Who doesn't want to be Earth-friendly and help the environment? Home Solar Panels sound like the perfect solution. Just install solar panels on the roof and go! Sunlight is free, and you can even able to sell your solar power back to the energy company. It can't be that difficult to "green" your home and start using renewable energy.

Installing home solar panels can be expensive and takes a bit of research to find out exactly how much is going to cost to convert your home to solar power. We'll start by looking at these four things.

• Your Location

• Your Energy Usage

• Your Home

• What Type of System You Want

Where you live has to do with two thing - how many hours of sunlight your location gets and what kind of incentives are available in your state. You also want to find out what incentives and rebates are available in your state when you install home solar panels. This number will greatly reduce the cost for installation.

Visit the Database for Incentives for Renewable energy to find out more about what's available in your state.

On way to find out how much energy you use, is of course to look at an old energy bill. That might work well, if your house is new and efficient. In most cases it makes more sense to start with a complete analysis of your energy use. What do you use it for? Is there anything you can do to reduce your usage? You can save a lot by installing Energy Star appliances or insulating the attic or wrapping the water heater.

If you are in the process of building a new home, you are in luck. On the other hand, if you live in an older house, you might need to concentrate on making your home more energy efficient before looking to install home solar panels.

Do you want to rely completely on solar power and live off the grid? Maybe a combination of solar and wind power is more suitable for you. If you are handy with tools you might consider doing all the work yourself instead of hiring a contractor.

If you are hiring an installation firm you can get help coming up with a budget and an estimate of your use. Many homeowners install home solar panels themselves. I noticed the other day an article in www.Treehugger.com mentioning that Home Depot is now installing residential solar systems. That's good news, because when the big guys jump in prices usually go down.

(Read the article.)

Another plus is the fact that home solar panels might actually increase the value of your house. Since utility bills constantly go up, more homebuyers want to make sure that their new home saves energy.

The only way to know if it is the right choice for you is to look at the facts and do the research, and then you can make an informed decision. Even if you decide that home solar panels are not the right solution for your home and your budget, there are plenty of other things you can do to help save the planet.