Soaring utility bills and abuse of the environment through expending fossil fuels are two huge issues that very much go hand in hand. This combination is a major factor causing so many home owners to look into the possibility of residential solar power.

According to the EIA, the U.S. Governments' official energy information group, households using electric to power their heating can expect a ten percent increase in their bill next year. Even worse, if you happen to use oil or gas, your increase will be as high as twenty-three percent! This is a growing trend, and not likely to change.

There has understandably been a huge push by homeowners to explore alternative energy, particularly residential solar power, and what they are finding is that the cost involved in purchasing and installing home solar panels is nothing to sneeze at. The hope is that down the road, prices will drop to a point where the average family can afford to install them. The government has taken first steps towards solving the problem by offering tax credits for people that have home solar panels installed. But until the production of solar panels is increased, and the installing of them is not considered a "specialty" type job that contractors charge an arm and a leg for, prices will remain high for residential solar power.

I decided this year to do my own research, and try to figure out how I could do it without financing between $5,000 and $30,000, which is pretty much the only option available to most of us right now depending on the size of the system. There is just no way I could spend the kind of money it would take, and have to wait years for it to pay its self off through utility bill savings.

What I found was pretty cool if you ask me.

If you're even a little bit handy, in what amounts to a fun weekend project, you can very easily create your own panels, mount them, and integrate them into the electric grid. Electric companies will even help you get your home solar panels synced up and hooked into the grid. You can do it at your own pace, and your panels will pay for themselves in a matter of weeks instead of years. I have not completely cut out my electric bill yet, but I also don't owe anyone money, and pretty soon I'll be totally off the grid. I can also feel good about my weekend projects that help the environment. A lot more so than tossing some cans in the recycling bin.

Anyone with a day off to spare that wouldn't mind seeing their electrical bill cut down while helping the environment should give residential solar power a try for their homes. Building your own home solar panels will be something you're very glad you did.