Of all the renewable energy resources solar power is the best suited for a domestic environment, because the flat panel equipment can be integrated successfully into both urban and rural settings, with minimum visual or audio pollution. Solar energy is however one of the more expensive renewable energies to install and maintain, so it is important that you do a quick survey of your property in order to ensure you have the relevant factors to make solar power viable.

Firstly you will need to survey the selected site and see if there is a flat surface (normally a roof) with the necessary incline and orientation. Non-tracking solar power systems are cheaper and more common for domestic use, but to catch the maximum amount of light they will need to be orientated carefully, and fixed at true south (for the Northern Hemisphere) with the inclination equal to the area's latitude. Tracking solar systems can be more expensive, but they will take into account the variable sunlight at different times of the day and year. You should also make sure that there are no obstacles blocking the light on your selected site such as other buildings, landmasses or trees. It is very important that you get all these factors right before installing equipment, as even a small amount of reduced light can impact overall energy production significantly.

Secondly when choosing a solar system for your home you will need to calculate your solar power needs, based on your current consumption levels (you can find this out from the bills you currently received from your utility company). There is a huge variety of different solar systems on offer, so it is easier to work out how many panels you will need by going onto the various manufacturer websites and inputting your details into the solar calculators that are normally provided. As a rough estimate a 1kWh panel will produce around 8kWh of power during a good, sunny day, and an average of 3-4 kWh per day over the year.

Thirdly you will need to consider your current heating system, and whether it is compatible with a solar system. You may well need to completely replace your boiler, which can add up to £2,000 to the expense of the whole project, and you may also need to upgrade radiators and internal piping.

Lastly you will need to decide what you want to use your solar energy for. It is common for people in countries with changeable climates like the UK to just use solar energy for heating water, and conventional energy for the rest of the house. This is simply because there may not be enough natural sunlight to run a busy household full of electrical equipment. If you do however intend to get your electricity supply mainly from solar power then you will need to be able to store collected solar energy, so that you can use it during the night and on very overcast days. This will involve installing some special photovoltaic compatible batteries, which can be expensive and will need to be stored in a specially ventilated area. You could also consider setting up an 'islanding' scheme with your current utility supplier, which involves connecting your solar system up to the main grid and selling the supplier any excess electricity. This basically means that you are storing power in the main grid, rather than in expensive batteries, and by selling the power back to the supplier you will negate the costs of accessing additional power from the grid to back up your solar system.