Today, solar panels for your home have become more and more popular – because of many factors. Some of the reasons that solar panels for your home have become extremely popular over the last few years are:

• The drop in the economy took a huge bite out of many people’s incomes and savings, making it necessary for them to look into many ways to save money every month (like eliminating their electric bill)
• Expanded federal and state solar incentives, which make it more affordable than ever to purchase, install and maintain solar panels for your home
• Increased efficiency in solar panels for your home have allowed solar panels to provide more power for the same, or lower, cost – which means that home owners who purchase a solar power system for their home get faster returns on their investment than ever before

There are two main types of solar panels for your home; grid-tie solar panels and off-grid solar panels. Both are extremely efficient and affordable, and deliver the maximum return on your investment.

Grid Tie Solar Panels For Your Home:
Grid tie solar panels and solar power systems are becoming more and more popular, in both rural settings as well as urban / suburban locations. Grid tie solar systems for homes are unique in that they allow you to use both solar power as well as power from the electric grid. This unique connection between your grid tie solar panels and the electric grid has several key advantages, including:

• Use the electric grid as an endless supply of backup power to be used when your solar panels are inactive (at night and on cloudy days)
• Flexibility in sizing and design – unlike other types of solar power systems for homes, with a grid tie solar system, you do not need to size your solar system to provide 100% of your energy – you can size it to provide any amount (solar fraction) that fits within your needs, desires and your budget
• Take advantage of net metering – net metering is a solar incentive provided directly by electric utilities at the requirement of most state governments. Net metering is the basis for the phrase “turning your meter backwards.” Simply, a grid tie solar system can send excess electricity it produces (that you are not using at the moment) out onto the electric grid for other customers to use – and, the electric utility will pay you for every kwh (kilowatt hour) of electricity that you generate and share

More Information: Grid Tie Solar Systems.

Off Grid Solar Panels For Your Home:
While not as popular in urban and suburban settings as grid tie solar systems, off grid solar systems are extremely popular (and have been for years) in remote locations where the cost of simply getting utility electric to the location is high. However, where the option exists, it is almost always better to go with a grid tie solar system because of the numerous advantages they have.

Off grid solar systems have several advantages and disadvantages that must be weighed carefully when determining which type of solar panels are correct for you, including:

• They must be sized to meet 100% of your energy needs at any time (and have battery storage to provide electricity when the sun is not available (at night or in cloudy weather), which can add significantly to the cost of the system
• They do not qualify for net metering – because there is no connection to the electric grid, you cannot possibly send excess electricity to the grid – and missing out on the extra cash from net metering, which can increase your payback and decrease the overall ROI of your solar system
• They do not require you to have an electric company – in other words, you will never have to pay a single electric bill (not even 1 penny) for as long as you have the system

More Information: Off Grid Solar Systems.