| Homeowner Challenges | | | | financial advantages of solar energy, one option is to |
| Homeowners face many decisions when it comes to | | | | contact a roofing company in your area. Ask for an |
| building or improving on the efficiency of your home | | | | estimate for how much it will cost to purchase and |
| at a price that fits your budget. Preparing your home | | | | install solar panels on your roof. |
| for a sustainable future involves making | | | | Another option is to shop online for solar panels. For |
| cost-effective changes to its structure. | | | | example, a Google search of "solar panels" reveals |
| | | | thousands of web sites. Homeowners can also seek |
| Vatican - Going Green | | | | information from Internet consumer guides or green |
| On November 26, 2008, the AFP (Agence | | | | building forums. Choosing the right solar panel |
| France-Presse) reported that the Vatican is adding | | | | company may also mean seeking a referral from |
| solar panels to one of its key buildings: | | | | your personal contacts (i.e. a neighbor or friend). Seek |
| "The 2,400 panels on the 5,000 square metre roof of | | | | information from a person who has already used |
| the Paul VI auditorium, near St Peters' Basilica, where | | | | solar panels on their home for greater than a year. |
| popes hold general audiences, will convert sunlight into | | | | Or, you might know a roofer or builder who regularly |
| 300 megawatts of electricity a year." | | | | sells solar panels to his or her clients. |
| These panels will satisfy the energy needs for the | | | | How much roofing area do you need on your home? |
| entire structure, saving enormous amounts of money | | | | On August 12, 2008, EcoHome Magazine reported |
| each year on the Vaticans' utility bill. | | | | that "a typical residential system usually requires |
| Back at Home | | | | about 100 square feet of clear surface area per |
| To enhance going green at home, consider installing | | | | kilowatt of PV capacity." The system will "be able to |
| solar panels. These panels help you to maintain the | | | | satisfy about one-half to three-quarters of the |
| roof of the future. they harvest the suns' energy | | | | homes' electricity demand." That is somewhere |
| and utilize it for purposes such as heating and cooling | | | | between 1 and 3 kWh for most homes. |
| water and indoor air. The energy that you harvest | | | | EcoHome Magazine also reported that the cost of |
| from the sun is virtually free, providing you with the | | | | Solar PV panels is falling in the present market. With |
| ability to consume less energy such as gas and | | | | the cost of solar panels dropping and the financial |
| electricity from the local utility company. | | | | benefit of financing the solar panels with your |
| One type of solar panel that is more expensive is the | | | | mortgage, solar energy is more accessible to |
| photo voltaic panel (PV). According to the National | | | | homeowners. |
| Association of Realtors "Solar PV panels are used to | | | | From safe and clean energy to conservation of |
| create electricity. PV cells are comprised of | | | | limited natural resources, homeowners can discover |
| semi-conductors, most often made of silicon, which | | | | many advantages of solar panels. Would you like to |
| convert sun power into electricity. These are | | | | decrease your energy costs for heating, cooling, and |
| different from (and more expensive than) solar | | | | hot water? You can opt for more expensive panels |
| water-heating systems." | | | | for a section of your roof with southern exposure. In |
| First steps in investigating solar energy | | | | going green, you can choose the roof of the future-a |
| If you are interested in the environmental and | | | | roof that harvests sunlight. |