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What You Can Do....At Home Solar Projects for Under $1000 While installing enough solar panels to power your home might not be affordable in the short term for many, there are several less expensive solar projects that most home owners can handle. Some utilities offer incentives and rebates for installing solar panels on your home. Contact your local utility to find out if they offer such incentives. (Here's an example of an incentive program in California.) Lastly, the government will pay you back 30 percent of the cost of your solar installations, up to a maximum of $2000. Here are a few examples of what you can do for about $1000 or less: Outdoor solar lighting for decks, walkways, gardens, porches, and garages: $75 per lamp. These are probably the easiest and cheapest solar additions to your home. Complete solar cabin kits to power an outdoor shed, or remote cabin: Starts at $975 for 80 watt output, $1610 for 165 watt output. After government tax breaks, that's $683 and $1127 respectively. Even a solar iPod charger! Works with other MP3 players and PDAs also. Only $44. Here's an excellent, comprehensive guide on solar installation (pdf) from the California Energy Commision. You can also purchase a wide array of installation guides from book sellers. Here's one example. Photo: Solar walkway lights. Photo courtesy National Renewable Energy Labratory. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use