Planning to build a solar energy system? I’m sure you do. After all, it’s one of the most reliable and safest alternative and renewable energy sources. HOWEVER, before you dive into anything, knowing the cost first is a MUST!
The same thing can be said with solar energy. Let’s take a closer look:
The Price Of Solar Energy
Since the oil industry uses price per barrel as the unit of price measurement, it makes perfect sense that solar energy industry uses price per Watt Peak as the primary unit of measurement.
According to the latest figures, the price of high power band solar modules (those that are more than 125 watts) dropped by a whopping $23 per Watt Peak. Back in 1982, it was at $27 per Watt Peak. Now, it’s at $4 each. The prices higher and lower than this figure usually depends on the size of the order.
The Solar Module
Serving as a rule of thumb, the energy system’s solar module represents about 40 to 50 percent of the total installed cost for the solar system. This is NOT set in stone however. It varies depending on the nature of the application. A complete solar system is comprised of all the other components that is required to make the system work – whether for it to feed energy to the grid or to be used as a stand alone energy source.
Back in 2003, a residential solar system (one which is designed for off the grid and stand alone applications) costs about $8000 to $12000 for every kilo Watt Peak installed.
Solar Energy Costs In Japan
As the leading country when it comes to Photo Voltaic cells prices, Japan is the largest country market that hosts the largest Photo Voltaic cell manufacturers and companies. A quick look at their history reveals that the cost of 4 kilo Watt peak residential solar systems in Japan have dropped significantly in the past ten years or so.
HOWEVER, that is NOT to say that investing in solar energy systems would be easy. The precise calculation of the solar panel and cell price relies very much on the location of solar installation, local electricity tariff rates, and those are just to name a few.
Things To Consider
Along with that, for you to determine the proportion of the total electricity that the solar energy system would provide, you MUST take in consideration the size of the system as well as the demand of your home appliances – computers, fridge, washing machine, and everything else.
Depending on the average kilo watt per hour usage of a home, the costs of solar energy systems could vary. For example, a solar energy system that could satisfy about 25 percent of a home’s energy system could cost around $16000 to $2000. True, that would be a one off payment or investment, BUT nobody can take away the fact that solar energy systems could be very expensive especially for average Joes and Janes.
A Solution
So how do we solve this problem and take advantage of solar energy systems? Simple! Build you own solar panels rather than buy the very expensive and ready to install ones which would bore a hole in your pocket!
All you need is a straightforward Do It Yourself Solar Panel guide that would teach you everything you need to know about constructing solar panels with spending a fortune.
One that I would highly recommend is Green DIY Energy solar panel guide. It has helped me create a sufficient and large enough solar panel that would take care of my home’s energy needs.