Owning a house is a dream for almost everyone. Home is a long-term investment and every house goes through elaborate planning and calculations before being built. A home says a lot about the people living in it and is usually built to suit the lifestyle needs of its residents. The concept of home improvement means different to different people. Prioritizing your comfort is of utmost importance when you decide to revamp your home. Over time, you may not like some of the fixtures in the house which you found absolutely necessary while buying or building the house; remodeling helps you to replace those items with the ones you relate with. Customizing the home offers you a quality environment which is safe and reflects your personality. It is advisable to perform regular maintenance checks and upgrade the features of your home if necessary. Only if adequately preserved, the resale value of the property will be increased. Home renovation of both the interior and the exterior increases the level of comfort and improves the quality of life. A prospective buyer may get attracted to the overall curb appeal and the landscape of your property if it is appropriately maintained. The purpose of renovation is either to bring up the functionality or the property value.
Considering the problems attached with global warming, it is crucial that the homeowners do their bit to lessen the personal impact on the environment. To lower the carbon footprint and to save money, energy efficiency of the electrical devices of your home should be reevaluated and if found imperative, it is only sensible to replace those items with energy-efficient and money-saving fixtures. However, spending on unnecessary items just for a trendy look could affect your finances negatively. When you want to invest again on your home, the possibility of bringing more green and renewable energy into your house should be discussed. Surveys show that 40% of the world’s energy is used by buildings, especially for heating. Solar energy is the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available and there are a variety of technologies that convert sunlight into usable energy for buildings. The most commonly used technology is solar photovoltaic to produce electricity, for space heating and cooling and for water heating. Switching to solar power is a smart economic as well as environment choice to make. Having solar panels on a home can help sell the property faster and the electricity savings from solar panels means increased home resale value. A house with solar panels attracts attention in the real estate market and makes it more affordable to people.
Solar lights can be used to illuminate your space or simply for decorative purposes. Depending on the style you are interested in, there are many eco-friendly solar lights available to choose from. You can take over installation of some of the lights as DIY projects too because most of these lights are very compact in design and the installation process is uncomplicated and simple. To light up and decorate the yard space, there are different types of solar-powered garden lights and one of the most popular ones is path lights. These lights usually come on stakes or flange mounts which makes it easier to position them and/or re-position them if need be. As long as these lights get maximum direct sunlight throughout the day, they will give sufficient brightness throughout the night. Since the light is directed down towards the ground, the path is clearly seen by the people who use it. To illuminate a larger space, flood lights can be used to ensure safety after dark or even to highlight the architecture of a building. The solar panel of the flood light is usually above the light itself so that the light consumes less space and is bright enough to shine all night long. There are also submersible solar pond lights available to draw attention to your water features. Solar spotlights, string solar lights and glowing solar globes are a few varieties to decorate your outdoor space. Solar street lights are another variety which can be used to illuminate open areas. They can be installed on lamp posts that are secured to the ground or on walls and have longer operating hours, which ensure illumination even during monsoons. All the outdoor solar lights are weatherproof and many of them come with motion sensors and dimming technology, thereby extending the battery life. Emergency solar lights, which are also known as portable solar lights, can be used in case of a power outage or for outdoor camping. To bring coziness to a room, table solar lamp is a practical choice. Both Central as well as State Government offer subsidy schemes to encourage citizens to install rooftop solar panels and do their part towards protecting our environment. Solar panels operate without producing any noise and unlike generators, give out less emission of harmful gases. Rooftop solar is ideal for Indian climate due to our country’s geographical location.
Solar Water Heater
Apart from generation of electricity, solar power can also be used to heat water. Solar water heaters or solar domestic hot water systems are the perfect alternative for traditional water heaters and works on the principle of thermosiphon. Sunlight is absorbed by a collector placed on the roof which converts the light into heat. With the use of a circulating pump, heat is passed into the water tank. The thermal regulator helps prevent overheating and also prevent the circulating pumps using electricity needlessly. Periodic maintenance is necessary to avoid scaling and corrosion, which will guarantee continuous hot water without interruption. Inspecting connections and valves to avoid leakage and also checking for loose wires, vegetation growth and pressure on the pump unit are important. You may keep the collectors dust-free and look for any cracks on them. A qualified technician should be able to replace the heater’s pump, seals, valves, and wires if necessary. Flow rate of the liquid and pH level of the water should also be checked regularly. Solar water heaters offer a long-term, low-cost heating solution and can be installed either on the roof or the ground according to the availability of space and sunlight. As per the consumption of hot water at your home, you may choose the best capacity solar water heaters.
Before powering your home with solar energy, the current energy use and potential efficiency upgrades should be investigated. Homeowners should assess the amount of power generated by solar energy in their home location with the help of mapping services and other similar tools. This helps one determine if their residence is suitable for solar electricity. You may estimate your solar electricity needs by reviewing your current electricity bills and calculating your annual usage of power. Age of the roof is another important factor to be considered before installing rooftop solar.
All types of solar-powered lights function at their best when the panels receive direct sunlight throughout the day; therefore, it is crucial to evaluate the shading in your property and plan the location of installation accordingly. Homeowners may explore the various financing options offered by the government in terms of subsidies for rooftop solar installations and avail of the one best suited to them. It is only sensible to discuss with the installer about your needs and resources available. The installer will be able to determine the sunlight accessible at your site, the appropriate system size and the system’s efficiency at converting sunlight into electricity. The equipment should be installed properly and oriented and tilted in such a way that maximum solar energy is received daily. An installer will be able to ensure the appropriate position of solar fixtures to maximize the energy produced by the system. The homeowner should find an insured and licensed professional and make sure the solar system is installed only by a qualified installer, except for the DIY and portable solar lights which can be set up without assistance from a professional. The solar lights come with industry standard warranty of 10 to 20 years depending on the unit chosen and you may check with the company regarding the life of each component used in the equipment. In India, solar panel insurance is included in most of the insurance policies, which safeguards the insurer against performance degradation of solar panels, under performance due to faulty manufacturing and material defects and ageing. Our solar power industry has witnessed immense growth over the years and our government’s focus on promoting the use of renewable energy has led to a rise in our solar power generation capacity. With the right policies, homeowners may upgrade their living arrangements without a big financial burden by embracing the new era of solar energy and by doing so, you encourage more people to turn to affordable and inexhaustible energy to create a cleaner and safer environment for our future generation.