3 Responses to “what is the best solar panel system for a small home?”

1. Jenny M says:

   May 29, 2010 at 1:07 pm

   We had a solar hot water heater in Phoenix Arizona and our water heater didn’t run until the dead of winter.
   I don’ know the brand.
2. Gert says:

   May 29, 2010 at 1:07 pm

    The demand for residential solar power is growing rapidly. Traditionally, this has been very expensive, ranging between $10,000 and $$40,000 for an average home. Many states have rebates and other financial incentives for solar conversions, but the cost is still out of most people’s reach. What many people don’t realize is that you can save most of the up-front costs by building solar panels for your home yourself. With the many DIY solar kits available now, building a solar panel is simple enough for the average person to do. In fact, you can download your guide right now for under $50, make a trip to the hardware store and pick up your materials for under $200 and get started today.
3. roderick_young says:

   May 29, 2010 at 1:07 pm

   I would go in this order:

   1) Conservation, efficiency, insulation.
   2) Solar water heater
   3) Solar electric

   For the latter two, look in your phone book for local professional installers under "solar". The question of price is not simple. It depends on your energy usage, as well as the location of your townhome. The best payback may not be displacing 100% of your electricity, either. A solar water heater can run $2k – 4k, depending on rebates. A solar electric system would start at $4k with the best rebates, for the smallest system, and would be unlikely to exceed $20k net, for a townhome. It really depends on your energy usage.