EBSN Solar Tutorial
Want to look at producing energy from the sun but don't know where to start? This tutorial helps homeowners better understand how they can benefit from installing a solar electric system on their roof.
The EBSN tutorial consists of a series of topics that explain the practical and financial aspects of rooftop solar. Each successive topic expands on earlier material to provide a rich understanding of what solar is, how it works, whether your roof can accommodate solar, and how to evaluate solar as a home improvement option and a financial investment.
Many terms in the tutorial are further explained by moving your mouse over a highlighted word or phrase. Clicking on a term will take you to its definition in the glossary.
Tutorial topics can be read serially like a book, or you can use the tutorial as a reference guide, using the Solar Tutorial menu to go directly to topics of interest.
The tutorial consists of a series of topics discussing issues homeowners should be familiar with when considering solar. The set of topics provides a general understanding of solar energy, how sunlight is converted to electricity and how that electricity is used to power your home. This is followed by a simple framework for considering where solar panels could be installed on your roof and other roofing related issues. Next is a review of how utilities charge for electricity, and how your relationship with the utility changes once you begin selling power back to the utility instead of just consuming it. The tutorial ends with topics that describe how the cost of a rooftop solar system can be greatly reduced by various government incentives, how different financing options can help reduce upfront costs, and brings it all together to explain how to consider rooftop solar as a home improvement option and a financial investment.
