{"id":7986,"date":"2010-07-23T06:33:47","date_gmt":"2010-07-23T11:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sustainablog.org\/?p=7986"},"modified":"2010-07-23T06:33:47","modified_gmt":"2010-07-23T11:33:47","slug":"affordable-solar-power-products","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/affordable-solar-power-products\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Easy and Affordable Ways to Start Using Solar Power"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/home-solar.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13031\" title=\"home solar\" src=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/home-solar.jpg\" alt=\"solar system on home in menlo park california\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/home-solar.jpg 500w, https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/home-solar-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>There  is so much talk of green and clean energy these days, most people have  at least thought about how they can use solar in their lives. \u00a0The  problem is that with a tough economy and bleak jobs market, most people  just don\u2019t have the money to invest in solar. \u00a0Here are 5 cheap and easy  ways to start using solar power that won\u2019t break the bank.<\/p>\n<h3>1. \u00a0Affordable Grid Tie Kits Are Here For The Handy Homeowner<\/h3>\n<p>Thanks to rapid advancements in inverter technology, you can install a <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/categories\/renewable-energy\/solar-products\/grid-tie-solar-systems\">solar grid tie kit<\/a>* on your home for far less then ever before. \u00a0It used to cost at least  $10,000 to install a small system on a home. \u00a0But using micro-inverters  and 200W panels, homeowners can install a single panel and inverter for  about $1000 and start to reap the benefits of free energy from the sun.<\/p>\n<p>Many  homeowners are adding panels on a regular basis, on Earth Day, or as  their budget allows. \u00a0\u00a0The new technology allows you to add on to your  system as you wish, without spending a fortune. \u00a0You could start with a  230W system, add a panel every 3 months or as your finances allow, and  have a 4000W system that covered your entire power bill in a few years.<\/p>\n<h3>2. \u00a0Solar Leasing Programs Often Cost You NOTHING<\/h3>\n<p>Now that solar has gone mainstream and is a viable investment, companies like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sunrunhome.com\/\">SunRun<\/a> have leasing programs to help homeowners get started in renewable energy. \u00a0Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A local installer works with a solar financing company like SunRun to evaluate the suitability of your home for solar.<\/li>\n<li>If  your situation is right, the financing company will pay the installer  to put the panels on your home, usually at zero cost to you.<\/li>\n<li>The financing company owns and maintains the panels, and receives any rebates associated with the installation.<\/li>\n<li>You get charged a fixed, discounted rate for your electricity for the life of the lease, usually 20-25 years.<\/li>\n<li>You  save money in the short term in the discounted and fixed rate, plus you  won\u2019t experience the sharp rate increases that are inevitable as carbon  taxes and renewable subsidies become more prevalent.<\/li>\n<li>You can choose to purchase the system from the financing company and reduce your energy bills to nearly zero.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Best of all, you get the satisfaction of knowing that you are saving money AND helping the environment at the same time!<\/p>\n<h3>3. \u00a0Simple RV, Boat &amp; Golf Cart Systems Keep You Charged Up<\/h3>\n<p>Many  people forget that they are various uses for solar panels. \u00a0Boats, RVs  and even golf carts are great uses for solar. \u00a0Solar panels generate  direct current, or DC power, which is what most boats and RV\u2019s need  anyway. \u00a0Adding a simple panel and charge controller to the system will  keep the batteries charged, save the expense of charging those  batteries, and allow you stay out longer and go farther.<\/p>\n<p>In  most cases the panels will allow you get rid of the generator or shore  power you relied on before. \u00a0For folks in southern climates that use  golf carts in lieu of traditional vehicles, a 200W <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spheralsolar.com\/solargolfcartkits.html\">solar golf cart kit<\/a> means  you can say goodbye to the power cord and hello to lower energy bills.  \u00a0Starter kits can be as little as $100, the larger units are over $1000.<\/p>\n<h3>4. \u00a0Take Your Stuff &#8220;Off the Grid&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>It  was not that long ago and that the components in solar power systems  were so complicated that using an electrician to install them was a  must. \u00a0That is not the case these days (and thank goodness for that!).  \u00a0Simple &#8216;plug and play&#8217;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/categories\/renewable-energy\/solar-products\/solar-kits\">solar power kits<\/a>* now allow you to gather, store, and use the sun\u2019s energy easily. \u00a0They  work much the way a computer does, you simply plug the panel into the  control box (like you would a computer monitor), and then plug the  control box into a battery (like you would plug the computer into the  wall). \u00a0Then, start plugging your stuff into the control box.<\/p>\n<p>This  is a great system for remote cabins, work sheds, or garages. \u00a0Often  people that live in hurricane country keep them for backup power when  the inevitable outage comes. \u00a0They\u2019re great for campers and travellers  too that have added laptops, iPhones and stereos to their \u2018can\u2019t live  without\u2019 list when they\u2019re in the back country. \u00a0These kits can be had  for as little as $300 and can be expanded for your future needs.<\/p>\n<h3>5. \u00a0Make Your Space Brighter and More Comfortable With the Sun-Powered Products<\/h3>\n<p>Unfortunately  solar lighting has gotten a bad rap by the proliferation of those  poorly made solar garden lights. \u00a0There are, believe it or not, great  solar lights out there that are high quality and look terrific. \u00a0Many  communities are doing away with the gas lamps that appear on every front  lawn because they are expensive to run and maintain. \u00a0A nice <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spheralsolar.com\/solarlamppostlights.html\">solar lamp post light<\/a> can replace the gas lamp, spruce up your yard, and cost less than $200 in most cases.<\/p>\n<p>There are also tons of affordable options for heating and cooling your home with solar. <a href=\"http:\/\/cansolair.com\/\">Solar air heaters<\/a> have recently become more popular, and they have the added benefit of using recycled cans in many cases. \u00a0There are even <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spheralsolar.com\/solarairconditioners.html\">solar air conditioners<\/a> now, too. \u00a0These use the sun to heat the medium in the cooling process,  whereas traditional AC\u2019s use electricity. \u00a0These new solar AC\u2019s are  about 50% more efficient than their traditional counterparts.<\/p>\n<p>So  solar doesn\u2019t have to be out of reach for everyone. \u00a0With a wide  variety of applications and prices, solar power can help you save money  and the planet.<\/p>\n<p><em>Kriss Bergethon is a <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.spheralsolar.com\/\"><em>Solar Power<\/em><\/a><em> expert and author from Colorado. \u00a0For more information visit his site at <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.spheralsolar.com\/\"><em>Solar Panels<\/em><\/a><em>. Kriss originally published this post at <a href=\"http:\/\/solar.calfinder.com\/blog\/going\/affordable-solar-power\/\">Calfinder&#8217;s Residential Solar Power Blog<\/a><\/em><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Looking for other inexpensive <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/categories\/renewable-energy\/solar-products\">solar<\/a> options? Check out our current listings of <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/categories\/renewable-energy\/solar-products\/solar-batteries\">solar batteries<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/categories\/renewable-energy\/solar-products\/solar-fountains\">solar fountains<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/categories\/renewable-energy\/solar-products\/solar-heating\/pool-solar-heater\">solar pool heaters<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>*Links to pages in the sustainablog Green Choices product comparison engine<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Image credit: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mjmonty\/3369786312\/\">mjmonty at Flickr<\/a> under a <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/deed.en\">Creative Commons license<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is so much talk of green and clean energy these days, most people have at least thought about how they can use solar in their lives. \u00a0The problem is&nbsp;[ &hellip; ]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":13031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,7],"tags":[3844,91,4472,4473,8517,4474,6],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>5 Affordable Solar Power Products<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Think solar power only means expensive energy systems? These five solar products are affordable, and easy to put to use.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/affordable-solar-power-products\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Affordable Solar Power Products\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Think solar power only means expensive energy systems? 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