Solar panel kits make going green easy

For property owners that enjoy DIY projects, choose among a variety of solar panel kits for eco-friendly homeowners.

Many people believe that residential solar panels are too expensive and difficult to install.

However, these solar panel kits include everything you need to start generating clean, free solar power: panels, brackets, inverter and charge controllers.

With minor assembly, you can install solar out of the box and have your solar array up and running within a day.

Solar panels kits are eligible for renewable energy tax rebates and/or other incentive programs for energy efficiency, which can reduce the cost to you as the homeowner.

Choose among different solar panel kits depending on your intended usage and energy needs.

1.  This solar panel kit from Home Depot includes 10 Sunforce 123 Watt panels and a Pro Series inverter with a continuous output of 2500 Watts, and a surge power of 5000 Watts.  Retail cost is nearly $9000.

2.  Amazon.com sells a less expensive ($479) solar panel kit, best suited for recreational vehicles (RVs), boats, workshops, sheds or swimming pools.

3. Finally, DIY solar is made easy with one of the following PV panel kits, which can be used for outdoor excursions (hikes, camping, boating), RVs, or simply for back-up battery charging at home, in a variety of price points ranging from $90-500, all of which are available at Amazon.com:

Brunton SolarFlat Solar Panel

Sunforce 60 Watt Solar Panel

Sunforce 80 Watt Solar Panel

5 Watt/12 Volt Portable Solar Panel

If you consider yourself to be an eco-friendly homeowner, have you thought about solar panel kits?

Grape Solar home solar kits right at your local Costco!

Looking for a convenient place to buy solar panel kits and home solar power systems?  Why not at your local Costco Wholesale store?

This week, Grape Solar announced that has entered into a business arrangement with Costco to sell home solar panels in its self-service warehouse facilities and online at www.costco.com.  You can find the solar panel kits on the page entitled, “Hardware – Generators & Backup Power.”

The Eugene, Oregon-based solar manufacturer is looking to expand its customer reach.  President of Grape Solar, Ocean Yuan, enthused about the new business arrangement and the possibility of making it easier for property owners to switch to solar power:

“For the first time, a leading retailer with numerous locations, quality recognition and tens of millions of loyal customers has made it possible for end users to buy high-quality solar products at great prices and have the products delivered directly to their homes in a matter of days .”

Originally, Grape Solar and Costco tested sales markets in Costco Warehouses located in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.  Recently, the program expanded to Texas, Alabama and Florida, and many more markets will soon open up to offer quality, affordable solar panels for homeowners.

If you are a member of Costco, you can choose between a variety of solar power systems at reduced members-only prices: 880W, 2300W, 3680W or 5060W.  Grape Solar products are ready-to-install solar panel kits.

The Home Solar Power kits available at Costco are easy to install, grid-tied systems that include Grape Solar panels, inverters, and racking systems. If you find you need more solar power, you can add on additional panels to increase the size of your system very easily.  With the grid-tied solar systems, consumers can use net metering to sell back excess solar electricity to the utility and get credit for the times that they need to draw on the grid for power.

Grape Solar panels come with a 25-year warranty on power output and a 10-year warranty on materials and workmanship. The inverters have a 10-year warranty and so do the racking systems.  Be sure to save your receipts too because the home solar power kits are eligible for federal, state and local rebate and incentive programs.

Sunforce Solar Panel Kit

If you are in the market for residential solar power, you might have heard about solar panel kits.  The name itself makes it sound like an easy DIY home improvement project.  And for some, going with a solar panel kit is easier than contracting with a solar power company to purchase individual components of a system and have them installed.

You’ll want to know what is and isn’t included in a solar panel kit, however.

What are Solar Panel Kits?

In general, solar panel kits allow you to go “solar out of the box.”  The kits generally come with photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, an inverter, and charge controllers.  Some assembly required.

There are a range of solar panel kits on the market at different price points.  Generally, the more expensive solar kits include a greater number of solar panels and better quality inverters and charge controllers.  For example, this solar panel kit from Home Depot has 10 Sunforce 123 Watt panels and a Pro Series inverter with a continuous output of 2500 Watts, and a surge power of 5000 Watts.  It will cost you nearly $9000, prior to federal and state incentives and rebates.

Amazon.com sells a much less expensive ($479) solar panel kit which is best suited for recreational vehicles (RVs), boats or swimming pools.

Advantages of Solar Panel Kits

There are several advantages to going with a solar panel kit.  Generally speaking, they are less expensive because you are not paying for installation services.  Many people say that solar panel kits are more convenient and easier to modify to meet their own home energy needs.  For handymen and women, I’d agree that DIY solar panel systems can save you both money and headaches.

Disadvantages of Solar Panel Kits

Many homeowners prefer to contract for the purchase and installation of solar panels instead.  Professional installation is often more reliable and comes with a warranty – perhaps worth the additional cost.  In addition, some solar power companies will assist you with paperwork to maximize your solar rebates and other incentives.  That in itself can be a huge headache!  Obviously, solar panel kits do not come with any professional services.

Should you go with a Solar Panel Kit?

Only you can decide what makes sense for your household.  For smaller solar power systems such as those used with RVs, boats and worksheds, a solar panel kit could be perfect and more economical.  Larger systems such as those to power an entire home or small business may do best with a professional installation.

Have you recently gone solar?  Please share your own thoughts and opinions below regarding solar panel kits vs. professional installation.

Solar in a Box... and then on your rooftop!

When it comes to residential solar panel systems, cost and installation are two of the biggest worries.  Enter Ready Solar!

Ready Solar sells pre-assembled “solar in a box” solar electric systems that you can buy at your local hardware store.  Cheap, convenient and easy…. three of my favorite words when it comes to home improvement projects.

Did you know that Americans bought over 17 million flat screen TVs in 2006, yet only 45,000 solar panel kits?  With solar in a box, the price and ease of installation is nearly comparable, however.

What is holding you back in 2010?  Since 2006, the prices of solar panels have dropped more than 50% and the government now offers generous tax incentives and rebates.

Ready Solar’s PV panel product, “Solar in a Box,” makes going solar one of the simplest projects you’ll undertake this year.  CEO Robert Giles observes:

“The pre-mounted, pre-wired, grounded solar modules do away with the complexity of installing traditional solar electric systems and cost about the same as the piece parts.  It’s like making a cake.  You can buy the eggs, flour … all separately. [But] most people would just choose to buy the cake.”

Solar in a box makes installation easier

Solar in a box includes PV panels from Canadian Solar and Suntech, which can be installed in a single day.  The kits are pre-assembled through contract manufacturers at International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-approved facilities.  For those that want to get into the solar installation business, Ready Solar also has web-based training.

You can find the Solar in a Box products throughout much of the U.S. at Sam’s Club (a division of Wal-Mart).  Eventually, the company intends to take its solar electric systems global.

Today, you can find the Ready Solar products in 20 states.  More than 1,000 individuals and businesses have already installed the solar modules, with many more on the horizon in 2010.  Offering a lower-cost and easy installation over most solar panel systems is a big advantage.

What is stopping you from going solar this year?

Are residential solar panels in your future?

Residential solar panels are hot these days!  With prices going down as fast as efficiency is increasing, more and more homeowners are interested in solar power options.  The claim that you can turn your meter backwards is an enticing one… and not far-fetched, I may add!

If you are among the many people that are considering switching to solar power this year, what do you need to know?  What do you need to consider?

Let’s cut to the chase:  money is a huge consideration for most of us.  Before you can install residential solar panels, you need to think about what it will cost you, and what you can save.

Switching to solar power can be affordable!

Two primary types of solar electric panels (also known as photovoltaic, or PV, panels) exist:  manufactured, and do-it-yourself.  Solar panel kits are hot among property owners that like to construct and wire the components themselves, while saving money.  But, going with manufactured solar panels can provide you the peace of mind of knowing that someone can help you with tax rebate forms and possibly even maintenance of your investment.

And speaking of investment, did you know that you don’t even have to purchase solar panels for your home?  You can still convert to solar power without the upfront investment, if you finance or lease solar panels.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of switching to solar power is the fact that it will actually help your bottom line.  That’s right!  For every $1 you save annually in electricity bills, your property value increases by $20.  So, let’s say you save $500 per year in utility costs.  That’s a $10,000 boost to your equity!

Among the other benefits of going solar are: (1) lower or non-existent electricity bills; (2) insurance against rising utility costs in the future; and (3) security of having a power source when/if the grid fails due to weather or national security issues.

Don’t sit on the fence any longer!  Prices for solar panels have dropped by 50% recently, government incentives are generous, and you don’t even need to purchase a solar power system outright to gain the benefits.

Residential solar panels are for you – trust me!  What’s holding you back?

Solar Out of the Box

Solar panel kits are an easy answer for people looking to convert to renewable energy.  This is solar out of the box!  No fuss, no wondering what else you need in setting up a solar energy system.  Solar panel kits are designed for homeowners, small businesses, RVs, boats and more.  It is the next best thing to DIY!

It doesn’t matter if you are tied to the electrical grid or not, you can find a solar panel kit to serve your needs.  We all know that one of the biggest obstacles to going solar is the perceived difficulty in doing so.

By purchasing a kit, you don’t have to mix and match individual components of a renewable energy system.  With the guesswork taken out of it, you can be drawing on the power of the sun by the end of your weekend.

So, what exactly is in a solar power kit?

Most include the following:

• solar panel(s)
• inverter
• mounting rack
• batteries
• cables
• charger controllers

Solar Panel Kit

Don’t think that you will compromise on quality by purchasing a solar panel kit, either.  Many include panels manufactured by well-known, reputable companies like BP, Solarworld, Sanyo, Sharp, Mitsubishi, Photowatt and Sharp.  Plus, with solar rebates and other tax incentives being offered, its a great time to invest in renewable energy.  You’ll end up paying a lot less than retail.

It is so easy to find many companies selling solar panel kits, especially on the Internet.  Search “solar panel kits,” or “solar power kits,” and you can choose your system based on amount of power, cost and type of system (residential, RV or marine).  Remember that by going solar, you’ll not only save energy, but money as well.

Plus, solar systems on homes will increase their value, by a significant amount.  Most experts agree that you’ll recoup your investment in 5-8 years, if not less.

Let’s get solar out of the box!  Look into a solar panel kit today and start saving money tomorrow!