Managing Home Maintenance Costs

There is no doubt that there will be a solar power impact on traditional power systems. The question that everyone is trying to figure out is how much impact will there be. What aspect of the system will be impacted? Solar power will impact these parts much differently. The areas of power generation can be broken down into the following categories: Fuel; Generation; Transmission; and Delivery. We will take a look at each one of these separately assuming two scenarios.

Solar Power Impact on Traditional Power Systems

Fuel

Fuel today for electrical power generation depends on sources such as coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear and hydro. Both large solar projects and rooftop solar will have an impact on these sources. Solar is really a new source of fuel. Power is virtually free with no impact on the environment.

Generation

Generation will focus on the lowest costs and the least environmental impact. This means wind power and solar projects combined with existing hydropower dams. Generation from steam generated by burning coal, oil, and natural gas will tail off in that order. This change will take place slowly as more and more solar comes online.

Transmission systems will still be required. Unless rooftop solar and local wind farms really take off.  This could still motivate and drive consumers to rooftop installations. Large solar projects and wind farm projects will still require long-distance transmission systems.

Delivery – Delivery will depend on the penetration of rooftop solar panels. Local utilities could find that their revenue could drop significantly. However this is still at least a decade away in North America.

Roof top solutions are becoming more cost-effective. Locations with already high per kilowatt per hour costs will see an impact within the next few years.

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The smart home industry is still in the early stages of development. There is not a smart home component design strategies plan in place. Many companies are developing components that will fit into a larger system however right now they are just components. They will be upgraded many times, there will be new devices added and gradually standards will be developed so that you can connect one companies devices to another companies devices and systems. But right now, it really is a confusing mess out there and also expensive.

Smart Home Component Design Strategies

What should a consumer do in a situation like this one especially if you are the early adopter type of person? The answer is to develop your own strategy around a smart home. Focus on the things that you really want to automate and those that provide security functionality. These devices and components are not cheap so you will also need to factor in your budget for this project.

Next spend some time reviewing those companies that have a complete system that meets your requirements. There is no sense trying to mix and match at this time from several companies if you want them to all interact with each other. Finally assess the companies that are in it for the long haul, have a development strategy of their own and provide support to their customers.

If you do all of this you may have a chance of installing a smart home system that meets your needs. It can interact with a central controller and is evolvable as devices and systems develop further. For more energy saving ideas, click here.

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