Preparation

• 1). The first thing that you need to do is determine your energy needs. Look at your electric bills for the past year to determine the average amount of Kilowatt hours you use per month. (Going back a full year lets you take all seasonal differences into account.)
  
  
• 2). Take steps to make your home more energy-efficient. Install compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), improve your insulation, upgrade to more energy-efficient appliances and get in the habit of conserving electricity by taking steps like turning off lights and appliances when not in use and unplugging appliances that draw electricity even when they're "off." Appliances with a clock built in (like a microwave) are major energy vampires; adapters for your cell phone or MP3 are as well. Not only will you save electricity, but this also will provide you with a cushion as your actual average use will be less than the total you came up with in step 1.
  
  
• 3). Determine the best generating setup for you. Contact a local contractor or government agency that deals with renewable power as your geographic area, the direction your home faces, even vegetation around your house will be a factor. Some areas will do better with solar energy, some with wind, some with a combination of the two. Certain areas of the country can tap into geothermal energy to help power their home, but almost every home-based renewable energy system involves solar power.
  
  
• 4). Decide which kind of battery you will use. Determine this by how much storage capacity is required, the maximum discharge rate of the battery and the minimum temperature of the area where you will store the batteries.
  
  

Installation

• 1). Most people will be better off hiring a contractor who installs solar panels, but if you're a do-it-yourselfer, you can do it. The first thing that you need to do is to attach solar panel mounts to the roof.
  
  
• 2). Use a stud-finder to locate the rafters in your roof, and drill pilot holes so you don't split the rafters. Keep the mounts in a straight line by using a laser sight or a chalk line.
  
  
• 3). Use stainless steel lag bolts to secure the mounts to the roof. Put metal flashings over the mounts.
  
  
• 4). Install the solar panels, and run the conduit that will carry the electricity generated by the solar panels to the inverter, which converts the DC (direct current) generated by the solar panels to AC (alternating current), which is what your appliances run on. Any extra electricity generated gets stored in the batteries for use at night.