Are roof solar panels energy efficient and economical?
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Answer:
They are energy efficient in that they do not use energy how economical is another story if you can afford the initial cost, installation and get enough they can actually make you a tiny bit of money for excess power. Keep in mind electricity is cheap so how economical they are is in question if not moot.
they will provide you with "warm" (not hot) water for washing in but that is all.
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Not in Scotalnd there not! lol but im sure they are in other parts of the country and world! If you live in Scotland a water wheel would be more efficient! However good for you at looking at ways to be more energy efficient!
Ask the people who sell them in your area. Asking in your area is important, because you need to know how much sunlight you get in your area.
Some places get so little sunlight that you're going to be wasting money, other places get so much light that you'd be foolish not to get some.
For example in Portugal they're building huge numbers of solar power units because it gets more light than say somewhere with a lot of mountains which can be cloudier.
So the efficiency is based on amount of sunlight in your area. As for economical depends on your budget, but they do take some time to pay off.
If you're doing it for the environment, you may choose to just buy power from a green power producer. In my area it's http://www.bullfrogpower.ca They pump power into the grid from green sources like wind and solar to offset what you use, so there's no fancy wiring or anything. Costs a bit more, but removes the carbon footprint of your entire home.
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