Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
What can you do with the electric power that you generate using solar panels? You have two choices: use it or sell it to your power company.
Using the electricity is easy but requires some knowledge of your power system in order to safely connect the array to your fuse box. Unless you are an electrician by trade, this part of the project will require an expert. Also, be sure to check for any inspections or certifications that might be required.
Your utility company will want to know about your solar array, and if you are tying into the grid (electrical system of the region) it may require you to get a robust inverter that "cleans up" the electricity before it is passed down the power line.
If your state allows it (and your utility is equipped for it), electricity that you generate but don't use can be sold to the power company. Being able to sell power back to the grid is called "net metering" and is currently available in over 35 states.
Though the selling price of your home-grown electricity may be significantly less than what you buy it for from the power company, net metering allows you to actually watch your electric meter run backwards on days when your array is generating more electricity than you are using.
