That included the recommended 4 KW PV system. He also installed a number of expensive, high efficiency energy appliances. He connected the home to the local power company, so the home solar was not critical, but it was expensive. At the end of the day, he said the new house would be able to produce all energy needed on a "net average annual" basis. In other words, it would even out over a year. You might have days when your home solar produced all the energy you needed, and other days when it did not.

By way of contrast, another report tells of a couple in the Tucson area that helped design and equip their own house, including a home solar system. This couple did not have the option of connecting to the power grid unless they were willing to pay $10-15,000. Their home was a mile or so off the beaten track where the power lines ran. Instead of a mere 1700 square feet, this home was 3700 square feet. The couple spent, on home solar equipment, the $19-15,000 they would have needed to connect to the power lines. They were on their own, and could not afford good and bad days. Their "stand-alone" home solar would have to provide energy for peak usage as well as average usage. It would have to provide on sunny days and cloudy days.

Comparing the two homes, we see that home solar energy in Tucson can come in vastly different packages.

1. Home #1 had a 4 KW PV system – Home #2 had a 1.2 KW PV system

2. Home #1 was 1,700 square feet – Home #2 was 3,700 square feet.

3. Home #1 paid $50,000 for home solar – Home #2 paid $10-15,000.

4. Home #1 was not self-sufficient – Home #2 was totally self-sufficient.

By the way, Home #1 was occupied by only 2 people. Home #2 was occupied by 5 people. It is easy to see which home would have the greater energy demands.

Home solar energy costs need not be as high as many builders place them.

Cutting Home Solar Energy Costs

Homeowners in Tucson, or any other place, who choose to use home solar energy, can reduce costs greatly through building design.

Mud adobe houses are popular in the southwest, and when made with 16" walls, can greatly reduce the need for air conditioning and/or heating. Houses with larger windows facing south can collect warming sunlight during cool winter months. Hot summer sun will find only smaller windows on the building's north side. Overhanging roofs can also shield windows from hot sunlight.

Increasing Use of Home Solar Energy

In the years ahead, we can expect to see increased use of home solar energy in Tucson and throughout the nation. Do we have enough sunlight? One has only to look at a country like Germany that, despite its cloudy climate, is leading the world in home solar energy.

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