As energy prices rise and the cost of solar cells drop, more and more people have been installing solar energy systems in their homes to generate the cheapest electricity.
Although there are several residential renewable energy systems, solar energy has emerged as one of the most popular due to its (comparatively) low cost and low maintenance requirements.
Some homeowners have even built and installed their own solar panels.
Solar energy sounds like the obvious choice, right? Well, not necessarily.
Although solar energy is the best renewable energy option for some homeowners, others might do better using wind or geothermal energy to generate the cheapest electricity.
Here are some things to consider before investing in a solar energy system to generate the cheapest electricity.
Geography Some locations are better for solar energy than others.
Solar power is good for places that get lots of sun, such as California and west Texas.
Other good locations are flat places with lots of wide open space, such as the Midwest.
The best solar power locations are both sunny and flat, such as the Great Plains and the Southwest.
Locations that are less than ideal for solar power include areas that get regular cloud cover - usually places near ocean or lake coastlines.
New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and parts of the Midwest around the Great Lakes are good examples.
Wind power may be a better choice for such places.
Another thing to consider is the number and location of obstacles lying between your home and the horizon.
As the sun rises and sets, such obstacles can block sunlight from hitting your solar panels, reducing the number of hours per day that they can generate the cheapest electricity.
Homes in valleys, forested areas, or cities with lots of skyscrapers are inefficient locations for solar panels.
Wide opens areas, like prairies, plains, deserts, and mountaintops are the most efficient.
Solar Panel Placement If you life in a flat, wide open area and have a large yard, the best place to mount your solar panels in on the ground, facing straight up.
Solar panels that are parallel to the ground can receive sunlight from any angle - in other words, wherever the sun is in the sky.
Furthermore, the solar panel being within easy reach on the ground makes maintenance quick and easy.
Unfortunately, this isn't an option for many people, especially people living in towns and cities, where the neighbor's house blocks out the sunlight.
Consequently, most urban homes with solar power systems mount the solar panels as high off the ground as possible - on the roof.
As long as there are no skyscrapers, mountains, or giant trees in the way, you can still get many hours of direct sunlight to generate the cheapest electricity.
Ideally, you'll want to place your solar panels where they'll get direct sunlight from dawn to dusk.
Place it on an east-west axis.
If they must be mounted at an angle, tilt them toward the south.
Unfortunately, roof-mounted solar panels do have some problems of their own.
Specifically, it makes cleaning and maintenance difficult, inconvenient, and possibly dangerous.
The best places for solar energy - the Great Plains and Southwest - are also famous for blowing dust, snow, and ice, all of which can reduce or eliminate the amount of the cheapest electricity the solar panels can produce.
Keep this in mid when mounting your solar panels on the roof - place them where they can be reached easily and safely for regularly maintenance.