Can I cheaply install a small solar panel on my home?

Hello everyone,

I am a teenager living with my parents in New England (it’s usually sunny up here, but not direct sunlight constantly, if that matters at all). For an environmental science project, I wish to install a small solar panel outside my window or on my roof and use a wire from it to power a CFL lightbulb or something simple like that in my room. How can I go about doing this? Here are a couple questions I need answered, or you could just give me a link, anything is useful! Thanks!

1. Are there any cheap solar cells I could get that would be enough to power a lightbulb?
2. How can I install it? Do I need a battery of some kind to store the captured solar power? How do I attach a wire so that it can power the lightbulb?
3. Any ideas on what I can power cheaply that would be cool, other than a lightbulb?
4. Are there any safety precautions I need to take to make sure nothing catches fire or any of that stuff?

Sorry for the mass of questions, any help is appreciated! Thanks so much!

How many of you have utilized the benefits of Eco-Friendly energy?Please see Details….?

Such as Installing solar power, wind power, Geothermal power for your Bussineness or home that belongs to you. If you have’nt you really should consider doing it because only fool would pass up free Electricity or Heating/Cooling for life just because it is expensive to Install. Besides most of that Stuff pays itself off within savings in at least ten Years.

Average energy output of solar panels?

Hi every1.

I wanted to ask, especially for those of you who have solar panels installed on your home, roughly how much energy do you actually get out of those? Is it enough to power your whole house? If not, how much of a saving (in the long term) are you actually looking at by implementing solar panels?

Thanks heaps.

What are some alternative energy sources to power my home?

Ok, another rate increase from the power company….we have had it! Last year at this time we were using 3459 kwh, avg. temp was 78, bill amount was $281.45. Current moth we used (according to the power company, they estimate most of the time) 2910 kwh, avg. temp was 72, bill amount is $290.47.

I would like to know if there is anyone out there who has successfully removed themselves form THE GRID. If so, how did you go about researching what works best for you and what are you using…wind, solar, etc.? How much does it take to purchase equipment, how reliable is it, who installs it?

If this person I am searching for is not out there do you have any advice on what can be done to reduce our electric company dependence? Any info you can provide (including good web sites) would be greatly appreciated.

Do you know much about and/or support roof installed Solar PV, Solar CSP steam turbines, Wind, Tidal and Hydro?

Am amazed at how much misinformation people believe about renewable energy when it’s working great in homes and businesses all over the USA, large power plants like CSP which run steam turbines instead of using coal, hydro plants which we’ve had for years, tidal and many alternatives. The biggest obstacle are the Petroleum companies that don’t want to lose market share, the Nuclear companies that don’t want to lose market share and propaganda and misinformation campaigns designed to put down Renewable Energy as long as possible to that the power players now can maintain their hold on energy users to squeeze US for as much as they can. Seems many people are uninformed and know very little about renewable energy and how many working installations there are in the world. No secret that the Oil and Nuclear industries make darn sure to keep CSP permits from being approved because with a strong Solar PV and Solar CSP movement in the USA Nuclear would be toast. Good thing too because humanity could be toast if we keep building them. This must have been what it was like back when cars were invented and people that used and sold horses and buggies, were adamant cars would never work.