If you are living around the Mediterranean or in any country with wall to wall sunshine then why are you not taking advantage of the one thing you can count on, the SUN!!! In Spain, it seems that the majority of people still don’t take advantage of this very reliable resource and even more surprisingly is that the Spanish Government does not seem to have fully implemented new laws which now make it compulsory for developers to install systems offering, at least, the minimum amount of solar efficiency in all new homes. I am still seeing houses being constructed and completed without any kind of Solar System. This is curious because there are supposed to be Government grants available, so why is this still not being done.
Why solar energy?
If you leave the cost of installing any type of solar system aside for a minute and consider the environmental issues alone. We all know that humanity cannot continue with its present rate of energy consumption and something has to change. Well, it would be nice to think that the richer countries of the world who have warm climates would try to make substantial inroads for development of not only solar but wind powered energy also. Spain, for example is beginning to take the whole subject seriously and in certain areas of the country one can see whole banks of wind turbines doing their bit and with more planned and in the pipeline. But what does Spain have in abundance, you guessed it, sunshine and lots of it. So, solar energy should be given a much higher priority. If even a small percentage of the population switched to some form of solar system the energy saved could help to make a difference to the planet. Did you know that our electric ovens consume the highest amount of electricity, with your air conditioning following close behind. So, it makes sense for someone who is good with their hands and has a reasonable talent for putting things together to build a system and it shouldn’t cost the earth, no pun intended.
Big advantages of solar energy
If you are living on a property with a reasonable amount of land then it may be worth considering building your own complete system. If you have “handy man” abilities then it shouldn’t cost a fortune and if you design it so that it produces a surplus, you can sell the surplus back to the electricity company. If this was achieved on a regular basis then the initial cost of the installation would be quickly recouped and you would no longer receive bills. In fact, eventually, you may break even and you could even make a small profit. Indeed, larger commercial scale solar energy farms are being planned and installed by private individuals and solar energy companies, with the sole intention of supplying to the national grid for a profit. It’s possible to introduce a system even if you own a property with a very small garden because a solar energy panel system can be installed on your roof top designed to produce sufficient energy to provide all your hot water. Did you know that approximately 30% of your total energy consumption is used in providing you with hot water? Before you start, it would be an idea to find out what, if any, grants are available. In Spain, for example, it seems that grants are available but you will need to check because these may vary dependant on individual regions. You will need to pay for the initial installation solar cost upfront and then apply for your rebate but I believe in some cases the grants can be around 50% to70%. So, this has got to be worth looking into!
Find out how much it would cost to either get professional solar contractors in to do the job for you or build a system yourself. If you look at the way energy prices have been shooting up through the roof recently all over the world then it may be the best thing you ever did. Plus if you ever want to sell your property in the future, what a fantastic selling point! You may be able to say to your prospective purchases “electricity bills what electricity bills” How good would that be?
