Harnessing the sun's abundant energy for electricity and hot water has been a noble effort for decades, hampered not only by economics but also by residential aesthetics. During the last few years, though, system manufacturers and solar energy experts have introduced solar electric, or photovoltaic (PV), solutions to meet the public's demand for both curb appeal and better control of their energy costs.
Modules and arrays designed to fit in with various roofing finishes are all the rage, if not yet the norm. Even better, the solar cell technology within them collects and converts more of the sun’s energy into usable electricity, thus reducing the overall size of the arrays to effectively (if partially) offset more of what's coming into the house from the local utility grid.
That evolution has enabled mainstream builders, including the nation's largest, D.R. Horton, to offer PV as an option, or perhaps even a standard feature, in some of their new homes.
And, truly, roof-mounted, grid-connected PV systems are easy to get through approvals, install, and maintain. They've undergone extensive third-party testing, certification, and code approvals; require maybe an extra day's work for a roofer, electrician, or solar sub (though lead times to order and receive the modules need to be respected); and rarely cause trouble for the homeowner.
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