Lowes is First to Offer 175W rectangular Solar Panels to Do-it-Yourselfers at $893 that produce the same AC power that runs in homes and plug directly into a circuit breaker. The home would need a dedicated circuit breaker just as for a washer and dryer. Lowes is offering software that allows the homeowner to monitor the performance of each panel through the Internet. And Lowes will staff a kiosk near the panels that provides information on how to apply for utility rebates and tax credits - Read more at Boston
While The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has created an online tool called "In my Backyard, " to estimate how much electricity a homeowner can produce through solar and wind power in your own backyard. Once an address has been entered, either solar or wind potential can be analyzed. If solar is selected, the user can draw the planned solar panels directly on the map and then adjust the technical details (kW capacity, tilt angle, etc.). The system then runs a simulation and indicates how much electricity a solar system could generate at that location. See more at nrel.gov/imby/
Source David Schaller Sustainable Practices 419
