Fossil fuel supplies are dwindling, they’re expensive and they pollute. It’s not hard to see why more and more of us are looking for clean, renewable energy options. If you’re fed up with high energy costs, or the effects of global warming, why not try going solar for your home?

There are many solar projects you can tackle that will save energy. Some are big some are small. But they all have the same effect, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.

The ‘Holy Grail’ of these projects is having an array of solar panels installed on your home. You can substantially reduce or even eliminate the need for electricity supplied by your local utility. Of course there is a downside (there always seems to be one doesn’t there)? The downside is the initial cost. Depending on your electrical requirements, we’re talking tens of thousands of dollars for a professionally installed system – ouch.

The cost of going solar for your home can be high if you go this route, but the upside is that you are helping the environment and you will eventually recoup your initial investment through lower utility costs. In addition, you’ll also receive a break on your income taxes since you will be eligible for energy tax credits.

A popular alternative to commercial solar panel systems is one that you build yourself. It’s not really hard to do and it’s a small fraction of the cost of a professional system. If this sounds interesting to you, our site contains reviews of the best Do-It-Yourself guides available which were written specifically about this subject.

If you happen to be all thumbs or if you simply don’t have the time to make you own, you can purchase completed solar panels. Naturally, they’re more expensive than homemade panels, but still cheaper than the professionally installed variety. You can find a typical 80 watt panel by clicking on the following link: Sunforce 80W.

Solar water heaters are another option in trying to go solar for your home. You can use the sun’s energy to provide all the hot water you need for doing your laundry, washing, cleaning, etc. They range in price from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the complexity of the system. Fair warning to those in colder climates, because of the freeze factor your systems will cost the most.

Have you ever considered adding a sunroom? Not only does it increase your living space it will provide you with an additional heat source during the winter. There’s an excellent book on design and the building of sunrooms which you can find by clicking on this link: Solar Greenhouses & Sunspaces.

These were pretty large projects to tackle. Next we will go over the smaller, easier and cheaper ways you can use solar for your home.