Solar panels for your home is currently one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Since 2004 the solar power industry has doubled in size every year consistently, and the global economic crisis has only fuelled this mega growth industry even further. Solar panels cost relatively little to produce, however in the United States alone the photovoltaic (PV) solar cell industry is worth around one billion dollars per year. This figure is expected to climb to over twenty billion in the next twenty years. The main reason for this projected growth is due to the emergence of commercial and residential solar panel businesses and franchises. At present, solar power contributes only 1% of the total national electricity supply. With such a low ratio and considering the growing need for energy the solar power industry is preparing to springboard exponentially. The aim of this article is for me to outline the situation for you so that you can determine the best way for you get solar panels for your home. Solar panels for your home, or residential solar panels, is where a lot of these new franchises will target. Commercial clients will always be able to negotiate deals directly with a supplier or master franchisor, it's the home solar market which is where the big money is going to be made. Just like any new age gold rush (think dot coms and finance companies), where there is money to be made you'll see a flood of new prospectors entering the fray looking to make their millions. As I mentioned earlier, solar panels cost very little to make but if you approach one of these franchises you'll likely get a quote for anywhere between twenty to fifty grand to install solar panels for your home. Solar panels for your home can cost under $200 if you make them yourself. Most homes only need a few of these homemade solar panels to be able to go off-grid. Also, if you consider the federal and state rebates which you can get for installing these solar panels, your solar panel costs reduce even further. It's true that building your own solar panels will require a bit of your time and effort. In fact, solar franchises rely on the fact that this seems like an impossibly difficult task. They want you to think that it's too hard to do yourself. Firstly to justify their ridiculously high mark up on these products and secondly to ensure the continuation of their business. The truth is though that solar technology has, and is, increasing at a very rapid rate. Creating solar panels for your home is a very real possibility these days and these technological innovations make it very easy, given that you have the right guide or instructions to follow. The solar panel costs the franchises charge is well over the actual cost. If you want to get solar panels for your home cheaper but don't really know how to, or want to, make them yourself. My best advice is for you to find a local electrician or trades person who would be willing to make them and install them for you. The total cost will still be considerably cheaper than if you bought it from a franchisee and you wouldn't notice any difference in the finished product. In fact, electricians and handymen are exactly the type of people most likely to be sucked into buying a solar franchise, so you'll literally be getting the exact same standard of work. Here's a quick breakdown of your likely solar panel costs; solar panel guide ($50), solar cells, battery and other gear ($200), construction and installation ($1000 this is a very high conservative figure). As you can see, you can easily get solar panels for your home for as little as $1250, more than likely this will cost under $1000 depending on the experience and quality of your installer. If you're seriously thinking about getting solar panels for your home be sure to take my advice and avoid paying the exorbitantly high solar panel cost which the solar franchises will charge you.
