Let me be the first one to admit that installing solar for my home wasn't the cheapest proposition back in 2009. In fact, telling anyone prices for a photovoltaic installation is a lot like predicting the stock market. However, on the whole, prices for having a residential solar for electricity system installed have come down considerably in the last four years. My rooftop photovoltaic array helps a lot, and I estimate will likely pay for itself within the next 16 years.
Being an avid environmentalist still tied to the power grid, I decided to get my electric bill as close to zero as I could and further reduce my dependence on fossil fuel. Consequently, last year I had a second solar panel array installed at my home---this time on a side exterior wall facing south and slightly east. Generally speaking, most people would call this location a southern exposure.
Fortunately my second solar array is wall-mounted and also acts as a "solar awning" that helps reduce the solar radiation on my home in the summer. It's wonderful working now in my back office upstairs, because no longer am I getting hit with strong, direct solar radiation through my "southern exposure" window that heats up the room almost instantly---causing my central air conditioner to work that much harder---and run longer! In other words, having a solar awning can have the dual benefits of generating electricity and keeping excessive radiation off one's home. One way to think of it is solar shading.
If anyone in the Richmond, VA, area has further questions about residential solar from a consumer's viewpoint, feel free to contact me directly at (804) 938-5257.
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