The Australian summer can be super hot. If you live in Australia, you will want to make sure you can stay cool during the intense heat. I came to realise how important HVAC systems are when I moved into an apartment which didn't have HVAC. It was OK in the winter, but by the summer, it was terrible. I called in an HVAC contractor and asked them to install a new system. It was amazing what a difference it made. The contractor also gave me some advice about how to maintain the system. I hope this blog is useful to you.
Throughout any given year the amount of sunlight that beams down onto the roof of a typical residential home can provide heat and electricity for that home (and likely a few of its neighbours) over the same time period.
Developments in solar energy collection are, at a minimum, allowing home owners to significantly reduce their reliance on local electricity and natural gas providers, and in turn greatly reducing their energy bills. The considerable upfront costs of solar systems pay for themselves in shorter time frames than seen in the past, and this is causing the systems to become more popular with home owners.
Solar Roofing Shingles
These shingles are a common choice for homeowners because of their aesthetics: They look almost identical to typical fibreglass shingles seen on most new homes. They have a dark purplish colour and can be stapled down to the roofing paper. Once installed, they begin to collect energy immediately. In the past, installation could take up to three days for solar roofing shingles, but today most installation companies can do an average sized roof in just one day.
One thing to keep in mind when deciding which type of solar collection system to use is the type of current being generated by the system. Solar roofing shingles generate a direct current (DC) and, as homes run on alternating currents (AC), an inverter will need to be installed to make this conversion.
Solar Roofing Tiles
Solar roofing tiles are another great way to take advantage of the sun's rays and reduce your home's energy consumption. Solar roofing tiles generate an electric current in the same way that shingles and panels do, but can tie into your existing roofing tiles, limiting the need for a full roof renovation. On a per unit measure, roofing tiles are typically more expensive than shingles, and they also offer a lower conversion rate of sunlight into electricity.
Traditional Solar Panels
By far the most efficient way to turn sunlight into energy for your home is with solar panels. Entire panels need to be installed onto the roof of your house. As technology of passive and more visually appealing solar equipment develops, more homeowners continue to get traditional solar panels at reduced prices.
The world of solar energy is continually growing and developing, and, as the future energy users of the planet won't have the luxury of fossil fuels, people will begin to slowly choose solar energy as an alternative due to its abundance, cleanliness and efficiency. The main barrier to solar energy today is the high price, but with gains in technology, and government subsidies in many areas, this barrier is slowly being removed.
Share30 August 2017
