Installing solar panels on a rented apt. deck??

Question

Hello,

I am always cold in my apartment because I am on a budget. Is it possible to install some kind of solar panels on my deck and heat my apartment? Can I take them with me if I relocate?

We bundle up in wool sweaters, but I simply love heat...my ideal indoor temperature would be 73 degrees,

Thanks!!

Answer 1

Solar panels are the worst way to produce heat from sunlight.  Painting the deck a dark colour will make it heat up pretty quickly.

Answer 2

Unfortunately I don't have the answer to your question. I, also have been trying to figure out if it is possible to install solar panels for an apartment.  It sounds like there are many apartment renters who would like to use solar energy!

Answer 3

There is a relatively cheap starter kit for around $600.  You can read about it here:

http://www.off-grid.net/index.php?p=487

You may be able to plug a space heater into the battery which can then in turn heat your apartment.  You would need someone to come and install it unless you know how to run electrical work.  

Solar power isnt yet for budget minded people as there is lots of equipment requirements and technical know-how in order to get a system up and running.

Answer 4

If your on a tight budget, solar panels might not be the way to go although they are getting a lot cheaper everyday as they improve the manufacturing process. I'm not sure if your apartment owner would approve of this, but if you have room to put up a small turbine that would be awesome for 2 reasons: 1) its very cheap compared to solar 2) there's got to be a lot of wind up there. Here is a nice comparison of Solar panels vs wind turbines if you would like: http://ecojudge.com/Solar-panels-vs-wind...

Answer 5

Although you can legally install t.v. satellite dishes on your deck, this may not be the case for solar panels.  Your state or city may not have any laws reguarding solar panels which means that a landland could possibly have the right to veto the solar panels.  

Reguardless, if you are interested in solar energy you should research the topic.  To begin with you will want to know how your region is rated for solar energy, how much energy you use on the meter, and how much solar panels are in your area.

I've listed the following websites to get you started:

www.lilith-ezine.com/articles/environm...

www.howstuffworks.com/solar-cell.htm